Which airline has been voted worst short-haul carrier?

Filed under: Travel News

There are no prizes for guessing that Ryanair has been rated the worst airline out of 16 carriers offering short-haul flights, with its add-on charges being the biggest bugbear.

A survey carried out on 5,622 Which? members on homeward-bound flights in the 12 months leading up to October 2012 reveals that Ryanair is the least popular airline, while Swiss International Air Lines has been voted the best.

Short-haul flights were defined as those departing from Europe or North Africa to the UK. Customer scores and ratings for the 16 airlines that received at least 30 responses for short-haul flights were included in the results.

The Which? report said: "We were inundated with comments about Ryanair - many about its extra charges. This partly accounts for the paltry one-star ratings for baggage allowance, boarding arrangements, seat allocation, and food and drinks. For example, it charges at least £15 per bag, per flight, for any checked-in luggage, and £10 to reserve a seat."



It is the third time in a row Swiss International Air Lines is flying highest in Which?'s European airlines table with an overall satisfaction score of 82 per cent, compared to Ryanair's 34 percent.

Turkish Airlines (78 per cent) and Lufthansa (75 per cent) took the second and third top spots.

Each airline was rated in a number of categories, including check-in process, baggage allowance, seating allocation and airline staff.

Swiss is the only short-haul airline to receive the maximum five stars for its staff. Some members praised their politeness and "great service", while some also liked its "excellent booking process".

Joining Ryanair at the bottom of the table was Thomas Cook Airlines (in 15th place) with a score of 36 per cent, Thomson Airways was 14th on 45 per cent and Monarch 13th with 47 per cent.

A Which? spokesperson told Aol Travel: "The airlines topping our survey received flying colours for their good customer service and value for money. No-frills airlines will have to do more to cut down on the extra charges for baggage allowance, seat allocation and food and drink if they are to see their ratings really take off."

Which? 16 Best and Worst Short-Haul Airlines:

1. Swiss 82 per cent
2. Turkish Airlines 78 per cent
3. Lufthansa 75 per cent
4. Aer Lingus 74 per cent
5. KLM 67 per cent
6. British Airways 67 per cent
7. SAS 65 per cent
8. TAP Portugal 64 per cent
9. Air Malta 62 per cent
10. Jet2.com 61 per cent
11. Flybe 59 per cent
12. EasyJet 54 per cent
13. Monarch 47 per cent
14. Thomson Airways 45 per cent
15. Thomas Cook Airlines 36 per cent
16. Ryanair 34 per cent

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