Revealed: The best and worst airlines of 2019
British Airways will feel the pressure as it freefalls to a spot alongside the nation’s worst flyers, above only Ryanair and American Airlines, according to a survey by consumer magazine Which.
It is a fast fall from grace for the company that topped the tables in 2015 as strikes, IT failures and mass cancellations have clipped the company’s wings.
Read more: BA passengers face huge delays after technical issue
BA was also scolded for its food and drink, seat comfort and value for money. It was seen as the third worst short-haul and second worst long-haul option in a survey of more than 6,500 people.
One Which member surveyed said: “BA is, without doubt, the worst airline we’ve ever used.”
Five worst short-haul airlines
| Ranking | Airline | Customer Score (%) |
| 1. | Ryanair | 44 |
| 2. | Vueling Airlines | 54 |
| 3. | British Airways | 55 |
| 4. | Wizz Air | 56 |
| 5. | Tui Airways | 59 |
BA also came under fire this year from popular British journalist Andrew Neil, who accused the firm of trying to “destroy what little goodwill it has left”.
Just behind BA, Ryanair retained its title of worst short-haul airline with a customer score of 44 per cent. American Airways was crowned the worst long-hauler with 48 per cent.
Ryanair took flack for its endless add-ons and tricky luggage requirements. It was accused of treating customers “like cash cows” and having a “cattle class mentality”.
Vueling Airlines and Wizz Air hovered around two stars out of five for most aspects of the customer experience. Wizz, however, did pick up three stars for value for money.
With flying colours, Jet2 bagged a 79 per cent customer score. One traveller even said: “Jet2 doesn’t feel like a low-cost airline.”
Read more: Singapore flies to top of best first class cabins ranking
Easyjet cruised to a mediocre score of 65 per cent and touched down in the middle of the short-haul table. Customers called it “fine”, “reliable”, and “no frills”.
Five worst long-haul airlines
| Ranking | Airline | Customer Score (%) |
| 1. | American Airlines | 48 |
| 2. | British Airways | 55 |
| 3. | Etihad Airways | 56 |
| 4. | Air Canada | 60 |
| 5. | United Airlines | 62 |
Flying high in the long-haul category, Singapore Airlines scored four stars out of five across the board and landed an 88 per cent customer score.
Emirates and Virgin Atlantic were not far behind on 76 per cent and 72 per cent respectively, with one customer saying: “British Airways needs to learn from Virgin.”
Which travel editor Rory Boland said: “Year after year the same culprits continue to sink to new lows yet for many of us there is a choice. You don’t have to keep booking with an airline that has let you down.”
BA questioned the legitimacy of the survey.
“Our own data shows customer satisfaction scores have increased, and continue to increase, as we deliver our £6.5bn investment for customers on new aircraft, new food, new lounges and new technology.” it said.