Which? poll reveals best and worst of airlines

By Phil Davies 

Thomas Cook Airlines has landed second-bottom in an annual poll of members of consumer watchdog Which?

British Airways sister carrier Iberia hit the bottom of the table in the survey of 12,000 Which? members’ flying experiences with a 28% customer score, 9% lower than Thomas Cook Airlines.

Ryanair (32%) fared little better, gaining just a one star rating for luggage allowances, boarding process, legroom and the quality of food and drink.

However, the airline has since announced changes including a move to allocated seating and a reduction in baggage fees from January.

Guernsey-based minnow Aurigny Air Services (87%) topped of the short-haul table achieving four stars for elements like boarding process, legroom and punctuality.

Swiss International Air Lines (82%), Norwegian (79%) and Turkish Airlines (75%) completed the top four.

Air New Zealand and Singapore Airlines came joint first (87%) for their long-haul flights with both airlines gaining five stars for in-flight entertainment, food and drink, flight punctuality and value for money.

Which? executive director Richard Lloyd, said: "Our survey reveals the massive variation in the standard of airlines. Once you've chosen your destination, it pays to pick the airline that will get you there without any dramas."

Responding to the survey, Christoph Debus, chief executive of Thomas Cook Airlines UK, said: "The Which? Airline Satisfaction Survey results are in stark contrast to the high levels of satisfaction our customers tell us about. 

"From our own survey - which takes the views of over 900 times more of our customers than the Which? report – we have customer satisfaction scores of 87% rating their flight as either excellent or good for their holiday this summer.

“This is set to increase as we improve our fleet further – we’ve very recently taken delivery of the first of many brand new Airbus A321 and a new A330, which are already taking short and long haul customers on holiday, By 2016, we will have replaced 50 per cent of our UK fleet and for the rest the cabins will be completely renewed.

"It’s impossible to see how this survey offers consumers a like-for-like comparison when Which? is comparing airlines with completely different product offerings that appeal to completely different customers – including, for our package holiday customers, where the priority is getting them to their holiday on time.”