Top 10 UK airlines: which British carriers were the best in terms of reliability, price, comfort, reputation and other criteria
WhichBritish airline is the best? AirAdvisor tried to find the answer to this question by analyzing almost one and a half million flights, more than 376 thousand reviews from ten sources, air accident statistics for 2022 and 2023 and more than a quadrillion passenger miles.
Top 5 UK airlines
As a result, AirAdvisor managed to rank all UK airlines in 9 categories, so that each airline could receive 90 points maximum (10 in each category).
No. 1 – Virgin Atlantic
This airline received the highest ranking despite not topping many of its categories. It managed to secure the top spot thanks to very good results in most categories. What is even more surprising is that Virgin Atlantic is the cheapest airline in the UK. It managed to beat not only other budget airlines in the country, but also many more expensive ones.
Virgin Atlantic is also ranked in the top 3 best airlines in the UK for reliability, comfort, reputation with customers, expert reviews and family travel. The percentage of flight delays operated by Virgin Atlantic is quite low.
If we compare it with other well-known British airlines, Virgin Atlantic looks relatively small. Nevertheless, its annual figures reached more than 4 million passengers who traveled to more than 100 destinations. This is a case where smaller size allows it to introduce personalized approach and multiple features and make the operation more stable and reliable. Virgin Atlantic received a total of 72 points, the highest score in the ranking.
No. 2 – British Airways
This British airline is the country's largest in terms of fleet size and destinations (but not in terms of passenger traffic), so most passengers have used its services at least once. Its annual total reaches 30 million passengers, more than 7 times higher than Virgin Atlantic. But still, additional flights, staff and extensive facilities did not help British Airways to reach the first place in this top. Its combined totals are 67 points.
As one of the country's airline flagships, BA scored well on professional reviews, family travel, lounges and comfort. It is quite reliable with a decent percentage of on-time flights.
No. 3 – Jet2
Jet2 ranks third not only in this top but also in the list of the biggest airlines in the UK. It specializes mainly in tourist and charter flights. Jet2 scored a total of 60 points.
Its annual passenger numbers reach around 15 million. Jet2 has performed well in the reliability category as well as in its reputation among customers. Despite its fame as a discount operator, Jet2 is actually the most expensive airline: it has no competitors in seat cost per mile. So in front of us is another proof that not always budget carriers are really cheaper.
No. 4 – TUI Airways
Good scores in comfort, lounges, reputation among customers and family travel put TUI Airways fourth in the UK airline operator rankings with 59 points, confirming that its efforts are paying off.
But it's the reliability category that let it down. The airline simply doesn't publish its percentage of canceled and on-time flights, which is not what you expect from a reliable carrier. That's why AirAdvisor ranked it as the worst UK airline in this category. And TUI Airways' flight costs are high, overtaken only by Jet2.
TUI is the largest charter airline in the world with passenger traffic of about 12 million a year and flies to all the most popular vacation destinations in Europe, Asia, North America and Africa.
No. 5 – EasyJet
No other airline in the UK can match this airline in terms of passenger traffic: its annual figures reach 33 million passengers. But in our ranking it is not doing so well: EasyJet with a score of 57 points is in the middle of the list of the best British airlines.
Its strengths were reliability (second in the category), price (also second) and comfort. These are some of the main ingredients for a good flight, but the scores in the reputation, family travel and pets were not enough for a higher position.
UK airlines ranked in the top 10
In addition to the top five airlines, the following five also made the top 10 in the UK, but with already less successful scores. These are mostly smaller and lesser known carriers that have a hard time competing with the giants in the top 5. But they also have a lot to offer passengers.
No. 6 – Loganair
It is referred to as the Scottish airline. Loganair has the largest fleet size and passenger traffic among UK regional operators. It performed well in terms of flight cost (#3) and placed in the middle of the rankings in the reliability and comfort categories. Loganair scored 50 points overall, which is a decent result for its size.
It flies to over 40 destinations, from Germany to Norway to Ireland, and in addition to that to many destinations around the UK.
No. 7 – Blue Islands
This regional operator can in no way compete in terms of passenger numbers with giants such as British Airways and easyJet, but is one of the main airlines for travel in the Channel Islands of the UK.
Blue Islands has performed well in terms of reliability, lounges and flight costs, earning a total of 45 points. So if you need to get to the beautiful islands of Jersey or Guernsey, feel free to use this carrier.
No. 8 – Aurigny Air Services
This operator also operates from the Channel Islands, more specifically from the island of Guernsey. According to the criteria of the top of the best airlines in the UK, it did not show any outstanding successes, scoring only 42 points, but the category "Reputation among customers" was a pleasant exception: Aurigny Air Services took 4th place here thanks to a large percentage of positive reviews.
No. 9 – Eastern Airways
This small regional company is based in North Lincolnshire and offers flights to the most popular destinations around the country and even Orly Airport in Paris. It failed to make it to the top of the top with a score of 40 points, but nevertheless demonstrated a good level of comfort and price - criteria that are among the most important for travelers.
No. 10 – Wizz Air UK
In this ranking of the very best British airlines, Wizz Air UK performed the worst. It is a separate organization headquartered at Luton Airport and operates out of the UK. The airline is a budget airline and scored the lowest in the reputation and comfort categories. Wizz Air UK was only able to score a total of 30 points.
Most trusted British airline
Blue Islands had the highest percentage of on-time flights in 2022-2023, but the number of cancellations was also quite high, so it could not get the status of the most reliable airline in the UK. It was won by Jet2 with high on-time performance and a low percentage of canceled flights. In comparison, while Jet2 had a cancellation rate of 0.09% in 2022 (which dropped to 0.02% in 2023), Aurigny Air Services had a cancellation rate of 17.28% in 2022, making it the least reliable airline.
The UK's most comfortable airline
British Airways and TUI Airways were the winners in the comfortable flying category. Their in-flight services include in-flight entertainment, comfortable seats, complimentary drinks and snacks, Wi-Fi and provision of pillows and blankets.
The third position in this ranking was taken by Virgin Atlantic. The only comment relates to the seats: passengers felt they could have been more comfortable.
The safest British airlines
This is one of the most important criteria for travelers, and its results can not fail to please. According to the International Air Transport Association IATA, there have been no accidents on any of the top UK airlines tested since 2021.
Top 5 airlines in the "Reputation among customers" category
Customer reviews create an overall picture of an airline's service and experience of traveling with it. Notably, some smaller regional airlines ranked higher than their more powerful competitors such as British Airways and easyJet. So the top 5 in this category were Jet2 with an average score of 4.0, TUI Airways (3.78), Virgin Atlantic (3.45), Aurigny Air Services (3.4) and Loganair (3.1).
Best budget airlines in the UK
Airfare is not the cheapest of pleasures, so price is one of the fundamental factors in a passenger's choice of airline. The best by this criterion were the winner of the top of the best UK carriers Virgin Atlantic (its revenue passenger miles per seat were £5.26) and easyJet (£5.55).
Loganair also stood out, with an average revenue per passenger mile of £5.81. This is quite unexpected as flying with smaller operators tends to be more expensive.
Most expensive British airline
Jet2's revenue passenger miles per seat averages £8.88, almost 60% higher than Virgin Atlantic. Not far behind Jet2 in this respect is TUI with a figure of £8.86. So if price is the main thing for you, look for options with other operators.
Best UK airlines for family travel
British Airways clearly leads the way in this criterion, offering good on-board entertainment and family-friendly amenities such as meals, strollers, accommodation, etc. Jet2, Virgin and TUI also performed well in this category but failed to get the top score due to the fact that they do not provide free seat selection for children under 13 years old so that the family is guaranteed to sit side by side during the flight.
5 airlines with the best lounges
First place in the ranking of the best UK airlines for lounge comfort goes to Virgin Atlantic with an average score of 4.4 based on traveler reviews. Second place with a score of 4.1 went to British Airways. Jet2 and TUI Airways shared the "bronze" with a score of 3.4. And easyJet was in the top 5 with a score of 3.1.
Most pet-friendly carriers
If you have to fly with your pet and don't want to send them separately, consider Aurigny Air Services, TUI Airways and Loganair. The three of them share the top spot in this category, as they allow pets in the cabin and cargo area of the airplane.
British Airways allows pets in the cabin but not in the cargo hold. The rest of the airlines in our top do not allow you to fly with pets.
Conclusion
Most of the UK's regional airlines ranked lower in the ranking. This is quite natural, as it is difficult for them to compete with giant carriers and low-cost operators. But for flights on certain routes, for example, to the Channel Islands, they are extremely useful. In addition, as far as reputation among customers is concerned, many large airlines can only envy them.