Travel Survey Reveals Surprising Results for British Airways
Jackie Reddy December 25, 2019
Which? Travel has revealed the results of its annual airlines survey and BA and Ryanair have come at the bottom of the list in terms of short-haul operators. Many surveyed had negative things to say about their overall experience with the airlines and also complained about a lack of included extras.
British consumer website Which? Travel has unveiled the results of its annual airlines survey, which puts British Airways (BA), Vueling and Ryanair at the bottom of the table for overall customer satisfaction in the short-haul market.
The Results and Methodology
According to the Evening Standard, out of 17 slots, BA came 15th, Vueling came 16th and Ryanair 17th, at the very bottom of the table.
Explaining the methodology behind the survey results, the site explained that, “In September 2019, we asked Which? members to complete an online survey about their recent experiences of flying with an airline from the UK. They reported on a total of 10,180 flights.”
“Their customer score was based on a combination of overall satisfaction and the likelihood of recommending the airline to a friend. Only airlines rated by at least 30 members are included,” it added.
Based on this, the outlet explained that Britain’s flag carrier and the Irish low-cost airline “have taken two of the bottom three spots” in the survey. Ryanair was awarded just a total of one star across a variety of categories, including customer service, cabin environment, food, seat comfort and even boarding.
Survey Revealed Surprising Results
However, as the site explains, “…it’s British Airways score that may shock its millions of passengers. The UK’s flag carrier came third from bottom of the short-haul table, with a customer score of 55 percent.”
Comparing and contrasting, it adds, “That’s well below easyJet (65 percent) and many other budget airlines. It received two-star ratings for seat comfort, food and drink, and value for money. British Airways’ long-haul experience was also mediocre, receiving the same 55 percent customer score.”
Passengers Feel Short-Changed
Citing a reason behind their low rankings, the website noted that many respondents complained that many services and amenities that would be included in the fare at other carriers must be purchased separately for those who choose to travel on these operators.
Priority boarding and baggage policies and poor food offerings were also a cause for concern among passengers.
In a snapshot of the comments received, one unhappy Ryanair customer commented on the airline’s boarding policy, saying, “You do get priority – but just to board a bus. Once the bus arrives at the plane, there’s a free-for-all to get to your seat.”
Summing up the results, Which? Travel said, “These ‘extras’ left many passengers feeling short-changed.”
Top Spots and Full Results
At the other end of the survey, Aurigny, Jet2 and SAS all took the top spots for short-haul service while Singapore Airlines, Qatar and Emirates were commended in the long-haul market.
The full results of the survey can be viewed here.
Indeed, the performance of BA should be a surprise to nobody, least of all people on here. It's an airline that has the ranking it deserves.
Why should the BA score shock anyone? I don't understand this. The elimination of Concorde was the start of the downward trend for BA. It's rush to the bottom carries on unabated.