The 3 Worst UK Airlines - The Most Disappointing British Airlines Ranked for 2023

Written By Amy Lancelotte

5 minutes read
Last Updated: November 06, 2023

It may sound negative, but when you need to book a flight, sometimes it’s handy to know which airlines are best avoided. That’s why, in conjunction with our post on the Best British Airlines (where you can find our complete methodology), we also wanted to establish the flip side: the worst UK airlines.

Our research to determine the “winners,” if you can call them that, was intensive. We reviewed:

• Nearly 1.5 million flights to determine reliability.
• Over 375,000 reviews from 10 sources for a customer satisfaction score.
• More than a quadrillion seat miles for affordability.
• Every plane-involved accident for 2022 and up to September 2023 to determine the carrier’s safety.
• 13 airline policies related to comfort and travelling as a family or with pets.

The truth is, if we were looking to make a list of the top 10 worst airlines in the UK, we’d have to use them all, which wouldn’t be beneficial. As a result, we’ve come up with the 3 worst UK airlines to keep it simple based on 9 different factors. Here are our findings:

Worst Airline - UK Wizz Air

No airline wants to be the worst, but someone has to be. What is the worst airline in the UK? With the lowest overall points total across our 9 categories, we can safely say that Wizz Air is Britain’s worst airline for 2023. They only scored 30 points out of a maximum of 90. And the results were definitive, as Wizz Air UK’s score was 10 points off the next worst airline.

Why did Wizz Air UK score so poorly? A few reasons:

• They ranked the absolute lowest in 3 categories: comfort, pet-friendly travel, and customer reputation.
• They also fared poorly in affordability, with only 2 airlines more expensive than Wizz.
• Wizz’s lounges are the second-worst overall.
• The airline only does marginally better for reliability, family travel, and professional reviews.

So, when you need to book a flight and you’d like the trip to be comfortable, affordable, and reliable, it’s better to look elsewhere if possible.

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Is there an upside? Yes. Wizz Air has an exemplary safety record, with no reported accidents in the period we reviewed. But in every other category, they scored well below average, if not the worst.

Runner Up - Eastern Airways

Fewer people use Eastern Airways than Wizz, and it’s possible that this regional airline may not even be on your radar. But if it is, and you’re planning a trip within Britain, you can find better options. 

Eastern Airways scored 40 points across all categories, but our findings are less dire than with Wizz Air UK. Eastern also gets top points for safety and is above average for affordability - only 3 UK airlines are cheaper. Eastern Airways offers a relatively comfortable in-flight experience, landing it in the middle of the pack for this component.

Now for the bad news. Don’t even try to travel with a pet on Eastern Airways or expect to have a good time in their lounges. Perhaps the most meaningful score (unfortunately, the one with the most impact) is in the customer reviews category. Travellers don’t rate this airline very well at all - it’s the second-worst after Wizz Air.

With Eastern Airways, if the price is right and they have the route you need, it might make sense to use them. But if possible, check out other better-ranked regional airlines like Loganair, or go with larger airlines like Virgin Atlantic or British Airways when flying within the UK.

Third-worst UK Airline - Aurigny Air Services

Channel Islands-based Aurigny Air Services takes the third spot on our overall list of the worst airlines UK. But the data starts to look a little better. Except in these categories, where it was the second-worst UK airline:

• Reliability
• Comfort
• Lounge reviews

Chances are good that your next Aurigny Air Services flight will encounter a disruption, and if that’s the case, remember that we’re here to help. AirAdvisor fights for flight delay compensation on behalf of customers to make things easy. The only reason the airline wasn’t the worst overall for reliability is that we couldn’t find data for TUI, so Aurigny dodged last place. In 2022 and 2023, Aurigny Air Services had the highest instances of cancelled flights as well - not a good sign, is it? Don’t expect a comfortable flight or lounge experience, either. 

All isn’t lost, though; the data starts to look better for metrics like pet travel and safety. Plus, only 3 airlines scored better for customer reputation, which is definitely worth noting.

Conclusion

Now that you know the 3 worst UK airlines, you have the information necessary to book a flight. It’s not to say that these 3 airlines don’t have any positives going for them; it’s just that there are seemingly better overall choices out there. 

If you need to book with any of these carriers due to a specific route or price point, at least you now know more of what you might be getting into.

Travelling one of the UK’s worst airlines? Remember that AirAdvisor can assist passengers to get the flight delay compensation they deserve.Contact us today to start a claim

FAQs

What’s the worst airline in the UK?

Comparing 10 airlines in 9 categories, AirAdvisor found that Wizz Air UK was the worst British airline in 2023. They scored poorly based on customer reviews, affordability, and comfort and below average for reliability, family travel, and lounges.

What are the top 3 worst airlines in the UK?

According to our 2023 review, the top 3 worst UK airlines are Wizz Air UK, Eastern Airways, and Aurigny Air Services. They are not very reliable, relatively expensive, and aren’t very comfortable choices for your next flight. Plus, Wizz and Eastern were the worst airlines UK based on passengers’ reviews.

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