Jet2.com has come out top in the 2026 Which? survey of short-haul airlines, while the consumer champion has named Emirates and Virgin Atlantic as the best for long-haul flights.
Which? said Jet2 was ‘the big winner for reliability’, adding: “Jet2 cancelled far fewer flights at the last minute than most rivals and clinched four stars for customer service, value for money and the booking process (simplified because there’s no need to add cabin bags).”
More than three-quarters of passengers said they hadn’t experienced any problems with their flights, compared with 63% for Ryanair, which came bottom of the 15 airlines on the short-haul list.
Which? added: “When delays did happen, Jet2 was also much more likely to have people around to explain what was going on. In the past 10 years, Jet2 has expanded hugely, with more bases and routes, but it’s as good as ever.”
Jet2 scored 76% for customer satisfaction and has been named a Which? Recommended Provider. Lufthansa and Norwegian, second and third on the list, scored 73%, while British Airways, KLM and TUI scored 72%. EasyJet scored 67%, while Ryanair scored 55%.
Jet2 CEO Steve Heapy said: “Quality is at the heart of everything we do. To receive this recognition from Which? is something we are extremely proud of and what makes this even better is the fact we are the only UK-based, short-haul airline to be awarded this prestigious status.”
Although Which? said Ryanair scored reasonably well for punctuality, one reader complained of being treated ‘as an inconvenience’ and another said ‘Ryanair’s pricing is no longer competitive.’ Another reader said ‘the seats are uncomfortable compared to easyJet.’
The biggest complaint about Ryanair was on delays. Which? said this was ‘perhaps because it’s less likely to have staff around to help during delays than rivals such as Jet2,’ adding 67% of Ryanair passengers said there were staff available at least some of the time during delays, compared to 92% for Jet2.
Which? advised readers: “Fly with anyone else, if you can.”
In long-haul, Emirates and Virgin Atlantic came out as Which? Recommended Providers, despite the fact Singapore Airlines scored higher for customer satisfaction, at 81% compared to 80% for Emirates and 79% for Virgin.
Which? readers complimented Singapore Airlines’ ‘comfortable cabins’, smooth booking and boarding and food, however Which? said Emirates and Virgin have better ‘no-show’ policies.
Which? said: “While Emirates didn’t have the highest customer score of the long-haul airlines, Emirates won’t automatically cancel your return flight if you miss your outbound flight. This means we’ve named it a Which? Recommended Provider for long-haul economy airlines.
“Virgin Atlantic is your best choice for a transatlantic trip – with five stars for customer service. Like Emirates, it won’t automatically cancel your return flight if you miss your outbound flight. This makes it one of only two Which? Recommended Providers for long-haul economy airlines.”
Virgin Atlantic CEO Corneel Koster said: “I’m incredibly proud that Virgin Atlantic has been named a Which? Recommended Provider for long-haul airlines. This recognition reflects the care our teams put into every journey – from reliability to the premium experience our customers choose us for time and again.
“Being one of only two airlines to receive five stars for customer service makes this even more meaningful. A huge thank you to our teams across the business, and to our customers for continuing to place their trust in us.”
Which? compiled the research from feedback about more than 9,500 flights.
Which? top 15 short-haul carriers by customer score
Jet2.com (76%)
Lufthansa (73%)
Norwegian (73%)
British Airways (72%)
KLM (72%)
TUI (72%)
Aer Lingus (71%)
Air France (69%)
EasyJet (67%)
Turkish Airlines (66%)
Loganair (65%)
Vueling (63%)
Wizz Air (59%)
Ryanair (55%)
Which? top 15 long-haul carriers by customer score
Singapore Airlines (81%)
Emirates (80%)
Virgin Atlantic (79%)
Qatar Airways (78%)
Air Canada (77%)
KLM (75%)
Etihad Airways (74%)
British Airways (72%)
TUI Airways (72%)
Air France (71%)
Turkish Airlines (71%)
Delta Air Lines (70%)
American Airlines (69%)
United Airlines (68%)
Aer Lingus (65%)
