While Aer Lingus was at the bottom of the table in the long-haul segment, Ryanair was ranked as the worst short-haul carrier, obtaining an overall score of only 55%.
The company led by Michael O’Leary reacted promptly, classifying the results as "false" and "invented," stating that none of its 208 million passengers paid attention to these studies.
The survey revealed that Ryanair only obtained two stars out of five in categories such as booking process, boarding, customer service, and cabin environment, dropping to just one star for seat comfort.
The only area where the carrier scored better was in value for money, where it obtained three stars, still below competitors such as Lufthansa or TUI. In contrast, Jet2 emerged as the big winner in the short-haul segment, standing out for its reliability and low number of last-minute cancellations.
Regarding Aer Lingus, its long-haul division finished with a score of 65%, penalised by the only two stars awarded for seat comfort and cabin environment—factors considered crucial on longer flights.
In short-haul flights, the Irish company positioned itself in the middle of the table with 71%. At the top of the overall passenger satisfaction ranking was Singapore Airlines, chosen by respondents as the best long-haul airline, consolidating its reputation for excellence in service and onboard comfort.













O Leary can say whatever he wants, customer surveys like Which?, a very UK oriented company, is closely followed and have good credibility for transparency, unlike his own airline. He has built up a big company, but it might be even bigger if he listened to his customers!
By Tony Williams from Other on 01 Mar 2026, 18:11
Well, I know what people like to say about Ryanair, but I can only speak as I find: flying fairly frequently between the UK and Faro I can honestly say we have no complaints about their service - except for their fondness for getting passengers waiting outside of the terminal in the heat/cold/rain before the plane is actually ready for boarding. The only cancellation we've experienced was years ago when our departure from the UK was delayed by ATC problems and we were actually turfed out of our seats on the plane because our destination airport (in Spain) would have been closed by the time we would have arrived (and we received prompt refunds). In summary: cheap and cheerful - what do people expect? Maybe we've just been lucky, but it's our honest experience.
By David Collins from UK on 02 Mar 2026, 17:37