When it comes to flying we all have had a slight problem now and then. Whether it is a flight delay, lost luggage or airport queues.
However, new research from consumer group Which? has found the best and worst UK airports. Which? surveyed 5,000 participants about their experiences at airports in the last 12 months.
Those surveyed were then rated the airports across 11 categories, including seating, staff, toilets and queues at check-in, bag drop, passport control and security.
A customer score was calculated based on a combination of overall satisfaction and likeliness to recommend.
The team found smaller airports ranked performed well yet again when compared to larger rivals. Travellers reported that there were shorter queues and an overall less stressful experience.
Where is the worst airport in the UK?
Manchester Airport Terminal 3 finished bottom of the survey for the third year running.
The airport scored a poor customer rating of just 37 percent. Meanwhile, the terminal received just one star for seating, staff, queues at security, range of shops and prices in shops.
Manchester Airport Terminal 3 failed to score higher than two stars in any of the categories including for loos. The airport has had some ongoing repair works while some of its moving walkways have been out of action since 2021.
Travellers have summed up the airport terminal as “queuing, queuing, queuing. Not enough staff, poorly trained, surly bordering on rude”.
A second person opined: “Manchester T3 sums up everything that is bad about UK airports. Too many flights mean too many people crowded into a space not designed to take that many.”
Finally, another added: “It’s just awful – the worst advert for anyone flying to the UK. It’s the worst airport I have ever used (and by quite a long way) compared to other UK and especially overseas airports.”
Despite the research, the airport terminal disagreed with the findings and told Which? that its own data shows 97 percent of people take less than 15 minutes to pass through security.
They also said its ongoing £1.3billion Manchester Airport Transformation Programme is creating world-class facilities and is award-winning.
Manchester Airport Terminal 1, which is scheduled for closure next year, fared only marginally better, with a customer score of 40 percent.
It received just one star for its staff, queues at security and prices in shops, and several two-star ratings in most of the remaining categories.
However, its highest rating of three stars was for its toilets. Terminal 2, which is currently undergoing a multi-million-pound upgrade, was the highest-rated of Manchester’s Terminals, tied with Heathrow Terminal 4 with a score of 51 percent.
The top 10 worst UK airports and overall customer score:
- Manchester T3 – 37 percent
- Manchester T1 – 40 percent
- Belfast International – 44 percent
- London Luton – 47 percent
- London Stansted – 50 percent
- Manchester T2 – 51 percent
- London Heathrow T4 – 51 percent
- Bristol – 53 percent
- London Heathrow T3 – 54 percent
- London Gatwick South – 55 percent
At the other end of the scale, Liverpool John Lennon scored a staggering 81 percent overall customer score.
The top five best UK airports and customer score:
- Liverpool John Lennon – 81 percent
- London City – 80 percent
- Norwich – 78 percent
- Exeter – 77 percent
- Southampton – 75 percent
Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel said: “Our survey found many of the biggest airports fall at the basics – with passengers often unhappy about the availability of toilets and seats, and reporting long queues at times.
“Flogging fast passes and filling terminals with retail spaces and airport lounges is a money spinner – but judging by our survey results, it’s not what passengers need. Smaller airports in contrast may have few shops to speak of and the likes of City have no private lounges – but our survey shows what they can do is get passengers off on their holiday quickly and smoothly.
“Next time you’re booking a flight, it’s well worth considering not just your choice of airline but also your airport – it could make all the difference to the start of your getaway.”