British airlines poorly rated in Which? survey

After months of dealing with volcanic ash cloud disruption, British airlines have been dealt another blow: they are some of the worst carriers in the world, according to a customer survey from the consumer magazine, Which? While Swiss Airlines came top of the satisfaction list for passengers on short haul flights, the eight worst-rated carriers were all British, apart from Irish airline Ryanair. Thomas Cook Airlines came bottom of the short haul table, deemed worst for leg room; while Ryanair was rated poorly for its checked baggage allowance. Jet2.com, Easyjet, BMI Baby, Thomson Airways and Monarch Airlines were all poorly rated. After a year plagued by strikes and record losses, British Airways came out middling in the Which? research. Customers on its short haul flights praised BA's cabin staff, cleanliness and approach to dealing with delays, but it was still rated just 11th out of 18 airlines. On long haul flights, BA's inflight entertainment was well rated, but the airline fell short on value for money, leg room and refreshments. The best airline to fly long distance with, according to Which?, is Air New Zealand, which was rated top for cleanliness and inflight entertainment. Second best was Singapore Airlines, with Emirates coming third. The Middle Eastern airline was rated top for checked-in baggage allowance, permitting each passenger a 30kg bag. The survey also found that despite Ryanair's reputation as the cheapest airline in Europe, the Irish carrier was often not the cheapest option for a family of four travelling with hold luggage. Flying London to Barcelona, for example, Easyjet was far cheaper, and deposits passengers in the city's main airport, whereas Ryanair uses an airport actually in Girona – a 57-mile €12 (£10) bus ride away. Which? also reports on how expensive it can be for British passengers reaching airports by train, particularly those using London airports. The cost of a single ticket from Glasgow to Prestwick airport cost just 17p a mile, whereas it costs £1.22 a mile on the Heathrow Express between Paddington and Heathrow. "We've also found evidence suggesting that, on routes to the three biggest London airports, train companies could be deliberately bumping up fares for customers travelling to airport stations," said Which? in its new Holiday magazine. When Which? compared the cost of travelling per mile to the station one stop before the airport on the Stansted Express, there was a 24% difference between the 39p per mile you would pay from Liverpool Street to Stansted Mountfichet, and the 51p per mile you would pay to the airport instead. The result is that it would be cheaper to get out at Mountfichet and hail a cab.