UK. Liverpool John Lennon Airport has been named the best travel hub for the third consecutive year in Which?’s annual survey of 24 leading UK airport terminals.
In contrast, near-neighbour Manchester Airport – which, along with several other airports, has slammed the credibility of the results and the methodology underpinning them – which saw its Terminal 3 and Terminal 1 come bottom of the list for the third year in a row.
The results from the publication that bills itself as the ‘consumer champion’ are based on an April 2024 online survey about customer experiences at UK airports in the previous 12 months. It was conducted with nearly 5,000 members of the Which? Connect Panel.
Respondents were invited to rate the airports across 11 categories, including shop ranges and prices, 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.
Liverpool John Lennon topped the rating with an 81% overall score, while Manchester T3 (37%) and T1 (40%) prop up the standings. Manchester Airport Terminal 2, subject of heavy recent investment, fared better in 20th place with a 50% score.
London City Airport was a close second in the table with 80%, with the top five – all of whom secured the Which? Recommended Provider Badge – rounded out by Norwich (78%), Exeter (77%) and Southampton (75%).
Only seven airports – all relatively small ones – achieved a three out of five stars rating for the prices in their shops, while Heathrow Terminal 5 was the only airport or terminal that achieved a rating as high as four stars for its range of stores.
Which? Travel Editor Rory Boland 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.”
A spokesperson for Manchester Airport gave this reaction to The Moodie Davitt Report: “As in previous years, Which? is letting consumers down with over-simplified judgements based on the outdated and unrepresentative testimony of a narrow group of travellers, as well as publishing misleading statements and factual inaccuracies.
“We know our passengers value an experience that caters for all needs, tastes and budgets, and through our £1.3 billion Manchester Airport Transformation Programme we are creating world-class facilities that give them just that.
“We understand not every experience is perfect and want all passengers to feel able to raise their concerns directly with us. That is why we speak to them on a daily basis, surveying hundreds of people a month to get in-the-moment feedback from a full range of perspectives.
“Recognising how limited and out of date the Which? survey is, we have engaged with the publication and its writers to provide accurate, up to date performance data and satisfaction scores, as well as showcasing in person how our once-in-a-generation investment is transforming passenger experiences and helping connect them to even more parts of the world.
“That is why it is disappointing to once again see Which? chase cheap headlines with its sensational and over-simplified characterisation of airports and the different roles they play. To make matters worse, it has printed inaccurate statements about our facilities and security waiting times that paint a more negative picture than reality. This is completely unacceptable.”
A spokesperson for London Luton Airport (22nd of 24 in the survey) commented: “Last year, four out of five passengers described their experience at LLA as very good or excellent thanks to the hard work and commitment of our teams.
“Whilst all feedback is important, we do not see the analysis provided by Which? as representative of the views of millions of passengers who travel through the airport each year. Our focus is to continue to deliver a simple, friendly and positive experience to everyone who travels through London Luton Airport.”
A spokesperson for Belfast International Airport (21st of 24 in the survey) said: “In our latest survey, carried out over the summer peak, 97% of passengers stated their experience was rated as excellent, very good or good. While we welcome the feedback from the Which? survey it is not a representative sample and should not be portrayed as such.
“61 passengers were surveyed out of the six million that used the airport in 2023 and clearly does not show the broad range views of the passengers that flew from Belfast International Airport in 2023 but we have noted the comments made and shared them with our service partners.” ✈
