Best and worst UK airports: Heathrow fails to impress and Manchester has shocker

Small airports have beaten big-name rivals to be crowned best in the UK this year

Passengers queue to check in at Heathrow's Terminal 2 at the start of the summer holidays in England and Wales in July 2022. PA

Many of the UK's larger airports have been crippled by excessive delays and cancellations, says a new report by Which? that asked almost 7,500 members to rate their experiences over the past two years.

At the UK's busiest airport, Heathrow terminals 2, 3 and 4 were in the bottom half of the table.

The airport's Terminal 4 achieved a customer-satisfaction score of only 48 per cent.

It rated only one star for the variety of shops and two stars across all types of queues, as well as for the overall experience delivered by staff.

One respondent shared that there was "much room for improvement", while another said the "queues were ridiculous".

On Wednesday it emerged Heathrow's losses have widened, despite an improvement in passenger numbers, as the London airport warned demand may not recover “for a number of years”.

About 18 million people passed through the London airport this summer, making it the busiest hub in Europe over the period.

The airport predicts passenger numbers this year will reach 60 to 62 million, about 25 per cent less than in 2019.

“Headwinds of a global economic crisis, war in Ukraine and the impact of Covid-19 mean we are unlikely to return to pre-pandemic demand for a number of years, except at peak times,” it said in a statement.

Heathrow’s chief executive John Holland-Kaye said the hub could be proud of its summer performance, with the “vast majority experiencing good service”.

"Spacious" and "modern" Terminal 5 performed best of the Heathrow group among the Which? list, achieving a commendable four stars across all types of queues and an overall customer satisfaction score of 60 per cent.

“This is an amateur survey with inaccurate and misleading conclusions," a Heathrow representative said.

"What is clear is that Heathrow has faced unprecedented growth this year, as passenger numbers rose faster and higher than any other European hub, with more than 18 million passengers using the airport this summer.

"We have seen thousands of people joining or returning to work across the 400 companies that operate here.

"After the two years of international travel lockdown, this was always going to be a tough year and colleagues across the airport have put in a monumental effort to meet those challenges.

"Our focus continues to be on building back capacity so that we can deliver the consistent, high-quality service our passengers expect at Heathrow.”

Heathrow Airport chaos - in pictures

Long queues, cancellations and luggage problems have plagued Heathrow Airport since the travel sector’s comeback from coronavirus restrictions. Bloomberg

The airport has struggled to cope with a volume of more than 100,000 departing passengers a day, with bags arriving late, queues snaking through terminals and flights being cancelled at the 11th hour. Reuters

Travelling through Heathrow has been a dire experience for some of late. AP

Suitcases uncollected at Heathrow's Terminal 3 baggage reclaim. AFP

There is a shortage of staff after many people were laid off during the pandemic. AP

Heathrow rejects the accusation of having failed to prepare, saying it started recruiting extra staff last November. AP

Baggage piles up outside Terminal 2 at Heathrow in June. Baggage issues have bedevilled the airport, with a combination of staff shortages and malfunctioning automated baggage handling systems contributing to the mayhem. Reuters

One traveller shows his disappointment while waiting in a long queue to pass through a security check in June. Getty Images

Passengers queue to check in at Terminal 5. Bloomberg

A queue snakes through the airport. Getty Images

A waiting passenger decides to get some sleep in Terminal 5. Reuters

Long queues form through a terminal. PA

A crowded check in area in Terminal 2 in April. Heathrow rejects the accusation of having failed to prepare, saying it started recruiting months ago. PA

A dejected looking passenger queues for check-in ahead of the Easter Bank Holiday weekend at Heathrow in April. Reuters

People queuing to go through security at Heathrow. PA

Queues at arrivals in Heathrow in March. Photo: Sven Kili / Twitter

Among London airports, City came out well above the rest, taking joint third place in the tables overall with Southampton, while also being the only London airport to make it into the national top 5.

It achieved an impressive five stars across all queue types, from check-in, bag-drop, security, passport control and baggage reclaim.

It also rated four stars for quality of seating available and helpfulness of staff.

Respondents who rated the airport highly praised their experience as "slick", "pleasant" and "painless", and conveniently located.

It was Doncaster Sheffield Airport that topped the consumer champion’s survey for the fourth consecutive time. But the airport is due to shut down imminently, with the last flight departing in the next few weeks.

With a customer score of 85 per cent, travellers praised the "fantastic, helpful staff" and "faultless service", awarding the airport's employees a full five stars.

The airport also scooped five-star ratings for queues through security and at baggage reclaim, as well as for seating and toilet facilities, with one respondent saying the experience was "how air travel should be".

But the airport did drop to four stars for queues at check-in and bag drop, while it received its lowest ratings for the shopping experience offered — three stars for the price of goods and two for the range of shops.

From Singapore to Finland: six of the world's coolest airports - in pictures

Orlando International Airport's new Terminal C has opened with interactive artwork and nature-inspired visuals. Photo: Gentelhomme

The new terminal is home to the largest in-airport interactive digital art exhibits. Photo: Gentelhomme

The sun's rays beam through skylight windows at the newly opened Terminal C at Orlando International Airport. AP

Check-in kiosks and a robotic baggage system speed up processes at the new Florida hub. AP

Artificial palm trees line at Orlando International Airport. AP

Singapore's Changi International Airport is consistently ranked among the world's best. Photo: Changi Airport Group

A tropical walkway at Singapore's Changi. Photo: Changi Airport Group

The Rain Vortex indoor waterfall feature at Jewel Changi Airport. Photo: Lauryn Ishak / Bloomberg

Travellers in Singapore can visit the Jewel at Changi Airport. AFP

Travellers enjoy bouncing on nets at Changi Airport. Photo: Changi Airport Group

The enormous plant display inside Jewel Changi Airport in Singapore. Reuters

Ecuador's Seymour Airport is the world's most ecological. AFP

Wind turbines power the airport on the island of Baltra. AFP

An iguana scurries across the landing strip. AFP

A giant falcon sculpture by Dutch artist Tom Claassen sits outside Doha's Hamad International Airport. AFP

Qatar's main airport is gearing up for big changes ahead of the World Cup 2022. AFP

Travellers at Hamad International Airport can access this 25-metre swimming pool with runway views. Photo: Oryx Airport Hotel

Bronze sculptures at Hamad International Airport. Photo: Unsplash

Hamad International Airport in Doha. Photo: Unsplash

The starfish-shaped Beijing Daxing International Airport in China. AFP

Inside the airport is a yoga room, a futuristic children’s playground and a spa. Photo: Hufton+Crow

Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid's love of curves is visible throughout the Beijing Daxing International Airport. Photo: Hufton+Crow

The Chinese Garden at the airport. Photo: China Southern / Twitter

A terminal hall inside Beijing Daxing International Airport. Reuters

Helsinki Airport in Finland. AFP

Relax and unwind at Aukio at Helsinki Airport. Photo: Helsinki Airport / Finavia

Public art includes a host of fascinating sculptures. Photo: Helsinki Airport / Finavia

Art on a wall at Helsinki Airport. Photo: Helsinki Airport / Finavia

Children and adults can use the Maja Living Room. Photo: Helsinki Airport / Finavia

Exeter and Liverpool John Lennon Airports tied in second place in the survey, with a customer score of 83 per cent.

Both earned Which? Recommended Provider status for the first time.

Exeter scored a near-perfect set of five- star ratings, dropping to two stars only on the choice of shops available.

Several respondents commented on the "small, friendly" feel of the airport, with travellers praising the ease and convenience they experienced, and notably, a lack of queues.

Liverpool also rated highly for waiting times, achieving an impressive five stars across check-in, bag-drop, security, passport control and baggage reclaim.

Respondents praised the airport as "uncrowded" with "minimal queues", while also singling out an intuitive layout that made it "easy to navigate".

Dropping one point to four stars on seating, staff and toilets, like Exeter it received its lowest star rating for the shopping experience, achieving only three stars for prices and range of shops.

Airports of the world and their codes - in pictures

Abu Dhabi International Airport, known as AUH, pictured from above. The airport opened in 1982 after the emirate outgrew the smaller Al Bateen Airport. Wam

Known as DXB, Dubai International Airport opened in 1960 and is now the world's busiest. Photo: Dubai Airports

An Air China plane lands at Beijing Capital International Airport. The airport's code is PEK, based on the Chinese city's former name Peking. EPA

Planes parked at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, behind the city buildings of Mumbai, India. The airport's code is BOM, after the city's former colonial name Bombay. AP

The air traffic control tower of terminal 2 at Chicago's O'Hare Airport. Its code of ORD is tied to its former name Orchard Field Airport. AFP

John F. Kennedy Airport in the Queens borough of New York, which opened in 1948 under its previous name Idlewild Airport, has the well-known JFK code. Reuters

Dublin Airport, Ireland's largest, was assigned the code of DUB and began operations in 1940. PA

Al Maktoum International Airport is also known as Dubai World Central and was assigned the code DWC by Iata. Photo: Dubai Airports

Its performance is in sharp contrast to its north-west rival Manchester, which scooped the dubious accolade of taking the three lowest spots in the rankings.

At the very bottom of the charts with a customer satisfaction score of just 38 per cent was Manchester’s Terminal 3, which scored a lowly one star for queues at security, seating, prices in shops and the range of shops on offer.

It managed no higher than two stars in any of the remaining categories.

Travellers dissatisfied with their experience at the terminal described it as "chaotic", "heaving" and "an end-to-end shambles", with many expressing their disappointment at long queue times, not just through security, but even for refreshments.

Manchester Terminals 1 and 2 fared marginally better, with customer satisfaction scores of 41 and 47 per cent respectively.

Like Terminal 3, they scored just one star for queue times at security, although Terminal 2 distinguished itself as the only Manchester terminal to score 3 stars in any category, which it achieved for seating and toilet facilities.

The top 10 best airports in Europe with least delays – in pictures

Bergamo Orio al Serio Airport, Italy, was the best airport with the least delays and flight cancellations. Getty Images

Gran Canaria Airport in Spain was second. EPA

Bucharest Otopeni International Airport, Romania, was third. EPA

Only 15 per cent of flights were delayed at Dublin International Airport. Getty Images

Sixteen per cent flights were cancelled at Catania Fontanarossa Airport in Italy.

Adolfo Suarez-Barajas Airport in Madrid. Reuters

Passengers at Alicante-Elche Airport in Spain. AFP

Flights timetables at Marseille-Provence Airport in Marignane, France. AFP

Travellers at Paris Orly Field. AFP

Qatar Airways crew walk through Malaga-Costa del Sol Airport, southern Spain. Reuters

“This year we’ve witnessed unprecedented chaos at many of the UK's largest airports," said Guy Hobbs, Editor of Which? Travel.

"Travellers reported extensive queues and unhelpful staff, with resources pushed to breaking point.

“Just a few years ago, travellers may have paid little attention to their choice of airport – but now it may just make or break your trip.

"Wherever possible, we’d recommend opting for smaller airports, which have generally offered a smoother and less stressful experience for their passengers over the last two years.”

The top 10 worst airports in Europe for delays - in pictures

Data collected by the Official Aviation Guide shows Brussels Airport is the worst performing in Europe, with 72 per cent of flights delayed and 2.5 per cent of flights cancelled. Figures are averages for the first 10 days of July. EPA

Frankfurt International Airport came second, with 68 per cent of flights delayed and 7.8 per cent cancelled. AP

Holland's Eindhoven Airport was third, with 67 per cent of flights delayed and 1.8 per cent cancelled. AFP

England's Luton Airport was next on the list, with 66 per cent delayed and 2.7 per cent cancelled. Photo: London Luton Airport

Lisbon Airport was fifth, with 65 per cent of flights delayed and 4.8 per cent cancelled. EPA

Budapest's Liszt Ferenc International Airport was the sixth worst airport in Europe, with 65 per cent of flights delayed and 2.1 per cent cancelled. Getty

Charles De Gaulle Airport was the seventh worst airport, with 62 per cent of flights delayed and 3.1 per cent cancelled. Reuters

Travellers queue to check in and board flights at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport. It was the eighth worst airport in Europe, with 61 per cent of flights delayed and 5.2 per cent cancelled. AP

Cote D’Azur Airport in Nice came ninth on the list. Sixty per cent of flights were delayed and 3.4 per cent cancelled. Getty

Gatwick Airport in London came 10th on the list. It saw 59 per cent of flights being delayed and 1.4 per cent cancelled. EPA