Manchester Airport Panned In Which? Survey Of UK’s Best & Worst Airports

"The worst airport I have ever used" – Manchester Airport panned in Which? survey of UK's best and worst airports

Manchester Airport Terminal 3 has finished bottom of the annual Which? airport survey for the third consecutive year, as neighbouring Liverpool John Lennon Airport takes first place.

In April this year, Which? surveyed almost 5,000 members about their experiences at airports in the previous 12 months. Respondents were invited to rate 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.

On the whole, the consumer champion found smaller airports once again performed better than their larger rivals this year - with respondents reporting shorter queues, and a generally less stressful experience.

In last place for the third-year running is Manchester Airport Terminal 3, with a dismal customer score of just 37 per cent. The terminal received just one star for seating, staff, queues at security, range of shops and prices in shops, and managed no higher than two stars in any of the remaining categories, including for toilets.

With some of its 'moving walkways' out of action since 2021, and repair works still ongoing, as well as widespread complaints about queues and lack of seating, many of those surveyed who were reliant on Manchester Airport for its range of international connections reported unhappy experiences.

One disappointed traveller summed up their time at the terminal as "'queuing, queuing, queuing. Not enough staff, poorly trained, surly bordering on rude", while another said: "'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."

Another lamented: "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."

Manchester Airport told Which? it disagreed with the survey findings in relation to customer satisfaction and security waiting times, and noted its own data shows 97% of people take less than 15 minutes to pass through security. It said its ongoing £1.3bn 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 per cent. It received just one star for its staff, queues at security and prices in shops, and a clutch of two star ratings in most of the remaining categories. 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 per cent.

Belfast International was the lowest scoring airport after Manchester Terminals 3 and 1, with a customer score of 44 per cent. Currently in the midst of a £100 million redevelopment, it received one star for its range of shops, the price of goods in shops, and baggage reclaim. The latter was a particular bugbear for travellers – multiple respondents described waits as long as an hour to collect their bags after their flight. It received a mix of two and three stars in the remaining categories, including two stars for toilets and seating. One traveller summed up, "Miserable surroundings and luggage recovery is a joke." In contrast, its neighbour Belfast City (George Best) Airport was in the top half of the table, with a customer score of 63 per cent.

London Luton was the worst-rated London airport, with a customer score of 47 per cent, closely followed by Stansted on a customer score of 50 per cent.

In 2017, Luton received the lowest score ever received by an airport in a Which? survey - just 29 per cent - and while a £160 million upgrade in the intervening years has seen its score improve, it continues to fall behind its London rivals. It received just one star for airport wi-fi, and a string of two star scores in the remaining categories, with seating and toilets reportedly continuing to prove a problem. Its highest rating of three stars was for queues at bag drop. As one respondent put it, "It's not terrible but it's certainly not great - we would definitely avoid using the airport if we had a choice." Luton told Which? that it meets "all international standards regarding the ratio of seating and toilets per passenger".

At the top end of the table, Liverpool John Lennon received an impressive customer score of 81 per cent, and was one of five airports this year to secure the prestigious Which? Recommended Provider Badge, alongside London City, Norwich, Exeter and Southampton.

Just 30 miles from Manchester Airport, travellers at Liverpool John Lennon might as well have been a world away, rating it five stars for its "friendly", "good-natured" staff, as well for queues at bag drop and security. It also received four stars for its toilets, wi-fi, seating, baggage reclaim and queues at the check in desk and at passport control. As one traveller put it, it's a "smaller, friendlier, efficient airport, generally not too busy with smallish queues ...it is a far more pleasurable experience than its nearest rival, Manchester."

London City Airport took a close second place with a customer score of 80 per cent, and was the best-rated London airport overall. Multiple respondents enthused about the airport's efficiency and lack of queues, noting the "seamless process from arrival to departure," achieved without the need for fast track passes. It received five stars for queues at bag drop, queues at security, and for its staff, as well as four stars ratings for queues at check-in, queues at passport control, baggage reclaim and airport wi-fi. Currently a relatively small airport, City recently saw its proposals for expansion greenlit.

Norwich (78%), Exeter (77%) and Southampton (75%) completed the top five.

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."