Insurance company Loveit Coverit has conducted passenger experience research to reveal the top 10 worst international airports in the UK.
Manchester Airport ranked as the worst airport in the UK in the report, with an average customer review score of 2 out of 5. One disgruntled passenger, quoted in the report, expressed their dissatisfaction in a Google review: “During my lifetime I have traveled through many airports and this one is by far the worst. The staff were rude and unfriendly, all machines were slow and everything took twice as long as it should.”
Luton Airport ranked second-worst on the list with an average customer review score of 2.05 out of 5. Onne traveler had labeled on Google the airport as “one of the worst in Europe”. They said, “Low-cost airport… Overcrowded, uncomfortable and stressful. Little places to [sit], impossible to relax, dodgy aspire lounge. Poor internet.”
With an average customer review score of 2.1, Leeds Bradford Airport faced criticism for its lack of infrastructure and management. One passenger on Skytrax said, “Easily the most deplorable god-awful airport in the 21st century. My question is ‘Who manages that airport?’ Queue for two hours and nearly missed my flight. People had to ask to be put at the front of the queue to avoid missing their flight. Understaffed. Security was a mess.”
Stansted Airport ranked fourth on the list, receiving an average customer review score of 2.15 out of 5. Passengers have cited issues such as poor signage: “Pretty poor on the whole. Crowded and cramped with too many shops. Food and drink options are fair by UK airport standards. Signage particularly is abysmal.”
East Midlands Airport received an average customer review score of 2.2 out of 5, placing it as the fifth-worst airport in the UK. One Google reviewer said, “Drop off [is] outrageously expensive. £5 [US$6] for 15 minutes and then £1 [US$1.30] per minute after that. The chaotic pedestrian crossing took at least five minutes at our expense! Waiting to exit through the single barrier took a further five minutes at our expense! The car park surface [is] beyond repairable. Like a third-world airport. Avoid with your last breath.”
The airports that rounded out the rest of the top 10 worst international airports in the UK included Belfast, Norwich, Bristol, Bournemouth and Birmingham.
A spokesperson Loveit Coverit commented of the findings, “The study reminds us that behind the glossy brochures and enticing travel ads, the reality of airport experiences can sometimes fall short. It stresses the value of travel insurance, guaranteeing that should anything go amiss, you won’t be liable for the expenses while having to endure a substandard journey.”
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