Birmingham Airport has been ranked as the best airport in the UK for preflight dining, according to research undertaken by flight and travel comparison site Netflights.com.
Netflights.com analyzed online reviews of the UK’s 10 largest airports by passenger volume. It then overlaid those findings onto the average dining price data of each airport, and its current restaurant listings, to award each a score out of 10.
Taking the top spot, with a score of 7.3, was Birmingham Airport. A concentration of 12 different eateries in a single terminal meant it achieved a high passenger satisfaction score for choice on the review sites analyzed. Travelers can choose from a wide range of options, including a prosecco bar, a good variation of coffee shops, and a long list of family-favorite sit-down restaurants.
Edinburgh, Gatwick, Manchester and Heathrow airports ranked next-highest after Birmingham for being vegetarian-friendly, according to the Netflights research.
Bottom of Netflights’ rankings was Newcastle International Airport with an average score of 5.3. Here, limited vegetarian options and poor passenger feedback online meant it narrowly pipped Glasgow Airport to the lowest spot, despite scoring well overall for the pricing of its dining options.
For those who like to treat themselves before boarding a long-haul flight, Netflights’ analysis also identified the best airport for high-end eateries. Heathrow Airport came in first place, with eight of the highest-rated restaurants in the highest price bracket in the UK.
Andrew Shelton, Netflights’ managing director, commented, “The days when airport dining was a grim choice between a speedy sandwich or a greasy fry-up are long gone. We expect airports to mirror the high street, with variety, quality, good value and options to suit different dietary needs, and maybe even the odd high-end choice for when we want to treat ourselves.”