Before you book your next getaway, you might want to think carefully about which airport you'll be jetting off from. Because in the world of air travel, just 48km (30 miles) can make all the difference to your holiday experience.
Consumer champion Which? has just released its annual airport survey and the results are useful for anyone planning their next holiday.
Across the UK, a clear trend is emerging: when it comes to starting your holiday stress-free, smaller airports might just be your ticket to a relaxing start to your holiday. Smaller hubs including London City and Norwich come out on top on everything from toilet cleanliness to queues at check in.
And at the bottom? For the third year running, Manchester Airport's Terminal 3 has been named the worst in the UK, with a customer score of just 37%. Holidaymakers complained about long queues, lack of seating and unfriendly staff. One traveller described it as "the worst airport I have ever used."
What this means for your holiday
If you're flying from the northwest, consider Liverpool John Lennon Airport for a potentially smoother start to your trip. Just 48km (30 miles) away from Manchester Airport, it tells a very different story to its neighbour, claiming the top spot in the survey with an impressive 81% customer score. Passengers praised its friendly staff, efficient security and overall pleasant atmosphere.
But even if you're not in the area, the survey suggests that smaller, regional airports might offer a better experience. In fact, small airports dominate the top of the rankings. Here are the top five performers:
- Liverpool John Lennon Airport (81%)
- London City Airport (80%)
- Norwich Airport (78%)
- Exeter Airport (77%)
- Southampton Airport (75%)
What about London airports?
If you're flying from the capital, you have several options, but they're not all created equal.
According to the survey, London City Airport is your best bet, ranking second overall in the UK with an excellent 80% customer score. Travellers praised its efficiency and convenient location.
London Heathrow Airport came in second place for the city, with Terminal 5 scoring 58%, Terminal 2 just behind at 56%, Terminal 3 with 54% and Terminal 4 just scraping a pass with 51%.
At Gatwick, both terminals were evenly matched, with the North Terminal scoring 56% and South Terminal scoring 55%.
Stansted and Luton, perhaps unsurprisingly came last, scoring a disappointing 50% and 47% respectively, making them the worst-rated London airports in the survey.
Which airports are best for queues?
Liverpool John Lennon, London City and Exeter scored best for queues, with a mix of four- and five-star ratings across check-in, bag drop, security and passport control categories.
Other five-star winners include Newcastle, Leeds Bradford and Southampton for their reasonable bag drop queues, and Cardiff for its lines at security.
At the other end, Manchester’s T1 and T3 got just one star for queues at security and two stars for check-in, bag drop and passport control.
Which airports have the best loos?
When nature calls during your travel, the quality of airport toilets can make a big difference to your comfort. Based on the survey's star ratings for toilets, here are the airports that shine and those that need improvement.
| Best airports for toilets | Worst airports for toilets |
|---|---|
| Liverpool John Lennon | Manchester T3 |
| Exeter | Belfast International |
| Newcastle | Heathrow Terminal 5 |
| Cardiff | London Stansted |
| Inverness | London Luton |
While no airport achieved a perfect five-star rating for their toilets, the top five performers all received a respectable four stars and were all smaller airports. The worst five received just a two-star rating.
The full list of the UK’s best and worst airports
Want to know how your local airport fared in the Which? survey? Check out the full list of all UK airports here.
| Top 15 airports | Worst 14 airports |
|---|---|
| Liverpool John Lennon: 81% | Aberdeen: 56% |
| London City: 80% | London Gatwick North: 56% |
| Norwich: 78% | London Heathrow T2: 56% |
| Exeter: 77% | Birmingham: 55% |
| Southampton: 75% | London Gatwick South: 55% |
| Bournemouth: 72% | London Heathrow T3: 54% |
| Newcastle: 72% | Bristol: 53% |
| Cardiff: 71% | London Heathrow T4: 51% |
| Inverness: 70% | Manchester T2: 51% |
| East Midlands: 67% | London Stansted: 50% |
| Belfast City: 63% | London Luton: 47% |
| Glasgow International: 62% | Belfast International: 44% |
| Leeds Bradford: 58% | Manchester T1: 40% |
| London Heathrow T5: 58% | Manchester T3: 37% |
| Edinburgh: 57% |
Top tips for a smooth airport experience
- Consider flying from a smaller, regional airport if possible – and if the price is right.
- If you use a larger airport, which may suffer from longer queues, consider fast track security.
- Check your airport's rating and prepare accordingly – pack extra patience for lower-rated airports and consider arriving earlier.
- Weigh your own bags before you go to save any surprises at bag drop.
- If it’s in good nick, keep your plastic liquids bag for security so you can pre-pack your liquids at home and save time in the queue.
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