Best and worst UK airports 2024

Two years of post-pandemic travel disruption have seen passengers at the worst airports endure endless queues and overcrowding. And that’s in addition to rude (or non-existent) staff and rip-off prices for everything from parking to bottles of water.

But it doesn’t have to be like this. Our survey revealed regional airports offering a seamless and hassle-free start to your holiday, with speedy security and smiling staff. 

And while we won’t want to drive for hours just to avoid the worst check-in queues, the UK’s best and worst airports - Liverpool John Lennon and Manchester Airport - are just 30 miles apart.

To find out which airports will ease you into a relaxing break (and which will cause so much stress you’ll need another holiday) we asked nearly 4,000 Which? Members to tell us about their experiences in the last year. You can find out how your local airport fared in the table below. 

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UK airport reviews

What do the best airports in the UK have in common? They're all pretty small. The six airports with a customer score of 70% or more in the table below all served fewer than five million passengers (compared to Heathrow’s 62 million).

They might not have the  same range of flight destinations as the biggest airports in our survey - but you're likely to have a much better experience if you're lucky enough to be able to use one of them. 

And they need our support if they are to survive. Doncaster Sheffield and Southend were highly rated in previous surveys, but Doncaster has closed and Southend is struggling.

So if you can, switch. Fly from Liverpool instead of Manchester, or East Midlands instead of Birmingham. It encourages the better run airports to expand. Take top-scorer Liverpool for example, it recently struck a deal with Jet2 to add more than 20 new holiday destinations for 2024.

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Liverpool John Lennon 83% 

Those passengers who flew from Liverpool John Lennon reported a ‘first-class experience, from start to finish’. Parking was hassle free and ‘reasonably priced’, it was a short walk to the terminal, where they encountered ‘friendly and helpful’ staff and whizzed through security in an average of just 11 minutes.

In fact, there were few queues even during last year’s airport chaos. No wonder it holds unbeaten star ratings in every category rated. 

And from March 2024, you’ll be able to use the hub to fly with Which? Recommended Provider, Jet2 to holiday destinations like Tenerife, Crete and Madeira.

Verdict: As one passenger said, ‘It’s much smaller, less manic and so much more civilised than Manchester,’.

Southampton 77% 

Five-star security queues are a rare sight in this survey, but you’ll find them at Southampton Airport. According to passengers, it has the shortest queues of any UK airport, averaging just nine minutes. Its check-in queues were similarly impressive, and staff were friendly - receiving a four star rating. 

It’s a small airport, but it serves some big airlines, including BA, EasyJet and Tui, jetting off to Spain, Portugal, France, Ireland, Netherlands, Switzerland and the Channel Islands. It may not have a great range of shops, but it won’t matter: you won’t be stuck there very long.

Verdict: Small and friendly, with barely any queues.

Bournemouth 75% 

Like Southampton, Bournemouth Airport serves fewer than a million passengers per year. As a result, you’re unlikely to get stuck in check-in and security queues. Passengers told us the average security queue time was just 13 minutes. 

Passengers also liked the fact that the car park is close to the terminal, so there’s no need for a shuttle bus. Staff were also highly rated. One passenger described the airport as ‘well managed by pleasant staff’.

Verdict: As one passenger put it 'No check in queue, no queue at the bar, adequate shops and no crowds. What’s not to like?’ 

Worst airport in the UK

Manchester T3 38% / T1 44% / T2 50%  

It may be just 30 miles down the road from Which Recommended Provider, Liverpool John Lennon Airport, but the experience at Manchester couldn’t be more different. 

At terminals 1 and 3 of the UK’s worst airport, customers faced a long and poorly signposted walk from the car park, followed by ‘horrendous’ queues at bag drop, at security, for the (insufficient) toilets and at (overpriced) food outlets.

When they weren’t queueing, there was nowhere to sit; staff were rude and the terminal  needed ‘a good clean in places’.

Terminal 3 received a particularly poor customer score and the star ratings failed to uncover a single redeeming feature. As one customer put it ‘the whole experience is generally unpleasant’.

Verdict: While all three terminals fared badly in our survey, and are the worst in the UK, Terminal 3 got a particularly dismal score of 38%. Avoid if you can.

The biggest airports in the UK

London Heathrow  T4 57% / T5 57% / T3 51% / T4 48%

During the pandemic, Heathrow was given permission by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to raise the amount it charges airlines from £19.60 to £30.19 per passenger – more than any other airport. And this can get passed on to travellers. But is it worth the extra cost?

Not according to this year’s survey. Terminals 2 and 3 scored particularly poorly, with two stars for seating provision and the baggage reclaim process. And T3’s one-star rating for prices in shops and restaurants suggests that people felt they were being ripped off.

The enormous T5 was the only Heathrow terminal to get a four-star queue rating - for check in. 

Verdict: It's a mixed bag. Those travelling from T4 and T5 can expect a fairly smooth journey through the airport, but the other two terminals ranked below Gatwick overall.

London Gatwick North 57% / South 54%

Gatwick's two terminals got a very average three stars for most categories – including baggage reclaim, staff and toilets. But bag drop queues were frustrating at both terminals - receiving just two stars from passengers. 

The mark-up at cafés and shops was a bugbear for many passengers - particularly at the south terminal, where prices got a one-star rating. ‘Food prices have risen very significantly since the pandemic,’ was one complaint we heard. 

Verdict: Nobody really loves Gatwick but, most of the time at least, it does the job.

London airports compared

London City 78%

It almost seems a waste that London City is the UK’s first airport to introduce new hi-tech scanners, given that it’s never really had a problem with security queues.

In fact, the ability to sail through security has long been a huge part of the airport’s appeal, alongside the fact that it’s served by cheap and efficient public transport. It’s just six miles from the centre of London.

But passengers also praised the ‘positive attitude of staff’ and the ‘relaxed atmosphere’, even when the airport is busy.

It’s not a Which? Recommended Provider because of its two star-rating for loos - ‘there are barely any toilets once you are airside’,  passengers told us.

Verdict: One of the best airports in the country for a smooth passenger experience, enhanced by its introduction of new CT scanners. Passengers told us they were through security in 10 minutes on average. 

Stansted Airport 51%

The UK’s fourth busiest airport was considered pretty innovative when celebrated architect Norman Foster unveiled his design in 1991. Since then, it’s more often hit headlines for long queues and over-crowding, and the exorbitant prices of its shops and restaurants. One year it shared the bottom slot in our table with Luton Airport (below). 

Its bag-drop, security and passport control queues all received a poor two-star rating. More than one person in our survey complained of ‘electronic passport gates not working’. Many people also complained that there was nowhere to sit. One-star for seating is, surely, not what Lord Foster intended.

Verdict: Overpriced and crowded

Luton Airport 49%

Luton’s new shuttle service from the train station, dubbed Britain’s most expensive railway at a staggering £4.90 for the 1.25 mile trip, has done little to improve the airport’s rip-off reputation. 

One passenger described it as a ‘monster shopping mall’ with retail outlets ‘taking the place of seats and facilities’.

The money it spent on a recent refurb seems to have gone on even more shops but done little to improve problems with overcrowding. ‘There are queues for the toilets, and there’s nowhere to sit’ said one user.

At 22 minutes on average, it has some of the longest security queues. Its bag drop and check-in queues were also rated one star.

Verdict: It plans to expand from 18 to 32 million passengers. Let’s hope those plans include more seats and toilets.

How we rate UK airports

In June 2023, we surveyed 3,842 Which? members about their experiences of flying from and to a UK airport in the last 12 months.