The airlines that get Britons there on time – and those that don’t
Virgin Atlantic named one of the world's best airlines whilst British Airways climbs the list – but budget carriers lag behind.
London – 18 November 2025 – New research has revealed the airlines most likely to get Britons to their destination on time – and those that could leave them waiting at the gate.
According to the 2025 AirHelp Score, leading travel tech company supporting passengers with flight disruptions, AirHelp, has named Virgin Atlantic as one of the best airlines in the world, ranking third overall and soaring 27 places to achieve its highest-ever position.
The annual AirHelp Score ranks airlines worldwide based on punctuality, customer opinion and claim processing – giving travellers a clearer picture of what to expect when they book their next flight. This year’s ranking includes 117 airlines - an increase of 8 carriers compared to 2024.
Virgin earned praise for its on-time performance (8.0) and customer opinion (8.5), cementing its reputation as one of Britain’s most reliable long-haul carriers.
British Airways also performed strongly, climbing 16 places since 2024 to reach 17th place with an overall score of 7.44 – a sign the flag carrier is turning around after previous years of mixed results.
However, not all UK airlines fared as well. EasyJet crept up just one place to 81st, scoring 5.79 overall. The budget favourite managed solid punctuality (7.1) and customer opinion (7.0) but stumbled badly on claim processing (3.3) – meaning passengers could be waiting a while for their compensation when things go wrong.
Jet2.com slipped eight spots to 105th, with an overall score of 4.98. Travellers rated its service highly (7.9), but a shocking 0.2 for claim handling, which dragged the airline down in terms of its overall ranking.
Popular budget carrier Ryanair was also included in the ranking, positioned at 84th this year, following its 54th place in 2024.
Qatar Airways claimed the top spot in the 2025 AirHelp Score, with an impressive overall score of 8.16. Etihad Airways secured second place with a score of 8.07, followed closely by Virgin Atlantic in third (8.03). Qantas and KM Malta Airlines rounded out the top five, scoring 7.99 and 7.85 respectively.
At the other end of the table, Canadian carrier Sunwing Airlines entered the ranking for the first time – but landed in last place with a score of 4.30. Hong Kong Airlines (4.58) and Spirit Airlines (4.70) also ranked among the lowest performers.
Tomasz Pawliszyn, CEO of AirHelp said: "As global travel rebounds and passenger expectations rise, the 2025 AirHelp Score reveals which airlines are soaring – and which are falling short. We believe passengers deserve more than just competitive fairs – they need transparency and reliability.
The score offers a snapshot of airline performance, helping travellers make better decisions before their flight. Our mission is to empower passengers with insights into what they can expect and their rights if flights get delayed, cancelled, or overbooked.”
Find out more about AirHelp’s Best Airline Rankings Worldwide here.
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About the AirHelp Score
The AirHelp Score is a ranking of the best and worst airlines and airports in the world. AirHelp has been publishing the AirHelp Score since 2015 (with a break during the pandemic) to help passengers better plan their flights. The Score allows passengers to see what treatment they can expect from airlines and airports based on data. To calculate the AirHelp Score, multiple data sources and factors are combined to give passengers a comprehensive picture of how an airline or airport is performing. The rating of airlines is weighted equally across on-time performance, customer opinion, and claim processing. To determine the results, data from 1st October 2024 to 30th September 2025 was analysed, and passengers were asked about their most recently used airlines.
About AirHelp
AirHelp is a travel tech company tackling flight disruptions. Since 2013, it has won compensation for over 3 million passengers with a flight delay or cancellation. 12 million passengers have protected their flights with AirHelp+ Protection, and countless millions more benefit from the expert information freely available on airhelp.com. AirHelp has also just released its new app, which offers real-time flight tracking, disruption alerts, and options for extra protection, download it here!
AirHelp is dedicated to investing in a greener future - it has pledged to plant 1 tree for every 100 flight disruptions and so far, it has planted 170,846 trees. As air passenger rights advocates, AirHelp cares about people, and caring about people also means caring about the planet.
#1 source for flight compensation worldwide
With innovative artificial intelligence and a dedicated team of over 400 AirHelpers, AirHelp makes it easy for any traveller in the EU, UK and beyond to receive up to €600 for flight delays and cancellations. For more information about AirHelp, visit: https://www.airhelp.co.uk