Manchester Airport has fired back at a Which? report that put it at the bottom of a passenger satisfaction table for the third consecutive year.
Which? surveyed 5,000 members in April this year to calculate satisfaction rates of each UK airport. Respondents were asked to score airports they’d visited in the previous 12 months in categories such as seating, staff, toilets and queues at check in, bag drop, passport control and security.
Manchester Airport Terminal 3 got the lowest customer score, at 37%; its Terminal 1 got a score of 40% – the second-lowest – while Terminal 2 received a score of 51%, putting it sixth from the bottom.
Belfast International Airport was the next lowest-scoring airport, with a customer score of 44%. London Luton Airport was fourth from the bottom with a score of 47%, and Stansted fifth lowest with 50%.
At the top of the table, Liverpool John Lennon received a customer score of 81%, getting five stars for staff, queues at bag drop and security. London City Airport was close second, with 80%. Both airports secured Which? Recommended Provider Badges, alongside the rest of the top five: Norwich, which received a score of 78%, Exeter (77%) and Southampton (75%).
Which? Travel Editor Rory Boland said: “Our survey found many of the biggest airports fall at the basics – with passengers often unhappy about the availability of toilets and seats, and reporting long queues at times. Flogging fast passes and filling terminals with retail spaces and airport lounges is a money spinner – but judging by our survey results, it’s not what passengers need.”
Liverpool John Lennon Airport CEO John Irving said: “To be named as the UK’s number one airport by travellers is a tremendous accolade once again for the Airport and something all who work here are incredibly proud of, with all the hard work put in by our staff, alongside our dedicated third-party operators, paying dividends.”
However, Manchester Airport said the report was inaccurate, sensationalist and based on just a small number – 0.0026% – of annual passengers. It said its own data shows 97% of people take less than 15 minutes to pass through security. It added it has hosted a Which? writer on an airport visit to see for themselves.
Belfast International, meanwhile, said only 61 passengers were surveyed for the Which? report.
A Manchester Airport spokesman said: “As in previous years, Which? is letting consumers down with over-simplified judgements based on the outdated and unrepresentative testimony of a narrow group of travellers, as well as publishing misleading statements and factual inaccuracies.
“We understand not every experience is perfect and want all passengers to feel able to raise their concerns directly with us. That is why we speak to them on a daily basis, surveying hundreds of people a month to get in-the-moment feedback from a full range of perspectives.
“That is in stark contrast to Which?, which conducted a tiny and unrepresentative survey of its members six months ago, asking them to recollect airport experiences that could have been as far back in time as April 2023.”
A Luton Airport spokesperson said: “Last year, 4 out of 5 passengers described their experience at LLA as very good or excellent. A consistently strong operational performance was also key to this feedback and included an average security wait time of just eight minutes. The £20m investment in our security hall, including the installation of next-generation scanner technology, will mean even faster processing times for passengers.
“We do not see the analysis provided by Which? as representative of the views of millions of passengers who travel through the airport each year. Our focus is to continue to deliver a simple, friendly and positive experience to everyone who travels through London Luton Airport.”
A Belfast International Airport spokespersons said: “While we welcome the feedback from the Which? survey it is not a representative sample and should not be portrayed as such. Sixty one passengers were surveyed out of the six million that used the airport in 2023 and clearly [this] does not show the broad range views of the passengers that flew from Belfast International Airport in 2023 but we have noted the comments made and shared them with our service partners.”
Rory Boland said Which? Travel refuted Manchester Airport’s criticism, saying: “Every year we ask thousands of our members about their experiences of UK airports, and for three years now Manchester Airport has consistently found itself at the bottom of our survey.
“Many of the same issues crop up time and again – whether that’s reports of long queues, lack of seating, too few toilets or moving walkways that are continually out of action. Indeed, when Which? recently visited at Manchester’s invitation, a point was made of showing us one of the few moving walkways that has finally been repaired – yet many remain out of action, as they have been for years.
“Which?’s independent and robust research is here to help consumers make informed choices. Rather than complaining about the views expressed by its customers in our survey, Manchester Airport would be better served addressing the serious issues they raise. Manchester Airport says our findings reflect a narrow group of customers, yet you don’t need to look far on the internet to find thousands of reviews of poor experiences there.”
See the full list and more about the report here.
The post Airport hits back at Which? report naming it worst for third year running appeared first on Travel Gossip.
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Which? surveyed 5,000 members in April this year to calculate satisfaction rates of each UK airport. Respondents were asked to score airports they’d visited in the previous 12 months in categories such as seating, staff, toilets and queues at check in, bag drop, passport control and security.
Manchester Airport Terminal 3 got the lowest customer score, at 37%; its Terminal 1 got a score of 40% – the second-lowest – while Terminal 2 received a score of 51%, putting it sixth from the bottom.
Belfast International Airport was the next lowest-scoring airport, with a customer score of 44%. London Luton Airport was fourth from the bottom with a score of 47%, and Stansted fifth lowest with 50%.
At the top of the table, Liverpool John Lennon received a customer score of 81%, getting five stars for staff, queues at bag drop and security. London City Airport was close second, with 80%. Both airports secured Which? Recommended Provider Badges, alongside the rest of the top five: Norwich, which received a score of 78%, Exeter (77%) and Southampton (75%).
Which? Travel Editor Rory Boland said: “Our survey found many of the biggest airports fall at the basics – with passengers often unhappy about the availability of toilets and seats, and reporting long queues at times. Flogging fast passes and filling terminals with retail spaces and airport lounges is a money spinner – but judging by our survey results, it’s not what passengers need.”
Liverpool John Lennon Airport CEO John Irving said: “To be named as the UK’s number one airport by travellers is a tremendous accolade once again for the Airport and something all who work here are incredibly proud of, with all the hard work put in by our staff, alongside our dedicated third-party operators, paying dividends.”
However, Manchester Airport said the report was inaccurate, sensationalist and based on just a small number – 0.0026% – of annual passengers. It said its own data shows 97% of people take less than 15 minutes to pass through security. It added it has hosted a Which? writer on an airport visit to see for themselves.
Belfast International, meanwhile, said only 61 passengers were surveyed for the Which? report.
Airports’ responses
A Manchester Airport spokesman said: “As in previous years, Which? is letting consumers down with over-simplified judgements based on the outdated and unrepresentative testimony of a narrow group of travellers, as well as publishing misleading statements and factual inaccuracies.
“We understand not every experience is perfect and want all passengers to feel able to raise their concerns directly with us. That is why we speak to them on a daily basis, surveying hundreds of people a month to get in-the-moment feedback from a full range of perspectives.
“That is in stark contrast to Which?, which conducted a tiny and unrepresentative survey of its members six months ago, asking them to recollect airport experiences that could have been as far back in time as April 2023.”
A Luton Airport spokesperson said: “Last year, 4 out of 5 passengers described their experience at LLA as very good or excellent. A consistently strong operational performance was also key to this feedback and included an average security wait time of just eight minutes. The £20m investment in our security hall, including the installation of next-generation scanner technology, will mean even faster processing times for passengers.
“We do not see the analysis provided by Which? as representative of the views of millions of passengers who travel through the airport each year. Our focus is to continue to deliver a simple, friendly and positive experience to everyone who travels through London Luton Airport.”
A Belfast International Airport spokespersons said: “While we welcome the feedback from the Which? survey it is not a representative sample and should not be portrayed as such. Sixty one passengers were surveyed out of the six million that used the airport in 2023 and clearly [this] does not show the broad range views of the passengers that flew from Belfast International Airport in 2023 but we have noted the comments made and shared them with our service partners.”
Response from Which?
Rory Boland said Which? Travel refuted Manchester Airport’s criticism, saying: “Every year we ask thousands of our members about their experiences of UK airports, and for three years now Manchester Airport has consistently found itself at the bottom of our survey.
“Many of the same issues crop up time and again – whether that’s reports of long queues, lack of seating, too few toilets or moving walkways that are continually out of action. Indeed, when Which? recently visited at Manchester’s invitation, a point was made of showing us one of the few moving walkways that has finally been repaired – yet many remain out of action, as they have been for years.
“Which?’s independent and robust research is here to help consumers make informed choices. Rather than complaining about the views expressed by its customers in our survey, Manchester Airport would be better served addressing the serious issues they raise. Manchester Airport says our findings reflect a narrow group of customers, yet you don’t need to look far on the internet to find thousands of reviews of poor experiences there.”
See the full list and more about the report here.
The post Airport hits back at Which? report naming it worst for third year running appeared first on Travel Gossip.
Continue reading...
