These Are The Worst Short-Haul Airlines In Europe

Before even getting to your destination, travel planning requires a lot of preparation, patience, and smarts — and booking flights is a big chunk of that challenge. While you can avoid flying from the most stressful airports in Europe and get to the airport in time, a smooth-sailing trip rests on the airline you choose. And when it comes to flying short-haul in Europe, you'd do well to steer clear of budget airlines Wizz Air and Ryanair, which were named the worst short-haul airlines in Europe by consumer website Which?.

Their low rankings come on the heels of a survey launched by Which?, who interviewed nearly 8,000 passengers about the 9,000-plus flights they took in 2024. Both airlines scored poorly across the categories of customer service, booking process, and, ironically, value for money with two out of five stars each. The overall customer score for Ryanair was a dismal 49%, which put it at the bottom of the barrel. Meanwhile, Wizz Air narrowly avoided the bottom spot with a 51% customer score — a few points better than Ryanair, but a far cry from the best short-haul airline Jet2's 80% approval score. Though Ryanair and Wizz Air found themselves hovering at the middle of the list for certain categories, such as on-time departures and last-minute cancellations, it still wasn't enough to pull them out of the last two places.

While cheap prices are the main draw of budget airlines, it's the hidden fees that hurt passengers the most. Ryanair, for one, is considered a European budget airline that has the highest sneaky hidden fees. Having to fork over more money for any attached level of comfort — think cabin bags, guaranteed seats, or on-board snacks — is enough to make fliers wonder if the "cheap" seats were worth it after all. 

Passengers have also taken to Reddit with complaints about the strictness of carry-on bag restrictions. On a Ryanair flight out of Edinburgh, a Redditor warned of fellow passengers being slapped with £70 penalty fees for exceeding luggage limits by just a few hairs, calling it "using the carry-on checker to the extreme." Wizz Air has also had its share of complaints, though passengers seem to find it slightly better than Ryanair, expressing with grudging resignation that when all is said and done, the airline will "probably get you there," as another Redditor put it.

However, both airlines have pushed back against their low survey rankings. According to Which?, a spokesperson for Wizz Air decried the number of surveyed participants were too small to show "fair or accurate representation" of their performance and service. As for Ryanair, CEO Michael O'Leary reportedly pointed fingers at the European Air Traffic Control for flight delays, going so far as to rally passengers into online protests against their country's ministers of transport. The moral of the story? Leave a wide margin for error, even for short-haul flights, and take a cue from other savvy travelers who use a game-changing luggage service that skips baggage fees and airport hassles.