London Luton has been named the worst airport in the UK after scoring the lowest ever customer satisfaction rating in a survey carried out by Which? Travel.
The Bedfordshire airport earned a score of just 29 per cent, based on overall satisfaction levels and how likely passengers are to recommend the airport to a friend.
Which? subscribers, who had travelled through an airport between May 2016 and May 2017, described London Luton as "chaos", "crowded" and a "rip off". The ongoing building work from the £110m expansion project, which began last year, is likely to have contributed to this year's low score. It receive a one-star rating for its queues at security, range of shops and food outlets, seating, toilets and staff.
A spokesperson for the airport, which was been ranked the worst airport by the consumer group for a fifth year running, said it was "disappointed" with the results.
"Which? polled just 435 of its subscribers who had travelled through LLA between May 2016 and May 2017 – the most intensive phase of the airport's redevelopment," a representative told Harper's Bazaar.
"Of the 1.7 million people who responded to our ongoing customer service tracking, during the first six months of 2017, 75% told us they were happy with their experience, a 5% improvement on the same period last year.
"Since then we have made significant improvements to the airport's infrastructure, added new shops and restaurants and passenger services such as free Wi-Fi.
"As Which? acknowledges, the airport is currently undergoing the biggest transformation in its history. We appreciate the patience of our passengers as we develop the airport, which will result in a better experience for everyone."
On the other end of the scale, Doncaster Sheffield earned the highest accolade, with a customer satisfaction score of 87 per cent. It was described as "relaxed" and "peaceful" and was praised for its five-star service from staff.
Here the other UK airports to make the Which? top five:
1. Doncaster Sheffield (87%)
2. London Southend (84%)
3. Norwich (75%)
3. Southampton (75%)
5. Exeter (71%)
And here are the worst...
1. London Luton (29%)
2. London Stansted (38%)
3. Manchester Terminal 3 (43%)
4. Aberdeen (44%)
5. Manchester Terminal 1 (50%)
