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The worst airlines in Europe compared 

Refundmore has carried out an in-depth analysis of Europe’s largest airlines. Here, you can see how each airline performed when it comes to reliability, compensation payment behaviour, and customer satisfaction, helping you make a more informed choice for your next trip. 

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These airlines ranked lowest in 2026 

  • 1.79/5

    aer-lingus-logo

    Aer Lingus

  • 1.93/5

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    Air Europa

  • 2.06/5

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    Vueling

A closer look at the worst performing airlines of 2026 

The following table shows how the 20 largest airlines in Europe were rated across the categories of reliability, compensation payment behaviour, and customer satisfaction. Each category was assessed using a rating from 1 to 5 stars, with 1 star indicating the lowest score and 5 stars the highest. The airlines with the weakest overall results appear at the top, while those with stronger overall ratings are listed further down. 

Airline

Overall rating

Reliability

Payment behaviour

Customer satisfaction

1

Aer Lingus

1.79

2

1

2.38

2

Air Europa

1.93

3

1

1.78

3

Vueling

2.06

3.5

1

1.69

4

KLM

2.13

1.5

2.5

2.40

5

Ryanair

2.19

3

1.5

2.06

6

Wizz Air

2.23

3

1.5

2.18

7

easyJet

2.27

2.5

2

2.31

8

Lufthansa

2.33

1.5

3

2.48

9

SAS

2.35

2

3

2.05

10

Pegasus

2.36

2.5

2.5

2.09

11

Brussels Airlines

2.46

2

3

2.39

12

Air France

2.47

1.5

3.5

2.41

13

Swiss

2.54

2.5

2.5

2.63

14

Iberia

2.60

3

2.5

2.30

15

Norwegian Air Shuttle

2.63

3.5

2

2.38

16

British Airways

2.64

2

2.5

3.42

17

Finnair

2.70

2

3

3.11

18

Air Baltic

2.76

3.5

2.5

2.29

19

Eurowings

2.81

3

3

2.44

20

Austrian

3.04

3.5

2.5

3.12

The Refundmore Index 2026 is based on these categories 

Read here, how we conducted our analysis

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Reliability

For this category, we examined the number of delays and cancellations recorded by each airline. This allows us to identify which airlines performed more reliably and which were more frequently affected by flight disruptions. 

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Payment behaviour

In this category, we assessed how quickly individual airlines paid compensation owed to Refundmore following flight delays and cancellations.

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Customer satisfaction

To evaluate customer satisfaction, we conducted a survey looking at how satisfied passengers were with the service provided by different airlines, as well as how quickly and reliably their concerns were handled.

About Refundmore

Refundmore supports air travellers in enforcing claims against airlines when flight problems occur, including delays, cancellations, denied boarding, or claims for reimbursement of higher replacement ticket costs. Together with Flightright, Refundmore has enforced more than £600 million in compensation since 2010 and is among the leading consumer portals for air passenger rights.

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Press releases

On the right-hand side, you will find our press contacts for all enquiries relating to press and public relations. 

Go to our press page

Frederik Hedegaard

Responsible for Refundmore press

Phone: + 45 30 14 97 25 (Reserved for media)

Email: press@refundmore.com