- The Consumer Prices Index reveals flight prices increased by 27.5% in April 2025 – the second-highest monthly rise over the Easter holidays since records began.
- Civil Aviation Authority data reveals which airlines serving UK passengers received the most complaints over the last year, with Wizz Air placing top.
- Also among the most complained-about were Air France-KLM, Eastern Airways, and TUI Airways, with Jet2 receiving the fewest complaints among the flight providers.
Wizz Air has been named the UK’s most complained-about airline after racking up 3,282 passenger grievances per million customers last year.
The findings, revealed in a new study by QR Code Generator, come after the Consumer Prices Index reported airfare prices saw a 27.5% price hike in April this year, up from 6.5% a year ago, and the second-highest monthly rise for an April to date.
This prompted analysts to look at Civil Aviation Authority complaints data from Q1 to Q4 of 2024, finding Wizz Air passengers lodged more than twice as many complaints (3,282) as those flying with the second-worst airline, Air France-KLM, which saw 1,336 complaints per million passengers.
Holiday specialist TUI Airways followed in fourth with 887 gripes per million passengers. Dublin-based Ryanair rounded out the five most problematic airlines, with 793 complaints per million passengers.
British Airways plc placed sixth, with 622 complaints per million customers. EasyJet secured seventh with 533 complaints per million customers, falling just below the UK airline average (608 complaints per million passengers).
The exact reasons behind passenger complaints weren’t detailed in the dataset, but typically cover flight delays, cancellations, baggage problems, and poor customer service.
The five most complained-about airlines
| Rank | Airline | Complaints per Million Passengers |
| 1 | Wizz Air | 3,282 |
| 2 | Air France-KLM | 1,336 |
| 3 | Eastern Airways | 931 |
| 4 | TUI Airways Ltd | 887 |
| 5 | Ryanair | 793 |
Jet2 stood head and shoulders above other major carriers as the highest-rated big airline. The Leeds-based company logged just 50 complaints per million passengers – a remarkable 65 times fewer than Wizz Air. Scottish carrier Loganair generated 105 complaints per million passengers, while Irish airline Aer Lingus recorded just 93.
Speaking on the findings, Marc Porcar, CEO of QR Code Generator Pro S.L., said:
“This time of year tends to prompt scrutiny of popular airlines, as airport delays, last-minute flight cancellations, and lost baggage are rife. And while rising operational costs may explain some of the recent 27.5% surge in flight prices, it’s clear that some passengers feel they weren’t getting true value for money before the price hike, and even less so afterwards.
“We’ve seen plenty of studies cover Q1 to Q3 of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) complaints, but now that the Q4 data is out, there’s a more accurate representation of how passengers feel about certain airlines.
“It’s essential that, as well as identifying the most common complaint themes and working to address them, airlines consider how to attract and retain the passengers put off by a growing gap between cost and customer experience. The key is to look beyond the ticket price when booking your flight this summer – check recent airline reviews and performance metrics, as it’s no good saving money on a flight that ends up getting cancelled.”
