Which? readers have voted Doncaster Sheffield Airport the best in the UK, but it’s due to close in a few days.
The airport topped the consumer champion’s survey of the UK’s best and worst airports for the fourth consecutive time, after almost 7,500 Which? members rated their experiences over the past two years.
With a customer score of 85%, travellers praised the ‘fantastic, helpful staff’ and ‘faultless service’, awarding the airport’s employees five stars.
The airport also scooped five-star ratings for queues through security and at baggage reclaim, as well as for seating and toilet facilities, with one respondent enthusing their experience was ‘how air travel should be’.
The airport’s owner, Peel Group, plans to turn the site into a warehouse complex when the airport permanently closes at the end of the month.
Exeter and Liverpool John Lennon Airports tied in second place in the survey, and City Airport was the only London airport to make it into the top five, achieving joint third place in the table with Southampton.
London Heathrow and Manchester Airports fared the worst, scoring less than 50% each in the survey.
Which? Acting Travel Editor Guy Hobbs said: “This year we’ve witnessed unprecedented chaos at many of the UK’s largest airports. Travellers reported extensive queues and unhelpful staff, with resources pushed to breaking point.
“Wherever possible, we’d recommend opting for smaller airports, which have generally offered a smoother and less stressful experience for their passengers over the last two years.”
‘Amateur’ and ‘inaccurate’
But a Heathrow spokesperson said: “This is an amateur survey with inaccurate and misleading conclusions…Heathrow has faced unprecedented growth this year, as passenger numbers rose faster and higher than any other European hub, with more than 18 million passengers using the airport this summer.”
A Manchester Airport spokesperson apologised for not living up to the standard expected and added: “Earlier this year, the whole of the travel industry faced unprecedented challenges as travel restrictions were removed and demand returned rapidly to the market, and Manchester Airport was no different.”
