BA and Virgin give new boost to British airlines in Skyscanner poll

The latest poll by flight comparison site Skyscanner.net shows that despite a recent bout of bad press for British Airways due to strike threats, the airline is still regarded very highly by travellers, having been voted top in two out of three categories.

The opinions of over 600 international travellers were collected on which airlines they believe are best for service, reliability and family travel. Fellow British airline Virgin Atlantic equalled its rival in the poll, while Emirates and Singapore Airlines were also voted favourites among Skyscanner users.

When it came to reliability, BA, Virgin Atlantic and Emirates were all voted joint first, followed by Singapore Airlines and Qantas.

Perhaps a surprise to some was the presence of low-cost airlines easyJet and Ryanair in the top ten, ranking above many scheduled airlines. However, the results highlight the difference between the public perception of punctuality and actual punctuality as recorded by the Civil Airlines Authority.

Data from the CAA places bmi and flybe at the top of the “on time” charts, yet neither of these airlines made the top ten in the Skyscanner poll.

Virgin Atlantic, which offers kids’ TV channels, Nintendo games, kids’ meals and an entertainment pack, was voted the top choice for families, followed by BA and Emirates.

The Dubai airline, which also took the top spot in a recent Skyscanner poll on airline food, was voted best for service along with BA.

Gareth Williams, Skyscanner chief executive officer, commented: “It’s great to see that British airlines are still held in very high regard by the flying public, which is certainly something to be proud of.

“Passengers nowadays have a huge choice of airlines to travel with and, although price is probably the main deciding factor, we know that it is not the only influence. Service, reliability and facilities play their part too, and so it is important for airlines to develop customer loyalty by ensuring they offer a superior product to that of their ­competitors.”