Top 10 Worst Airlines In The World Right Now!
Sometimes flying is just plain uncomfortable and frustrating.
From tiny airplane seats to obnoxious flight delays, we put up with a lot to get to our final destination. That said, there are some airlines that always seem to make the journey just a little bit worse.
Travel company AirHelp, wanted to find out how dozens of airlines around the world stacked up against each other, so they crunched some numbers to create a ranking.
The final list accounts for quality of amenities, on-time arrivals and how well the airlines resolve flight-delay compensation claims.
Scroll on for the 10 worst airlines of 2018, ranked in descending order by their overall score.
10.Jet Airways
On-time performance: 6.5
Quality of service: 6.5
Claim processing: 5.6
TOTAL: 6.2 (out of 10)
Coming in at No. 10 on this list of the worst airlines in the world is Jet Airways, the struggling airline based in Mumbai, India.
Compared to other airlines on the list, Jet Airways received average marks on all counts.
The airline, the second largest in India behind IndiGo, was founded in 1992 and currently flies to 66 destinations around the world. It’s been in the news recently for financial problems and an investigation into alleged embezzlement.
9. Aerolineas Argentinas
On-time performance: 8.5
Quality of service: 6.5
Claim processing: 3.6
TOTAL: 6.2
Next on the list is Aerolineas Argentinas, the national flag carrier for Argentina.
The airline was founded in 1950 and today flies to 59 destinations in 13 countries, including 35 locations in Argentina. All told, some 11.5 million people fly with Aerolinea Argentinas every year.
Despite its low marks, travellers may still want to consider the airline if flying within Argentina, however for international travel? Not so much!
8.Iberia
On-time performance: 8.4
Quality of service: 7.8
Claim processing: 2.3
TOTAL: 6.13
Iberia was founded in 1927 and has served as the flag carrier for Spain ever since, traveling to 127 destinations in 48 countries.
Though Iberia received some decent marks, apparently their claim processing procedures are, to put it mildly, lacking.
On social media, you’ll find complaints ranging from lost baggage to shoddy customer service.
7.Korean Air
On-time performance: 6.4
Quality of service: 8.3
Claim processing: 3.7
TOTAL: 6.13
This flag-carrier airline for South Korea was founded in 1969 and flies to 124 destinations in more than 43 countries.
The family-run company recently made headlines when two of the CEO’s daughters resigned following several embarrassing incidents and accusations that the family used the airline’s planes to get out of paying taxes on luxury goods.
However, due to its formidable presence, if you want to fly in and out of South Korea and other parts of Asia, chances are good you’ll end up flying with Korean Air. At least it earned a solid score for quality of service.
6.Ryan Air
On-time performance: 8.6
Quality of service: 6.3
Claim processing: 3.3
TOTAL: 6.03
Coming in at No. 6 on the list of worst airlines in the world is Ryanair, the budget airline based in Ireland. The airline operates 2,000 daily flights from airports in 37 countries, serving more than 130 million customers each year.
Ryanair falls short in terms of quality of service and claim processing, but it does earn high marks for on-time flights.
In fact, according to Ryanair’s own statistics, 88 percent of flights arrived on time within the last 12 months.
It’s pretty hard to beat the airline’s often absurdly low prices, but be warned: The company charges you extra for pretty much everything, including carry-on luggage and the privilege of sitting with loved ones.
5. Air Mauritius
On-time performance: 6.9
Quality of service: 7.8
Claim processing: 3.3
TOTAL: 5.99
The island nation of Mauritius, located in the Indian Ocean off the eastern coast of Madagascar, is perhaps best known for its sandy beaches, turquoise sea waters and tropical climate.
However, the same cannot be said about its national airlines.
Air Mauritius was founded as the national carrier of Mauritius in 1967, the same year the nation gained independence from Britain. Since then, it’s garnered a middling reputation, with many people on TripAdvisor particularly complaining about its subpar food.
4.EasyJet
On-time performance: 7.8
Quality of service: 7.8
Claim processing: 1.3
TOTAL: 5.66
The United Kingdom’s budget airline Easyjet is also one of the worst in the world, thanks primarily to the airline’s awful claim processing. The airline flies to 132 airports in 31 countries, making it a popular choice for cheap, short-haul flights.
But Easyjet is a fairly young company, with just 21 years under its belt. And, as the saying goes, “You get what you pay for.”
If you’re looking for the cheapest flights and nothing else matters, you might still be satisfied with ridiculously inexpensive Easyjet…despite its low score.
3. Pakistan International Airlines
On-time performance: 6.1
Quality of service: 6.0
Claim processing: 4.2
TOTAL: 5.43
Pakistan International Airlines, known as PIA, is the national carrier for Pakistan, but that might change soon as the country looks to privatize the airline.
It’s experienced a host of issues in recent years, including massive financial losses, management issues and increased competition from at least five new airlines.
And, in 2016, 47 people died in a crash on one of the airline’s flights.
Given all that, perhaps it’s not surprising that Pakistan International Airlines is ranked as the third worst airline in the world.
2. Royal Jordanian Airlines
On-time performance: 8.3
Quality of service: 6.3
Claim processing: 0.8
TOTAL: 5.13
Royal Jordanian Airlines, which is hubbed out of Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, Jordan, isn’t quite the worst airline in the world but it’s pretty close.
Though the national carrier of Jordan does an okay job getting passengers to their destinations on time, it falls short on claim processing and its quality of service.
1.WOW Air
On-time performance: 7.5
Quality of service: 6.0
Claim processing: 1.7
TOTAL: 5.04
Coming in at “No. 1” on the list of the worst airlines in the world? The not-so-aptly-named WOW Air.
Of course, if price is all that matters to you when you’re looking for cheap flights to Iceland and Europe you’ll probably still fly with this uber-budget airline; the airline’s famous “flash sales” offer tickets on long flights for less than $100. Just don’t expect any bells and whistles, and know that you may be complaining, loudly, about the customer service you receive.