Taking a trip abroad should come with nothing but excitement. Packing your suitcase, gathering your travel essentials, and creating a packed itinerary for when you land in a foreign territory all make up the magic of travelling.
But more often than not the journey to get to your final destination comes with many stresses including flight delays. Airline hold-ups have become so frequent they're almost inevitable and to be expected.
In fact, a study from travel tech specialist IBS Software found that 71 per cent of Brits have experienced a flight delay, or cancellation in the last 12 months.
© Felix CesareHowever, it's worth noting that some airlines fare much better than others when it comes to getting you there on time.
If you're thinking of booking a trip to Europe for a city break or some continental sunshine, then find out below which airlines are the most reliable when it comes to overall satisfaction, punctuality, and more…
The best-rated airlines for short-haul economy flights
Jet2
Jet2 topped the board for customer score and punctuality. Only 0.5 per cent of its flights were cancelled last minute in the past year and 66 per cent ran on time, according to a study conducted by Which?
It also had a healthy 80 per cent score when it came to overall satisfaction and four-star rankings for cleanliness and boarding. They even received a perfect score of five stars for customer service.
The fares are cheap, there are often great deals on holiday packages, and the flight frequency is high – making Jet2 a great option for your mini-breaks.
© NurPhotoTurkish Airlines
Turkish Airlines are another great option. They scored highly for overall satisfaction, customer service and boarding. The airline also had 69 per cent of its flights running on time in the past year, with only 0.5 per cent being last-minute cancellations. Pretty reliable stats if you ask us.
Finnair
Although Finnair is ranked third best due to its ratings combined, when it comes to on-time flights, they actually scored even better than Turkish or Jet2.
Seventy-seven per cent of their flights ran on time last year, with only 0.5 per cent cancellations. However, it's the slightly less comfortable seats and smooth-sailing boarding which kept it from the top spot. Still, a decent airline choice for your flight booking.
© ConstantinisSwiss
Swiss and Finnair were pretty much neck-and-neck in terms of satisfaction from customers, however, a few more last-minute cancellations last year meant they came in fourth.
Its base is in Zurich and Geneva but they run flights to more than 100 destinations, making it a great option to consider when planning your trip.
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© RaptTVAurigny Air Service
Rounding off the top five best short-haul flights is Aurigny Air Service. Eighty-three per cent of its flights ran on time last year, but 3 per cent were last-minute cancellations.
However, smooth-sailing boarding gives them a four-star rating from customers, and four stars for customer service, too.
© © Marco BottigelliHow do other popular airlines fare in comparison?
Other big brand airlines like Norwegian, Icelandair and Aer Lingus also did pretty well in terms of customer scores and found themselves in the top ten on the chart. You can see the full ranking, here.
