Ryanair may be on a charm offensive, but Norwegian triumphs in best value budget

And while these measures are likely to welcomed by frequent travellers, it seems that the airline is still failing to come out on top in the budget airline stakes. A survey conducted by the travel search site, Skyscanner, found that Norwegian took the top spot when it came to value for money, while Ryanair failed to feature in the top five in any category.

Norwegian’s lead in this category was followed by easyjet in second place, British Airways (BA) in third place Jet2 in fourth place and Monarch in fifth place. Overall BA took the crown as the UK’s favourite airline, claiming first place for its style and its customer service, it’s on board experience and its food and drink. Norwegian also came in at second place in many of the other categories, just behind BA for customer service, onboard experience and style. It also fell in fourth place behind BA, SAS and Lufthansa for best food and drink.

Commenting on the survey findings, Skyscanner's Mary Porter said: "Being a Superbrand and one which Brits are very proud of, it's perhaps not surprising that British Airways has scooped the top spot in our survey. "However it is particularly interesting to see such strong results for a far less well-known airline, with Norwegian taking second place and goes to show that low cost does not necessarily mean an inferior product or service."

Further figures from the survey revealed that Fly Thomas Cook (3rd), Lufthansa (4th) and Monarch (5th) took the remaining spots in the top 5 for customer service. When it came to best on-board experience the ranking continued with Lufthansa (3rd), SAS (4th) and KLM (5th).

The Skyscanner survey questioned 4,000 Brits who fly short haul on a frequent basis. If you are heading off on a low-cost holiday this year, it is still important to secure the best value travel insurance for your needs before you head off.

Date Created: 30/04/2014