British Airways (BA) has ranked at the bottom of the annual Which? airline survey for long-haul flights, finishing joint last with Air Canada.

However, rather than a significant decline in its own service, the UK’s flag carrier has been overtaken by improving competitors.

The survey, which analysed customer scores for over 9,000 flights, placed BA 12th out of 16 for short-haul travel, while Jet2 claimed the top spot with a customer score of 80 per cent. For long-haul flights, Singapore Airlines led with 81 per cent, leaving BA and Air Canada trailing at 62 per cent.

Although BA’s scores have not seen major deterioration from previous surveys, its rivals have pulled ahead in key areas such as customer service, seat comfort, and value for money. BA received just two out of five stars across multiple categories, reflecting a growing gap between the highest and lowest-rated airlines.

Additionally, BA has struggled with last-minute cancellations, with around two per cent of flights cancelled within 24 hours of departure, according to CAA data. The airline also fell behind Ryanair in customer service satisfaction when it comes to contacting the airline, despite performing better in overall service.

Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, said: “British Airways’ poor performance in our survey shows how far it has fallen from the days when it was seen as setting the standards others should aspire to.”

Meanwhile, at the top of the rankings, Singapore Airlines, Emirates, and Etihad dominated the long-haul category, while Jet2 continued its strong performance in short-haul travel for the fourth consecutive year. Scottish regional airline Loganair also made significant strides, climbing to the second-highest ranking for short-haul flights in the UK.

Luke Farajallah, chief executive of Loganair, said: “Loganair is renowned for its gold standard customer service, so it is very encouraging to be given a five-star rating by our customers. We are also very proud of the improved scoring in our operational delivery, which our team has had a particular focus on over the last 12 months.”

Boland added: “There’s a clear disparity between airlines at the top and at the bottom of the rankings. The top performers show it is possible to give passengers good service at a time when delays, cancellations and terrible customer service have become almost the norm.”