This was the top Canadian airline servicing the U.K.

Alicja Siekierska
Toronto, Ontario, Canada-April 15, 2019: Tail wings of diverse planes in Pearson International Airport. The one in the foreground belongs to Air Transat company. The second one belongs to the Pakistani national carrier. The rest at the background belong to Air Canada. Pearson Airport is one of the busiest transportation hubs in North America. The day time image has a slightly overcast sky
Tail wings of diverse planes in Pearson International Airport. (Getty Images)

Air Transat is Canada’s top airline servicing the United Kingdom, whereas Air Canada is ranked among the worst, a new survey has found.

According to a new survey conducted by Which, a U.K-based consumer advocacy group, Air Transat was the 6th best long-haul airline out of 15 options, while Air Canada was 12th.

Which surveyed 6,535 passengers in September about their experiences on flights from the United Kingdom within the last year. The questionnaire asked passengers to rate the airlines based on boarding, seat comfort, food and drink, cabin environment, customer service and value for money.

Air Transat had an overall score of 68 per cent, earning three out of five stars in a range of categories, including boarding, seat comfort, in-flight entertainment, customer service and value for money. The airline fell short in the food and drink category, with two out of five stars, and its punctuality ranking was just 60 per cent.

Air Canada, on the other hand, had an overall score of 60 per cent, ahead of three airlines – Etihad Airways (56 per cent), British Airways (55 per cent) and American Airlines (48 per cent). The airline had its weakest results (two out of five stars) in food and drink and the value for money categories. The airline managed to beat Air Transat with its punctuality score of 67 per cent.

According to the survey, the top airline is Singapore Airlines, with an overall score of 88 per cent, followed by Qatar Airways (79 per cent) and Emirates (76 per cent).

“Singapore Airlines scored four or five stars for each category excelling in in-flight entertainment and customer service,” the consumer company said in a news release.

“Many passengers spoke of the extra touches like Christmas carols when boarding, free bars of chocolate and others said they ‘felt properly looked after’.”

Air Canada is in the midst of trying to acquire Transat, which operates the country’s third largest airline. While the $720 million acquisition was approved by Transat shareholders, the deal still faces intense scrutiny from regulators, including a Competition Bureau review.

With Transat under its wing, Air Canada – the country’s largest airline – would see its share of transatlantic seat capacity jump by 18 per cent to 60 per cent. On some routes, the concentration would be more pronounced. For example, in 2019 Air Canada had 53 per cent of the seat capacity on direct routes between Toronto and London. With the Transat takeover, Air Canada’s share on that route would jump to 68 per cent.

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