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Which is really better – easyJet or Ryanair?
Thousands of passengers told us about comfort, cost and service with the two airlines, but one is better than the other at getting you to your destination on time
EasyJet vs Ryanair has been an easy choice for most of the past 20 years.
Ryanair invariably comes somewhere near the bottom of our table of the best and worst airlines, while easyJet has always been somewhere near the middle. When the price was right, EasyJet was always the better choice.
However, in 2023 easyJet alienated many flyers and provoked scathing headlines when it cancelled thousands of flights. Since then it's recovered but is it still a better bet than it's biggest low-cost rival?
Our survey looks at every aspect of a flight but we’ve also analysed Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) data on punctuality and cancellations – the most important issue for most people. And checked the cost of taking a bag onboard – and found out how much leg-room you’ll have in a standard seat.
See below to make your own decision on which is the best budget airline to choose.
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Who’s more likely to cancel your flight at the last minute – easyJet or Ryanair?
Getting you to your destination is the crucial measure of an airline's success. It's here where Ryanair does better than easyJet. Both airlines have improved their cancellation rates in the last twelve months, but Ryanair has done better.
In the 12 months up to September 2023 Ryanair cancelled 0.80% – that's roughly average for the carriers we looked at but Easyjet cancelled 2%. That’s just within 24 hours of departure – many more were cancelled with a few days' or weeks' notice.
Between October 2023 and September 2024 easyJet cancelled 0.9% of flights at short notice, while the figure for Ryanair was just 0.2%.
Who’s better? Ryanair.
Who’s more punctual – easyJet or Ryanair?
The punctuality figures for both were very similar, 67% of easyJet flights departed within 15 minutes of the scheduled time, while the same figure was 65% for Ryanair.
Who’s better? Ryanair, although there’s not much between them.
Who has a better luggage allowance – easyJet or Ryanair?
Unfortunately easyJet has copied Ryanair’s policy of charging for cabin luggage that won’t fit under your seat.
EasyJet says the charge for putting a case in the overhead locker is ‘from £5.99’ per flight while Ryanair says it’s between £6-£36 per flight.
With Ryanair you can also pay to check in either a 10kg or 20kg suitcase. EasyJet has different costs for checking in luggage of either 15kg, 23kg or 32kg. Again, the prices vary by route.
When we checked last year, some easyJet and Ryanair flights cost more than twice as much - once you took into account cabin bags and seat selection.
Including handles and wheels, easyJet’s overhead locker bag allowance is 56 x 45 x 25cm; Ryanair’s is 55 x 40 x 20cm.
Who’s better? Both bad – you’ll probably pay more with easyJet but will get more room for your stuff.
Is Ryanair really good value? Or could British Airways sometimes be better?
Who has more comfortable seats – easyJet or Ryanair?
The two airlines have very similar seat pitches - that’s the distance between your seat and the one in front of it – at 28-30 inches (Ryanair) to 29 inches (easyJet).
However, in our latest survey easyJet got two stars for seat comfort while Ryanair got just one star.
Who’s better? EasyJet – just slightly.
Who has better food and drink – easyJet or Ryanair?
On Ryanair, a meal deal with a sandwich or similar, packet of crisps or another snack and a soft drink is £12.50. Hot meals such as a Thai green curry or a lasagne cost £8.50 and a cappuccino is £3.75.
A glass of wine is £7 and a can of beer such as Heineken £6.50.
On easyJet, a meal deal with a sandwich, wrap or similar, snack and soft drink is cheaper at £9.00 Hot meals such as a chicken korma or pasta with tomato sauce are £7.50 and a cappuccino is £3.95.
A glass of wine is £6.60 and a Heineken or similar is £5.60.
In our survey, passengers were not impressed by Ryanair’s offering – or the price. It got just one star for food and drink, while easyJet was only slightly better with two stars.
Who’s better? EasyJet is better - and cheaper - than Ryanair, but passengers weren’t impressed by either airline.
Who has better customer service – easyJet or Ryanair?
If there’s one reason people choose not to fly Ryanair – or complain about it when they do – it’s the customer service. In our survey it got two star, while easyJet got three stars.
Many airlines have a reputation for letting passengers down when something goes wrong, but Ryanair is particularly bad.
During delays it was less likely to have staff available, and staff were less helpful than other airlines in our survey.
Who’s better? EasyJet.
Who has cleaner planes – easyJet or Ryanair?
Even on supposedly premium carriers, cleaners can get as little as eight minutes to clean your plane.
But budget carriers have such fast turnarounds that your plane’s unlikely to be given a thorough cleaning until the end of the day.
Ryanair told us that it does clean between every turnaround but passengers weren’t impressed. It only got two stars for cleanliness in our survey. EasyJet said that it cleans at the end of every day, and it also got just two stars. When we investigated what happens to phones left on planes, Ryanair did not even find our phone during its cleaning, and it ended up staying on the plane until Italy.
Who’s better? Equally bad.
Who’s more likely to seat groups together for free – easyJet or Ryanair?
In our survey, 90% of easyJet passengers who didn’t pay for seat selection were seated with their travel companions anyway. For Ryanair that figure was just 62%.
Ryanair insists that at least one adult travelling with children has to pay for seat selection.
If you decide to pay for seat selection for two adults that can add £40 to the cost of a Ryanair return booking.
Who’s better? EasyJet.
Verdict – who’s better overall?
EasyJet had a terrible 2023 with thousands of cancellations, but it improved in 2024.
Ryanair’s disdain for customer service – particularly in the event of delays or cancellations – means that it continues to infuriate passengers every year.
EasyJet still needs to improves its last-minute cancellation rate - but it's better than it was.
Who’s better overall? EasyJet
Should you fly with easyJet or Ryanair?
Although easyJet and Ryanair often appear to have the cheapest prices on flight comparison sites, always remember that you’ll probably need to pay for cabin bags or hold luggage if you’re going on holiday.
There are better carriers than either easyJet or Ryanair – particularly Jet2, which lets you take cabin luggage onboard for free. BA too can sometimes be cheaper as it also lets you take cabin bags onboard for free.
Before booking, see our guide to the best and worst airlines and find out whether Ryanair is the lowest rated airline - and which are the best and worst for long-haul.
