The Irish low-cost carrier came last in a list of 100 well-known firms, with fellow airline bmi and its no-frills offshoot bmibaby rounding off the bottom three spots.
Some 1,500 Brits took part in the poll, which canvassed views about whether brands were socially responsible, good listeners, caring and had family values.
Aviation was the worst performing sector, suggesting that passengers remain unimpressed by the industry's efforts to combat the economic downturn.
But it was Ryanair that fared worse than any other airline, reeling from a slew of new surcharges that include a mandatory fee for checking in online (see related story).
A family of four travelling with Ryanair must now pay £40 extra on a return flight simply for printing their own tickets, while baggage fees have also risen sevenfold since 2006.
Shedding more light on Ryanair's brand woes, Steve Hastings of ad agency Isobel, which commissioned the survey, said: "The airline's mounting ancillary costs and the furore surrounding the proposed '£1 to spend a penny' have done little to endear them to the British public."
He added: "The airline sector is a superb example of the perils of rising consumer expectations."
Mr Hastings explained that the public's appetite for cheap flights is not matched by a willingness to compromise on quality of service, giving rise to Ryanair's unpopular image.
And yet, despite growing resentment among passengers, the no-frills airline continues to do a roaring trade, raking in profits of £350 million in the first half of 2009. Ryanair's success hinges on its aggressive seat sales, most recently releasing one million seats for just £2.
By contrast, the legacy brand British Airways – formerly dubbed the World's Favourite Airline – has struggled to fill its planes during the recession, leading to record losses this year.
BA came 61st in the FamilyBrands survey, while Virgin Atlantic scored the highest ranking of any travel firm with 44th place. The nation's overall favourite brand was Marks & Spencer.
© Cheapflights Ltd
Comments:
Roman - 26 November, 2009 at 5:19 pm
You strangely forgot to mention that easyJet is also listed, close to Ryanair and bmibaby.
bernard pollack - 29 November, 2009 at 9:27 am
Just as an fyi... Our vote for worst airline: PrecisionAir!
We [Danielle Nierenberg and Bernard Pollack] are blogging from Africa and recently did a post about troubles with PrecisionAir. Here is the link to the post...
http://borderjumpers1.blogspot.com/2009/11/precisely-why-we-wont-be-flying.html
robert yoxen - 25 December, 2009 at 6:28 am
Whats all the fuss about? It's your final fare that counts. Where else can you get a four hour flight with priority booking for under £40. Great cabin crew, met one of their calendar girls, landed just 1 minute late.
I can remember on one airline flying from Bristol we were delayed after being told that because the hold luggage was over the limit they would have to reduce fuel capacity, so had to refuel somewhere in Eastern Europe. On landing my wife noticed that the runway was lined with tanks and helicopter gunships. I was told by a passenger the airline was able to buy fuel much cheaper in the East.We landed nearly one hour late in Cyprus.
Well Ryanair I think that takes you out of the relegation zone. May you continue with your low cost flights.