Airlines have no universal last place; AirHelp’s lowest stated 2025 score goes to Hong Kong Airlines, then Spirit, Tunisair, and China Eastern.
Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you book through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Airline reputations can change within a season. The honest answer to what are the worst airlines in the world depends on whether delays, cabin service, disruption handling, total cost, or safety matters most—and those are separate tests.
As of July 2026, AirHelp’s latest completed airline ranking is its 2025 edition. The lowest scores published in AirHelp’s release belong to Hong Kong Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Tunisair, and China Eastern Airlines. Treat those names as a screening list, then check the exact route and flight before rejecting a carrier.
The World’s Lowest-Rated Airlines In The Latest Data
AirHelp’s current global release puts Hong Kong Airlines at 4.58 out of 10, Spirit Airlines at 4.70, Tunisair at 4.71, and China Eastern Airlines at 4.74. The small gaps mean all four sit in the same weak performance band under AirHelp’s method.
No ranking proves that one carrier is bad on every route. A low-scoring airline may still offer the only nonstop flight, while a highly rated airline may run an awkward connection with a long layover and little recovery capacity.
How Does AirHelp Define A Bad Airline?
AirHelp gives equal weight to on-time performance, customer opinion, and claim processing. The formula measures the passenger experience before, during, and after disruption; it does not measure airline safety.
Passenger opinion covers cabin crew, comfort, cleanliness, food, and onboard entertainment. Claim processing reflects how airlines handle valid compensation cases in AirHelp’s own data, so the result is especially useful for disruption handling but is not a neutral accident-risk index.
| Performance Check | Weak Signal | Traveler Impact |
|---|---|---|
| On-time arrivals | Repeated delays on the exact route | Missed plans and tighter connections |
| Cancellation rate | Frequent last-minute cancellations | Rebooking pressure and lost trip time |
| Recovery capacity | One daily flight or few partner options | A disruption may become an overnight delay |
| Claim handling | Slow responses or disputed valid claims | Refunds and compensation can take longer |
| Baggage handling | Weak recent mishandled-bag results | Higher risk of arriving without luggage |
| Cabin experience | Low scores for crew, cleanliness, or comfort | A harder trip, especially on long flights |
| Total trip cost | Low base fare plus many required fees | The cheapest headline price may not stay cheapest |
The 2025 AirHelp airline score release covers 117 carriers and flight data from October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025. AirHelp counts a flight as on time when it arrives within 15 minutes of its published arrival time.
The Four Lowest Published AirHelp Scores
The four lowest figures stated in AirHelp’s 2025 release are tightly grouped between 4.58 and 4.74. That spread is too small to support sweeping claims that one is far worse than the others.
| Airline | 2025 AirHelp Score | Fair Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong Airlines | 4.58 out of 10 | Lowest figure published in the current release |
| Spirit Airlines | 4.70 out of 10 | Second-lowest published figure |
| Tunisair | 4.71 out of 10 | Improved from last place in the prior edition |
| China Eastern Airlines | 4.74 out of 10 | Close to the other bottom scores |
Hong Kong Airlines
Hong Kong Airlines records the lowest figure AirHelp published for 2025. The score signals weak combined results across AirHelp’s three categories, but it does not show that every Hong Kong Airlines route performs the same way.
Spirit Airlines
Spirit Airlines sits only 0.12 points above Hong Kong Airlines. A cheap nonstop ticket can still make sense for a flexible traveler, but the full price should include every baggage, seat, and change charge shown for that fare.
Tunisair
Tunisair rose from the bottom position in AirHelp’s previous edition but remained near the foot of the 2025 list. Travelers with fixed events or separate onward tickets should place extra weight on schedule frequency and backup options.
China Eastern Airlines
China Eastern Airlines also falls in the lowest published group. Its network may still produce a better itinerary than a higher-rated carrier when the alternative adds a long connection or a second ticket.
Low Ratings Are Not Safety Verdicts
Customer-service rankings do not establish that an airline is unsafe. AirHelp’s formula contains no accident-history, maintenance, pilot-training, or regulatory-oversight category.
Safety checks should come from aviation regulators and operating restrictions, such as the EU Air Safety List, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, and the carrier’s home-country civil aviation authority. A poor delay or claim score deserves attention, but it must not be presented as proof of higher accident risk.
How Should You Pick A Better Airline?
Choose the strongest itinerary, not the most famous logo. Nonstop service, several same-day departures, a protected connection, and a manageable all-in fare often matter more than a small difference in a global score.
- Check the exact flight number. Route-level performance can differ from an airline-wide average.
- Prefer nonstop service. Each connection adds another point where delays and baggage problems can disrupt the trip.
- Count backup flights. An airline with four later departures can recover faster than one with a single daily service.
- Price every required extra. Add baggage, seats, payment fees, and change terms before comparing fares.
- Protect important arrivals. Build in a buffer before a cruise, wedding, tour, or separate-ticket connection.
To compare how carriers price and schedule the same major destination, check current fares to New York City:
The Practical Booking Verdict
Hong Kong Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Tunisair, and China Eastern Airlines form the clearest current low-score watchlist in AirHelp’s published 2025 data. The ranking is a warning to inspect the itinerary more closely, not an automatic ban on buying a ticket.
- Skip the low-rated option when the trip is time-sensitive, the carrier has one daily flight, or the savings are small.
- Consider the low-rated option when it is nonstop, materially cheaper after fees, and your schedule can absorb a delay.
- Favor the alternative when prices are close and the other carrier offers more departures, easier rebooking, or a protected connection.
The most defensible answer changes with each annual dataset. For travel booked now, use the four names above as a caution list, then let route reliability, schedule depth, and full cost decide.
References & Sources
- AirHelp.“AirHelp Reveals The Best And Worst Airlines In 2025 AirHelp Score.”Provides the latest completed airline scores, data period, and scoring categories used in this article.