About the benchmark
The airline industry is moving fast – digitally, strategically, and in what passengers expect. But how well are Europe's leading carriers actually keeping up?
The Airline Benchmark provides answers. Not with a quick scan, but with a systematic, independent evaluation of the digital presence of Europe's 30 largest airlines. Binary scoring. No subjective impressions. If information wasn't findable within 30 seconds, it didn't count.
Why this
benchmark exists
Digital presence is no longer just a sales channel. It's a statement of who you are.
Passengers make decisions long before they board a plane. They browse your website, compare your booking process, check your sustainability claims, ask ChatGPT for recommendations. Every digital touchpoint shapes how they perceive your airline – your credibility, your professionalism, your values.
The Airline Benchmark revealed how wide the gap between airlines already was – in technology, usability, transparency, and accessibility.
Structure and
approach
Time
period
The analysis was conducted in Q3 and Q4 2025.
Core
question
How effectively do airlines use their digital presence to build trust, enable dialogue, deliver seamless services, and strengthen their business?
Scope
The websites of Europe's 30 largest airlines, evaluated across 135 criteria.
What we measure –
and why it matters
Three dimensions that define digital excellence
The 135 criteria are grouped into three core dimensions, each weighted to reflect its strategic importance for the overall digital experience.
Corporate
Transparency
How openly do airlines communicate who they are, what they stand for, and where they're heading?
What we looked at:
Strategy, sustainability goals, financial performance, employee information, compliance, and – new in 2026 – AI ethics and guidelines.
Visibility &
AI Readiness
When passengers ask ChatGPT instead of Google, everything changes. This dimension measures how prepared airlines are for a world where AI assistants become the primary gateway to travel information.
What we looked at:
Robots.txt configuration, structured data, AI crawler access, AI-powered chatbots, AI search functionality, and dedicated AI integration frameworks.
Service &
Usability
This is where passengers feel the difference most directly. How well does the website actually work – from finding information to completing a booking to getting support?
What we looked at:
Navigation, content structure, booking process, payment options, mobile performance, accessibility, contact options, and ancillary service integration.
How we
score
Rigorous. Transparent. No grey areas.
The Airline Benchmark doesn't rely on subjective impressions or automated scans. Every airline is evaluated manually against 135 defined criteria.
Methodology
at a glance:
✅ Binary scoring – Every criterion is either met or not met. No partial scores, no interpretation.
✅ 30-second rule – If information isn't findable within 30 seconds, it's rated as non-existent. Because that's how passengers behave.
✅ 1,000 points maximum – Distributed across three dimensions: Corporate Transparency, Visibility & AI Readiness, Service & Usability.
✅ Independent evaluation – No pay-to-play. No pre-publication review by airlines. No sponsored rankings.
✅ Manual analysis – Every website evaluated by trained analysts, simulating real user behaviour.
Who was
analysed
30 airlines. The full spectrum.
The benchmark includes the 30 largest European airlines. The selection reflects the diversity of the European market and ensures comparability across different business models.
