Two decades after it began operating, Hungarian airline Wizz Air  appears to be making a goulash of its brand reputation, having been dubbed the worst choice of ticket in a new survey of British passengers.

Judged on boarding experience, cabin environment and seat comfort, Which?  magazine says that respondents collectively gave the airline, whose UK HQ is in Luton Airport,  just one star, with no more than two stars awarded in any category, including value and cleanliness. 

The airline, which operates from eight UK airports including Birmingham, was also put into a tailspin by the Civil Aviation Authority late last year when it voiced "significant concerns" for "unacceptable" behaviour.

Wizz Air, whose seat pitch is a lean 28 inches - two inches narrower than that of rival Ryanair – said: "we do everything possible to ensure that passengers reach their destination on time and with minimal delay."

In the immediate wake of Putin's invasion of Ukraine, four of the airline's craft were stranded in the country, although they have since been recovered.

Punchine says: "cheaper doesn't always mean cheerful when you're booking travel for employees or corporate clients. Clearly Wizz Air needs to address user feedback and improve the passenger experience."