Budget airlines: which is the best – and what about the worst?

A Jet2.com plane. Each airline has its own rules, paid-for extras and small-print fees. Photograph: Anna Gowthorpe/PA

So which budget airlines offer the best customer experience, and which ones will have you muttering “never again” as you stagger out of the airport?

There is of course no one-size-fits-all answer – there are so many variables at play, from cost, customer service and the number of cancellations to legroom and luggage policy. Each airline has its own (often byzantine) rules, paid-for extras and small-print fees to navigate.