BA vs Ryanair vs easyJet mystery shopper test: MailOnline finds out which carrier offers the best cheap UK flights (and it's not the one with seats that are 'a disgrace to aviation')

Ted Thornhill rated the carriers on trips to Manchester, Belfast and Stansted. He filmed his odyssey, with fascinating images. The Mail paid for each flight and none of the airlines knew it was coming READ MORE: I sell private jets - it's the biggest myth in the industry

By Ted Thornhill, Mailonline Travel Editor

Published: 10:04 BST, 14 October 2023 | Updated: 1:58 p.m. BST, 14 October 2023

Take a domestic flight in the UK and it's highly likely you'll board a plane operated by British Airways, easyJet or Ryanair.

If you are flexible about when you can travel, it is possible to find ticket prices just as low for all three carriers. But does the similarity stop at the price?

I'm MailOnline's travel editor and I took them on in a customer battle mysteries to discover it. .fly economy class with British Airways to Manchester, then with easyJet to Belfast International, then Ryanair to London Stansted.

Le Mail Paid for each flight and none of the fees. the airlines knew I was arriving. Scroll down to see a short video documenting my fascinating odyssey across the UK and my verdicts on each airline, from booking to boarding and in-flight cabin experience. Who won? Spoiler alert – not the one with the dirty cabin carpet and seat which is a disgrace to aviation...

BRITISH AIRWAYS - HEATHROW T5 AT MANCHESTER AIRPORT