British Airways vs United: most-reported complaints compared
Most-reported issues at British Airways and United, according to reviewers on Trustpilot — classified by our automated reader and backed by verbatim quotes from distinct reviews. This is a side-by-side of what reviewers report, not a score, rating or recommendation for either company.
British Airways
TrustScore 1.6 · 16,987 reviews on Trustpilot.
959 reviews analysed, 2026-05-06 to 2026-11-10.
Complaint rate (recent window): 78%
14% of negative reviews get a company reply.
“promised callbacks that never happened”
United
TrustScore 1.4 · 171 reviews on Trustpilot.
110 reviews analysed, 2017-07-18 to 2026-11-01.
Complaint rate (recent window): 91%
0% of negative reviews get a company reply.
“Finally, flight left at 11:30 PM (5+ hrs delay). When we went to Geneva there was no United agent. We were desperate for some help.”
Reported on both
Issues with an evidenced category (at least two verbatim quotes) on both sides.
| Issue | British Airways | United |
|---|---|---|
| Support unhelpful | 36% | 49% |
| Poor core service | 25% | 28% |
| Support unreachable | 18% | 12% |
| Overcharging | 8% | 14% |
Method: reviews are classified into a fixed complaint taxonomy by an automated reader; every category shown is backed by at least two verbatim quotes from distinct reviews. Figures are census classifications, not official statistics, and reflect what reviewers reported — not findings of wrongdoing by either company. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Trustpilot A/S, British Airways or United.