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Cheap Christmas flights to the UK

Left your booking to the last minute? We'll help you compare fares to get the cheapest Christmas flights to UK available.

Stephanie Yip
Stephanie Yip

Updated

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With global coronavirus (COVID-19) travel restrictions in place, 2020 may not be the best time to travel. We're here to help you plan your trip when you're able to travel again, so keep these tips in mind for potential 2021 Christmas travel. Follow all government regulations and check with your supplier for up-to-date information.

Thinking of heading home for the holidays? Perhaps you're imagining that fairytale white Christmas? Whatever the case, a trip to the UK over Christmas can be affordable.

With the right know-how, deals and timing, you can snatch up a cheap Christmas flight in time to catch the carollers and, with luck, a healthy snowfall.

Find the cheapest Christmas flights to the UK

When's the best time to book Christmas flights to the UK?

The best time to book flights to the UK for Christmas is from March to May as this is when airlines offer early bird sales on Christmas and New Year flights.

The biggest savings to London appear around six months prior to departure. However, if you’ve missed this window airlines often have sales throughout the year and even feature last-minute deals if you're willing to take the risk.

If you're not willing to risk it book now as the earlier you book the better.

According to Skyscanner Best Time to Book tool, you can still save up to 4% off flights to London up to three months prior to flying.

If you want to spend the whole Christmas period in the UK, we've found that fares tend to be cheaper if you depart no later than 13 December. Return fares start to cheapen from 5 January onward.

Tips and tricks to getting cheap Christmas flights to UK

Can’t find a price that suits your budget? Simple ways you can get there for less include:

  • Fly out on Christmas Day or New Year's Day: The major holiday dates are renowned for being the most unappealing dates to fly.So they often sport cheaper fares – even up to the wire.
  • Choose to multi-stop: Direct flights are hot property over Christmas so prices skyrocket. Longer journeys and potentially long stopovers can cost a fraction of a direct flight. Cheap Flights breaks your options down well, detailing the cheapest flights and best direct flights for your dates. The site also highlights the flights with the best flight length and price.
  • Fly on a more "budget"airline: Multiple airlines fly from Australia to London, including Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Emirates and Qatar Airways. While these are more luxurious, you do pay for that comfort. Airlines such as China Airlines and China Eastern aren’t as prestigious but often get you there for less.
  • Try the budget airline hack: Bump your way to the UK on two budget airlines, booking each separately. It’s possible to save on costs by combining a cheap Scoot flight from Australia to Singapore with one of the low-cost flights between Singapore and London now being offered by Norwegian.
  • Fly into an alternate airport: Fares will differ depending on where you fly to in the UK. You can save hundreds by flying into Manchester instead of London or Glasgow instead of Edinburgh, for example.

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