Travellers pay 14 times more to fly from UK's most expensive airports

UK travellers can expect to pay up to 14 times more when flying from some of the country’s costliest airports, says a report by currency exchange provider Fairfx.

Comparing the cost of the cheapest same-day flights between 21 airports to six European destinations, the study shows that families can face hikes of up to £1,177 for the convenience of departing from a nearby airport.

The least expensive flights were found at Glasgow International, where the cheapest flight cost £181, while in Bournemouth flights are priced up to £1,358.

A family of four flying to Faro in Portugal could pay up to £2,740 more for return flights from Heathrow, at £2,941, with the cheapest departing from Glasgow International which charged £201.

London Stansted’s cheapest flights to Rhodes are some of the most expensive in the country at £2,078. Edinburgh offers the cheapest, at £539.

The study also revealed that it is consistently cheaper to fly from Scotland, where school holidays fall at different times to the rest of the UK.

It’s important to note that while airport landing charges do make up part of fares, and those at Heathrow are the highest among UK airports, these fees are relatively small compared to the overall cost of flights.

CEO of Fairfx, Ian Strafford-Taylor, said:

“These sky-high price differences beggar belief and show how holidaymakers can unwittingly pay out extortionate sums if they happen to live near the wrong airport. Families travelling during the already expensive summer holidays will be disheartened to learn that this is yet another way in which they could wind up paying through the nose.

“Many people will not care about which airline they travel with but merely be looking for the cheapest deal. And those looking for the best value face huge cost discrepancies across the UK.

“While it might seem extreme to travel a long distance to find the cheaper flight, it might save families a great deal of money in the long run. And these figures show that even choosing an airport a fairly short distance away could result in big savings.