Six airports and hundreds of carriers make London the most price-competitive departure point in Europe.
Heathrow (LHR) is BA's fortress and the UK's premier long-haul gateway, but it is far from the only option. Gatwick (LGW) runs a parallel transatlantic programme via Norse Atlantic and gives easyJet a huge European base. Stansted (STN) and Luton (LTN) serve Ryanair and Wizz Air at rock-bottom fares, while City Airport (LCY) slots business travellers onto CityJet and BA short-haul services minutes from Canary Wharf.
The January fare collapse is London's best-kept secret. Airlines dump unsold post-Christmas inventory across all six airports, and transatlantic returns dip below GBP 300 regularly. Summer peaks hit the opposite extreme - school holidays in July and August inflate Heathrow fares by 50-80%. For European weekend breaks, Tuesday and Wednesday departures from Stansted or Luton undercut Friday prices by a third.
Ground transport costs vary wildly between airports and can change the economics of a 'cheap' flight entirely. Heathrow Express to Paddington runs GBP 25 for 15 minutes; the Elizabeth Line does the same trip for GBP 12.80 in 27 minutes. Gatwick Express to Victoria is GBP 20. Stansted and Luton rely on National Express coaches (GBP 8-12) but add 60-90 minutes to your journey. Always factor these into your total trip cost.
Stansted and Luton consistently offer the lowest base fares because Ryanair and Wizz Air dominate there. However, factor in coach transfer costs (GBP 8-12) and the 60-90 minute journey time. For transatlantic routes, Gatwick's Norse Atlantic and easyJet long-haul connections often undercut Heathrow by GBP 50-100.
January through mid-February is the steepest price dip across all six airports. A secondary trough appears in November. For European routes, avoid anything touching UK half-term weeks (late October, mid-February) — fares spike 30-50% around those exact dates.
Yes — booking a one-way out of Heathrow and returning to Gatwick (or vice versa) sometimes saves GBP 40-80 per person. Budget airlines sell one-ways natively, and even legacy carriers price Open-Jaw itineraries competitively on routes where they serve multiple London airports.
