Flights for the upcoming autumn half-term break are 42 per cent more expensive than before the pandemic, Which? has found.
The consumer champion’s analysis of data from Skytra found huge price rises for flights from across the country. The average cost of one-way half-term tickets for six popular destinations came in at £212 this year compared to £150 in 2019. Skytra chief executive Elise Weber said rising fuel costs, pent up demand and airport passenger caps are all contributing to higher fares.
The steepest jump in average prices was seen at Heathrow airport, where passenger numbers have been capped at 100,000 a day until the end of the school break on October 29. Which? has repeatedly criticised the airport and airlines for the travel chaos that made the cap necessary and for failing to provide travellers with clarity on which flights are being cut.
Which? compared the average price of flights to six popular destinations – Alicante, Antalya, Dubai, Dublin, Malaga and Tenerife – from England’s busiest airports: Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Stansted, Luton and Birmingham. The analysis looked at fares at six months, three months and six weeks before the October half-term in 2019 and 2022.
The largest price hike was on flights from Heathrow to Tenerife. Passengers booking six weeks before their departure date paid an average of £262 more each way than in 2019, adding £2,096 to the cost of a holiday for a family of four.
Heathrow to Malaga flights were £282 – an increase of £193 or 216 per cent in three years.
Heathrow to Dublin was £236 on average – 181 per cent more expensive compared to the pre-pandemic price – but fares to the Irish capital varied enormously depending on the departure airport. Which? found the cost of flights has soared from Gatwick, Manchester, Heathrow and Birmingham.
Flights from Gatwick to Dublin saw the biggest rise. Passengers who booked six weeks before half-term paid £42 in 2019 and £160 in 2022 – a huge 281 per cent increase. But bargains were snapped up by those travelling to or from Luton and Stansted this year. They paid just £17 and £18 each way – making return flights for a family of four less than £150.
When passengers are paying more for their flights it is increasingly important that their rights are upheld and enforced. Which? is calling for the Civil Aviation Authority to be given direct fining powers so it can hit operators with heavy fines when they break passenger protection rules.
Early birds usually bagged the best prices this year. The average price for flights between Alicante, Antalya, Dubai, Malaga and Tenerife and all the England airports was less for bookings made six months before half-term, compared with booking six weeks before. The only exceptions were flights between Stansted and Spain, and Birmingham and Antalya – which were slightly cheaper if booked six weeks ahead instead.
The biggest saving was on flights to Tenerife. Holidaymakers who booked their tickets six months ahead paid £60 less each way, on average, than those who booked three months before – saving £480 on the cost of flights for a family of four.
Guy Hobbs, Editor of Which? Travel, said:
“Travellers have had a torrid time this year and our analysis shows they’re paying through the nose for their trouble.
“With fares so high, it’s even more important that airports and airlines are held to account for the unacceptable disruption travellers have faced. The government should give the Civil Aviation Authority stronger powers so it can hit operators with heavy fines when they flout the rules.”
