Where you fly from can make a surprisingly large difference to the total cost of your trip. Budget carriers concentrate their routes at specific airports, and the competition between carriers varies dramatically by hub. Here's what you need to know about the cheapest UK departure airports.
London airports: which is cheapest?
London Stansted (STN)
Stansted is the budget carrier capital of the UK. Ryanair uses it as their main UK hub, meaning enormous route choice and fierce price competition. For European short-haul, Stansted often has the cheapest fares — but factor in the transfer time to central London (about 45 minutes by train).
London Luton (LTN)
Luton is the home of Wizz Air's UK operation and a major easyJet hub. Strong for Eastern Europe destinations (Warsaw, Budapest, Krakow) where Wizz Air is often cheapest. 30 minutes to central London by train.
London Gatwick (LGW)
Gatwick offers a good mix of budget (easyJet) and full-service carriers (BA, Norwegian, TUI). Best for long-haul routes that Stansted and Luton don't cover. 30 minutes to Victoria by train.
London Heathrow (LHR)
Heathrow is the most expensive airport to fly from for European routes — but it has the best connectivity for long-haul. If you're flying to Asia, North America, or Australia, Heathrow often has the best prices despite being a full-service hub.
Regional airports
Manchester (MAN)
Manchester is the UK's second busiest airport and has excellent route coverage from Jet2, easyJet, TUI and British Airways. For Northern England travellers, Manchester is usually cheaper than travelling to a London airport — even factoring in train costs.
Edinburgh (EDI)
Strong easyJet and Ryanair presence makes Edinburgh a good hub for short-haul Europe. British Airways connects to Heathrow for onwards long-haul. Growing number of transatlantic routes direct.
Bristol (BRS)
Bristol punches above its weight — easyJet's second UK hub. Good for Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece at competitive prices. Worth considering if you're in South Wales or the South West.
The honest answer: it depends on your route
There's no single cheapest UK airport. The best approach is to search from multiple nearby airports simultaneously, then factor in transport costs. TripHunt lets you switch between origins instantly — try LHR, LGW, STN and LTN for any London search to see which combination is truly cheapest.