Cheap Flights To London (LHR, LGW, STN, LTN, LCY)

Finding Cheap Flights To London

London is served by six major airports: Heathrow (LHR), Gatwick (LGW), Stansted (STN), Luton (LTN), London City (LCY), and Southend (SEN). This multi-airport system creates one of the world's most competitive aviation markets for arrivals into London, offering an immense range of flights from every continent at virtually every price point into the city.

Heathrow (LHR) is a global hub with extensive long-haul networks arriving in London. Gatwick (LGW) offers a mix of long-haul and European leisure arrivals into London. Stansted (STN), Luton (LTN), and Southend (SEN) are dominated by low-cost carriers focused on European arrivals to London. London City (LCY) caters to business travel from European hubs into the city. Top destinations from the collective system into London include from New York, Dubai, Amsterdam, Paris, Dublin, and dozens of European city and sun spots to LHR, LGW, STN, LTN, SEN, and LCY.

Each airport has its own profile for arrivals: LHR is a base for British Airways and Virgin Atlantic flying into London; LGW is a key airport for easyJet and British Airways arriving in London; STN is Ryanair's largest base for flights to London; LTN is a focus for easyJet and Wizz Air arriving in the city; LCY is dominated by BA CityFlyer for business arrivals into London. This segmentation means intense competition on overlapping routes into London (e.g., Amsterdam to London).

To secure the cheapest flights to London, always compare fares into all London airports. Use flight comparison tools with a "London (All Airports)" destination search. For long-haul arrivals into London, book into LHR or LGW 3-6 months in advance. For European arrivals into London, book into STN, LTN, or SEN 1-3 months ahead using Ryanair, easyJet, or Wizz Air. Factor in the cost and time of getting from the airport into central London—airports further out may have cheaper fares into the city but higher transfer costs. Set price alerts for your desired routes into London, as the city is a hotspot for flash sales.