The UK has 64 passenger airports that handle over 2.4 million flights each year, making us one of the most ‘air friendly’ countries in the world today.

Of course, much of this has to do with the fact that the UK is an island and train or car travel doesn’t get you as far as it does in the United States or continental Europe – unless you are using the Channel Tunnel.

Airport

• London, our capital, has 5 airports, which are mostly located outside of the city. They are:

With so many airports, it makes air-travel in the UK a fast, cheap and convenient way to get around, particularly if you are on business and time is short. See our airport locator for details of all UK airports. 

The arrival of specialist low-cost airlines has revolutionised air-travel like never before, and it is now cheaper to travel from London to Edinburgh by air, than by train or car.

Booking Flights

There are 2 main ways of booking flights in the UK, either through one of the many travel agents’ shops, who also advertise their prices in the newspapers, or you can do it yourself on the internet.

A good agent will save you time, but it is important to remember that the prices advertised in the newspapers are never the same as the prices that are quoted when you phone up. These days most people in the UK prefer the internet to make their flight arrangements, either by going direct to the airlines’ own websites, or by using a price comparison website to find them the cheapest on-line deal. However, to do this you will need a valid credit card, whereas if you use an agent you can go into their offices and pay cash.

If you are looking for cheap flights you can start by visiting our Find a...section  

Additional Expense

But before you are seduced by the low-cost, remember to also consider the additional expense of getting to and from UK airports, which can often cost more than the flight itself, particularly in major cities. For example, it costs £25 return, per adult, for the train between Stansted Airport and Liverpool Street train station, in central London, and this does not include travel on any other London transport, such as the Underground.

The cheapest way of getting to airports is usually by coach. The train, whilst certainly faster and more convenient, runs airport-express services that can be quite expensive, and taxis are only for those of you without financial considerations; they usually cost at least £50.

If you are looking for transfers to and from the airport have a look in our Find a...section

Journey Planning

The best thing to do is to plan your journey to and from the airport before you leave, by visiting the British Airports Authority website. It’s worth doing, because planning this section of your journey beforehand will always save you time and money.

The security situation at UK’s airports means that it takes a while to get past border control. Schedule in time for long queues and be prepared to be patient, at peak times it can take a long time to get from one end of the queue to the other. And don’t forget that particularly London airports are BIG and it can take up to 20 minutes to get from the departure lounges to your gate where your plane is.

Anything sharp, or any liquids of more than 100 ml, are no longer allowed as hand luggage and will be taken away from you by security. Also be aware that unlike many EU countries, you are still required to show a passport at the border, even if you are an EU citizen. 

By John Hillman

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USEFUL WORDS 

Scheduled flight – a normal, regular flight

First class

Business or economy class

Route (e.g. via Amsterdam)

Apex fare – cheaper flights which normally have to be booked a fixed number of days in advance

Budget fare – the cheapest flights, but there may be restrictions (e.g. you can only travel on certain days) and they are usually non-refundable (you can’t get your money back) or if you cancel, you may have to pay a cancellation fee

Low-cost airline – an airline which specialises in offering cheap fares

Price comparison website – an Internet site where you can look at different products and decide which is best for you.

Stopover – you may stay somewhere overnight before continuing your journey

Charter flight – a special flight taking a group of people, usually to the same holiday destination

Inclusive / all-in package

Flight only

Extras (e.g. airport taxes/insurance)

At the Airport
An airport building where journeys begin and end is a terminal.

You go to the check-in desk and say that you have arrived (check in).

You check in the baggage that will go into the hold (the part of the plane where goods are stored) but you carry your hand luggage/carry-on baggage with you onto the plane.

If your bags are heavier than the weight limit you have to pay excess baggage.

You wait in the departure lounge and when your flight is boarding (is ready for passengers to get on) you leave the terminal from a gate.

You need to show your boarding card/boarding pass in order to get on (board) the plane.

When you arrive at your destination in a different country you disembark and go through immigration / border control.

You collect your luggage from baggage reclaim and exit through customs. 

GRAMMAR SPOT

Comparatives

When we want to say that things are equal or not equal we can use (not) as/so…as:

Travelling by boat is not as fast as travelling by plane.

When we compare two things and say one is more or less than the other, we use a comparative construction:

The boat is slower than the plane.
Flying more expensive than driving.

Going by car is less comfortable than by train.

He drives more dangerously than his father.

General Rules

One-syllable words: add –er to the adjective/adverb (fast -> faster than)

Two-syllable words ending in –y: add –ier (easy -> easier than)

Two or more syllable words: add more/less to the adjective/adverb (more/less expensive than)