For many decades, Portugal has been one of the favourite holiday destinations for British tourists. It is no wonder then that there is a huge range of possibilities to travel to Portugal by airplane from almost every airport in the United Kingdom. This wide range of routes and airlines is only a positive thing for passengers, as the heavy competition between them tends to keep prices relatively low and flights are often available from airports close to home, thus avoiding having to travel to a far-away airport and possibly having to stay overnight in a hotel before the journey, incurring additional costs.

Almost all airports in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland offer air links to various Portuguese destinations, the most popular of which is Faro in the Algarve.
First of all, there are the national carriers British Airways and TAP Portugal. While national carriers often tend to be the most expensive, they also often have special offers and have the added advantage of earning frequent flyer points or the possibility to fly business class for extra comfort. Also if you are a member of another airline’s frequent flyer programme, depending on the alliance it belongs to, you could earn miles on BA or TAP as well (British Airways is part of the oneworld alliance, while TAP is a member of the Star Alliance).

Then there are the traditional charter airlines, many of which now also offers seat-only fares and operate scheduled services. It might prove a bit tricky to get the desired seats on these airlines, especially during peak tourist season, but nevertheless it may be worth trying and the fares offered can be very attractive. The two main carriers to offer such flights between the UK and Portugal are Thomsonfly (formerly known as Britannia Airways) and Monarch. Other carriers that sometimes offer seat-only fares include First Choice and MyTravel.

As a third group, there are the low cost carriers (also known as budget airlines) which have opened several routes between the UK and Portugal over the past few years and serve not only the main tourist destinations of Faro and Funchal (Madeira) but also Lisbon and Oporto. These carriers include bmibaby (which is part of BMI British Midland), easyJet, Flybe, Flyglobespan, Jet2.com and Ryanair. The fact that these airlines are low cost carriers doesn’t necessarily mean that they always offer the best deals. The way it usually works is that the first few seats on the flight are offered at rock-bottom prices, and the price steadily increases as more seats are sold. The last few seats on a flight can even be as expensive as business class seats on a traditional carrier such as British Airways or TAP Portugal.

When planning a trip from the UK to Portugal or the other way around, it is important to check out the prices of all airlines flying on the route as competition is heavy and prices can differ hugely. It is also important to keep the terms and conditions of the different airlines in mind. For example, some airlines allow only 15 kgs of checked luggage as opposed to the usual 20 kgs, and some airlines are more flexible when it comes to changing tickets than others. The best way to keep up-to-date on special offers and new routes is by signing up for newsletters on the respective airlines’ websites. With so many airlines plying the skies between the UK and Portugal, it is no wonder that so many British choose Portugal as a second residence and often even commute between the two countries on a regular basis.


Enrico Nestler is a member of the Link Popularity team.