The Long-Haul Destinations to Which Flights Have Never Been Cheaper

by Natalie Paris, The Telegraph, April 19, 2017

The cost of flying has fallen by 10 per cent for Britons this year, with flights to the US and Canada dropping to new lows.

Long-haul flights became 7 per cent cheaper overall, according to Skyscanner, with Vancouver seeing the biggest drop in prices - a fall of 18 per cent - which translates as an average saving of £126 on last year.

Anyone hoping to capitalise on these lower prices would be wise to book soon and look to travel in late autumn/early winter, the flight comparision website said.

Air Transat is currently offering return flights from around £376 in October on Skyscanner - apparently the cheapest month to fly to Vancouver - while Air Canada has numerous fares available for around £407 return during November. The US has seen a slump in interest since President Trump was inaugurated, with his controversial travel ban said to have damaged the tourism industry yet further. 

This - along with increased competition between airlines - might be partly why the average price of return flights to Boston from the UK has fallen by 13 per cent. This was the second largest drop in price of any long-haul destination.

The 20 biggest price drops for flights to long-haul destinations

Apparently, the average price of return flights to Boston now costs £477.34 - £72.12 less than last year.

Telegraph Travel was able to find a number of flights to Boston currently available for less than £300 however, travelling this November.

On the Skyscanner website, return flights are available for £253 with Norwegian and for just £293 with Virgin Atlantic on Monday, November 6, returning the Monday after.

Direct flights to Boston with Virgin flying out Monday and returning on Wednesday also cost £293 at various times during November.

Hong Kong has also become much cheaper for Britons to reach, with the average flight price falling by 12.4 per cent on last year. The research showed that the cheapest month to fly was also November.

Currently you can buy direct flights to the Asian powerhouse for around £441 with Cathay Pacific, for travel in November, with the same price appearing for a handful of return flights in May, next month.

Top 10 | Cheapest long-haul destinations

Travellers looking for a cheap late summer break should consider Havana, in Cuba, where flight prices have fallen by £78.81, on average. The company’s research revealed that the best time to book for Havana is 18 weeks in advance of travel while the cheapest month to travel, it found, is September. Therefore, booking in May for that late summer break would be ideal.

“We have seen an average 10 per cent drop in flight prices over the last year, but what we are now able to see is where the biggest drops are for those long haul destinations and show travellers that those far flung locations might be more affordable than they think,” said Skyscanner’s travel editor Cat McGloin. “Finding cheap prices can be easily if travellers are flexible, choosing to depart from a different airport or changing the date of travel are just two quick hacks to consider.”

The long-haul destinations where prices had fallen the most also included Auckland, where they were down this year by 11.4 per cent and Shanghai, where the average flight price was also down by 11.4 per cent.

"Whilst it is hard to predict the exact future trends of flight prices and if they will continue to drop, what we do know is the price of oil, flight demand and route availability all impact on the cost of flights,” Ms McGloin explained.

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This article was written by Natalie Paris from The Telegraph and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to [email protected].