Flights to London 2026: Complete Booking Guide

London is the most-connected city in the world by air traffic, with six commercial airports serving over 190 million passengers annually. With so much competition, cheap flights are out there — you just need to know where to look.

London Airports: Which One Should You Fly Into?

Your airport choice dramatically affects ticket price and ground transport cost. Here's how the six airports compare for international travelers.

Airport Avg. Roundtrip Train to Center

Heathrow (LHR) $580 £25 (15 min)

Gatwick (LGW) $510 £18 (30 min)

Stansted (STN) $380 £22 (47 min)

Luton (LTN) $400 £20 (40 min)

City (LCY) $650 £13 (22 min)

Cheapest Months for London Flights

January and February are the cheapest months to fly to London, with roundtrip fares from the US averaging $420-480. November is also solid. July and August are the most expensive, often exceeding $900 roundtrip from East Coast hubs. Read our guide to the cheapest month to fly for seasonal trends across all major destinations.

Airlines Flying to London

British Airways

BA operates the most flights from US cities to London, primarily into Heathrow Terminal 5. Their Club World business class is a solid product, but economy fares are consistently higher than competitors. Book 6-8 weeks out for the best BA pricing.

Virgin Atlantic

Virgin flies from major US cities to Heathrow and Manchester. Their economy product is roomier than BA's, and Upper Class remains one of the best transatlantic business products. Virgin frequently runs sales that undercut BA by 15-20%.

Norse Atlantic & Budget Carriers

Norse Atlantic flies to Gatwick from JFK, LAX, and Miami. One-way fares start at $149. JetBlue also serves London from JFK and Boston with its Mint premium cabin — a standout budget-luxury hybrid. For a full comparison, see our transatlantic airline rankings.

Tips for the Best Deal

The optimal booking window for London flights is 3-5 weeks for budget carriers and 6-10 weeks for full-service airlines. Midweek departures (Tuesday-Thursday) are consistently 25-35% cheaper than weekend flights. Consider flying into Stansted or Luton on a budget carrier — the longer train ride is usually worth the $200+ savings.

Pro tip: Search for flights to "London (all airports)" on Flighko. Sometimes flying into Heathrow and out of Gatwick (or vice versa) saves $100+ with no extra ground transport cost, since both connect via the Gatwick Express or Thameslink.

When to Book for Maximum Savings

For summer travel, book by late February. For winter, book 4-6 weeks ahead. Christmas and New Year's flights should be booked by October. For a detailed calendar-based approach, read when to book flights in 2026.

Start Your Search

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