Christmas and New Year 2026 Flights from the UK

Expedia's winter travel outlook for 2025 and 2026 listed days such as 17 December, 21 December, 27 to 29 December and 3 January among the most expensive days to fly. The exact pattern depends on the route and the year, but it fits what travellers tend to find: the days just before Christmas and the days immediately after are pricey, while Christmas Eve and Christmas Day itself are often quieter.

Kayak's festive research for the 2024 season also found that around 28 percent of flights from UK airports were delayed over the Christmas and New Year period, which is a useful reminder that low fares are not the only thing to consider. Planning around reliability is part of finding good value.

Typically, the cheapest days to leave are those that fewer people want. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are often among the lowest-priced days, and the early part of the week before school breaks up can be considerably cheaper than the Friday and weekend that follow.

If you can work remotely or have flexible leave, flying out in the middle of December often saves a surprising amount. Always compare actual dates, since pricing varies by route and airline. Short-haul trips to Europe are often more affordable than long-haul ones, but the same pattern of peaks and valleys applies.

Return flights follow a similar logic. The days just after Boxing Day and the weekend of 2 and 3 January are typically the most expensive. New Year's Day itself and the weekdays in the first week of January are often cheaper once most people are back at work.

If you can stay a little longer, you may find substantial savings. Consider a return on a Monday or Tuesday in early January rather than a Saturday or Sunday. As always, check the actual numbers for your route before deciding.

A flexible couple without children can take advantage of the quiet days, perhaps flying out on Christmas Eve for a few days of winter sun and returning on New Year's Day or the first Monday of January. A family with school-age children has less choice, so booking early, choosing a reliable morning flight and paying for a bag or flexibility is usually the wisest approach.

Someone visiting relatives in the UK or abroad over the holidays is often best served by comparing nearby airports and checking train and coach timetables, which can be limited over the bank holidays. In each case the best plan starts with your priorities rather than a single cheap fare.

Winter brings fog, ice and snow, and the festive period has historically been affected by strikes and air-traffic problems in some years. Choose early flights, avoid very tight connections and consider a hub less affected by winter weather.

Our guide to tight layovers explains how to judge whether a connection is realistic, and our article on overbooking and bumping helps you understand what happens on very full flights.

Wrapped gifts can be opened at security, so consider wrapping at your destination. Check your airline's baggage limits, and consider posting bulky gifts ahead. Our guide to carry-on size rules sets out the common limits.

Remember that liquids, including some food gifts, are restricted in hand luggage. Pack them in your hold bag where you can. Allow extra time at security, because queues are longer in the festive period.

Festive award seats are scarce, so check availability early. If you hold a credit card with travel benefits, look at whether it offers free bags or priority boarding, which can save a family real money. Compare the cash price with the points cost before you decide.

Our guide to apps for comparing flight prices can help you find the lowest fares quickly, and our article on error fares explains how bargains sometimes appear, though they should never be relied on.

Know your rights. UK rules can entitle you to care, rerouting or compensation if your flight is delayed or cancelled, depending on the cause and the length of the delay. Our guide to delay and cancellation rights explains the basics.

Rebook through the airline's app or at the airport as quickly as possible, because seats on alternative flights go fast. Keep your documents and medication in your hand luggage, and take photographs of receipts if you incur expenses.

Festive fares change daily, so a specialist can check several departure airports and date combinations at once, and tell you where the real savings are for your plans. We can price sun, snow and city options side by side so you can choose before the cheapest seats go.

If you want to browse first, the live search below shows current prices. Try a Tuesday departure against a Friday one to see the difference.

If fares for your ideal dates look painful, widen the search. Try a different airport, shift your departure by a day or two, or choose a different destination. Sometimes a short drive or train ride to another airport produces a much lower fare, and a destination only slightly further away may cost far less.

You can also look at splitting the trip into two one-way tickets, or at mid-December and early January alternatives. Our specialists run these searches every day and often find an option that a standard search page does not show.