Yahoo Finance How Brits pay up to £1,100 more for same holidays than families in Europe
Britons are having to pay upwards of £1,100 more to fly to certain European cities than holidaymakers jetting back other way, new research shows.
A family of four flying between Birmingham and Berlin, pays £1,127 more for the same round trip as those starting their journey in Germany.
Meanwhile, a flight from Bristol to Barcelona would cost a British family £1,081 against just £189 for a Spanish family heading to the UK – a difference of a hefty £892.
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On average, Brits are spending £500 more flying out of the UK than their European counterparts flying into the UK.
Berlin departure | Price | UK departure | Price | Difference |
Berlin – Gatwick | £494 | Gatwick – Berlin | £960 | +£466 |
Berlin – Luton | £618 | Luton – Berlin | £894 | +£276 |
Berlin – Birmingham | £653 | Birmingham – Berlin | £1,780 | +£1,127 |
Berlin – Bristol | £1,015 | Bristol –Berlin | £1,258 | +£243 |
Berlin – Manchester | £479 | Manchester – Berlin | £1,004 | +£525 |
Berlin – Glasgow | £241 | Glasgow – Berlin | £260 | +£19 |
Average flight cost Berlin to UK | £583 | Average flight cost UK to Berlin | £1,026 | +£443 |
Currency provider FairFX used online flight fare checker Skyscanner to compare return flights from six UK airports to Paris, Berlin and Barcelona for a family of four with the same routes departing from the European cities and heading to the UK.
The cost of UK flights to top European cities can be over 650% more compared to their European equivalents travelling in the opposite direction, it concluded.
Paris departure | Price | UK departure | Price | Difference |
Paris -Gatwick | £215 | Gatwick – Paris | £464 | +£249 |
Paris – Luton | £231 | Luton – Paris
| £398 | +£167 |
Paris – Birmingham | £470 | Birmingham – Paris | £857 | +£387 |
Paris – Bristol | £458 | Bristol – Paris | £827 | +£369 |
Paris – Manchester | £525 | Manchester – Paris | £628 | +£103 |
Paris – Glasgow | £725 | Glasgow – Paris | £535 | -£190 |
Average flight cost Paris to UK | £438 | Average flight cost UK to Paris | £618 | +£181 |
Flights from Paris to UK airports were on average £181 cheaper than the same journeys departing from the UK and heading to Paris.
Glasgow to Paris was the only British departure offering a cheaper round trip at £190 less than those leaving Paris and flying to Glasgow.
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For flights between the UK and Barcelona, it cost Britons on average £494 more than those leaving Barcelona heading for the UK. Glasgow was once again the only UK airport where families could get a cheaper round trip
Barcelona departure | Price | UK departure | Price | Difference |
Barcelona – Gatwick | £132 | Gatwick – Barcelona | £680 | +£548 |
Barcelona – Luton | £125 | Luton –Barcelona | £732 | +£607 |
Barcelona – Birmingham | £102 | Birmingham – Barcelona | £763 | +£661 |
Barcelona – Bristol | £189 | Bristol –Barcelona | £1,081 | +£892 |
Barcelona – Manchester | £123 | Manchester – Barcelona | £623 | +£500 |
Barcelona – Glasgow | £1030 | Glasgow – Barcelona | £787 | -£243 |
Average flight cost Barcelona to UK | £284 | Average flight cost UK to Barcelona | £778 | +£494 |
And flying from Berlin to the UK for a week was on average £443 cheaper than flying from the UK to Berlin.
Ian Strafford-Taylor, CEO of FairFX, said the research highlighted “unbelievable disparities in prices”.
He added: “The flights we compared add up to the same amount of air miles yet British holidaymakers are paying an excessively high premium.
“Some of the price differences add up to the cost of another holiday.
“This is yet another example of the holiday industry being inconsistent with how they charge and yet again, it is hard-working families who bear the brunt of these confusing cost hikes.”
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The research looked at the cheapest available return flights for a family of four, including two children aged 6 and 8, departing on October 21/22 and returning seven days later.
British holidaymakers have been hit hard by the falling value of sterling since the Brexit referendum last year which has cut spending power and seen the cost of foreign trips rise.
Airport bureaux were accused during the summer of fleecing travellers by offering very poor exchange rates for the pound against various currencies, but especially the euro.
And, leading tour operators have warned next summer’s holidays abroad are likely to be at least 10% more expensive.
