Which London Airport Is Cheapest? We Compared Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton
We compared round-trip fares to London's airports from 12 cities around the world. Heathrow was the cheapest from just one of them. Here's which airport usually wins, and what getting into the city really costs.
London is served by six airports, and the one you fly into can change the price of your trip a lot. Many travelers book Heathrow by default, but is it really the best value?
We compared the cheapest round-trip fares to London's four main airports, Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton, from 12 cities across Europe, North America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
Which airport is cheapest from your city?
The table shows the lowest round-trip fare to each airport for trips in November 2026:
| Flying from | Heathrow | Gatwick | Stansted | Luton | Cheapest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $486 | $485 | $576 | $563 | Gatwick |
| Toronto | $438 | $470 | $584 | $642 | Heathrow |
| Lagos | $791 | $722 | $778 | $979 | Gatwick |
| Delhi | $831 | $749 | $679 | $755 | Stansted |
| Dubai | $477 | $416 | $329 | $420 | Stansted |
| Cairo | $445 | $356 | $320 | $228 | Luton |
| Istanbul | $212 | $189 | $158 | $199 | Stansted |
| Casablanca | $246 | $280 | $241 | $260 | Stansted |
| Athens | $237 | $181 | $134 | $176 | Stansted |
| Madrid | $134 | $74 | $46 | $51 | Stansted |
| Paris | $144 | $78 | $115 | $73 | Luton |
| Amsterdam | $184 | $173 | $170 | $146 | Luton |
How we got these numbers. They are the lowest round-trip fares in the TravelFlow price calendar for trips in November 2026 lasting 7 to 14 days, as recorded on November 2, 2026. These prices come from recent searches by other travelers, so treat them as a guide to price levels, not guaranteed fares.
What do these numbers tell us?
- Heathrow is rarely the bargain: it was the cheapest only from Toronto, and the most expensive of the four from 8 of the 12 cities.
- From Europe and the Middle East, Stansted and Luton usually win: they're bases for low-cost airlines, and the gaps can be big. From Cairo, Luton was almost half the price of Heathrow ($228 against $445).
- From North America, the big airports hold their own: from New York, Heathrow and Gatwick were just $1 apart and much cheaper than Stansted or Luton. From Toronto, Heathrow was the cheapest.
- The cheapest airport changes by city: from Paris it was Luton, from Lagos Gatwick, from Delhi Stansted. There's no single answer, which is why it pays to compare.
What about London City and Southend?
London's two smaller airports behave very differently:
- London City is the closest to the centre and popular with business travelers, but from every city we checked it cost more than all four main airports. From New York, the cheapest fare was $816, against $485 to Gatwick.
- Southend, east of London, has few routes, but it can surprise you: from Amsterdam it was the cheapest of all six airports, at $127.
Getting into central London
A cheaper fare isn't a saving if the journey into the city eats it up. Here are the main rail links, with typical journey times:
| Airport | Fastest rail link | Typical time | Cheaper option |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heathrow | Heathrow Express to Paddington | About 15 minutes | Elizabeth line or the Piccadilly line on the Tube |
| Gatwick | Gatwick Express to Victoria | About 30 minutes | Thameslink and Southern trains, or coaches |
| Stansted | Stansted Express to Liverpool Street | About 50 minutes | Coaches |
| Luton | Train to St Pancras, after the short DART shuttle to the station | About 35 minutes, plus the shuttle | Coaches |
| London City | DLR to Bank | About 20 to 25 minutes | Already the cheapest way in |
| Southend | Train to Liverpool Street | About 55 minutes | None really needed |
Train fares vary with the time of day and how early you buy, and the express services usually cost the most. Check the price for your arrival time and add it to your fare before you compare airports.
Find the cheapest month to fly to London
The calendar shows fares to all London airports from your nearest city, or pick a city from the buttons above it:
Prices are based on recent searches and may change. You always see the final price on the seller’s website before you pay.
How to pay less for your London flight
- Search for "London", not an airport: you'll see every airport in one list and can compare like for like.
- Work out the door-to-door cost: add the train, coach or taxi into town, and the time it takes.
- Read the baggage rules: many flights to Stansted and Luton are with low-cost airlines whose cheapest fares exclude checked bags. Our guide to the real cost of a cheap flight shows how to compare properly.
- Mix airports if it helps: flying into one airport and out of another is fine, as long as you compare the total with a normal round trip, as we did in round trip or two one-way tickets.
- Pick your month carefully: London fares rise in summer. From New York, June cost almost twice as much as February, as we found in the cheapest months to fly.
Frequently asked questions
Which London airport is the cheapest to fly into?
It depends on where you're flying from. In our comparison of 12 cities, Stansted was the cheapest from 6 of them, Luton from 3, Gatwick from 2 and Heathrow from just 1, Toronto.
Is Heathrow always the most expensive?
Not always, but often. Heathrow was the priciest of the four main airports from 8 of the 12 cities we compared. From North America, though, it was as cheap as Gatwick or cheaper.
Which London airport is closest to the city centre?
London City Airport, about 20 to 25 minutes from Bank by DLR. But from every city we checked it cost more than all four main airports, so it rarely suits a tight budget.
Does flying into a cheaper airport always save money?
Not always. Add the cost and time of getting into London. Stansted and Luton are further out than Heathrow, so a saving of a few dollars can disappear on the train or coach.
Can I compare all London airports in one search?
Yes. Search for "London" rather than a specific airport, and the results include flights to all of London's airports, so you can compare them side by side.
