Cheapest flights from the south

[S100HP]

My little boy is coming up 6 and I've never taken him on a plane. Now he has a passport I wish to rectify this.

Looking for the cheapest flights from either Southampton or Bournemouth to somewhere, with the return leg on the same day ideally or the next if not possible.

He's at school so would have to be on a weekend. Any suggestions?

[Cold]

Channel Islands or perhaps over to Dublin?

[NickCQ]

Cold said:

Channel Islands or perhaps over to Dublin?

Good shout, propeller plane over to Alderney will be more interesting that a jet I would think.

[neilf]

I appreciate you said he has a passport now, but if it’s the flying bit that interests you rather than actually going somewhere, you could book him a ‘trial flight’ at a local airfield.

A Cessna 172/Piper Cherokee would comfortably fit you both (with a pilot of course!) and take you anywhere you like for an hour. Might also work out cheaper than a couple of flights to Europe.

Completely different experience to flying on an airliner from a commercial airport but loads of fun.

[Searider]

Lots of flights out of Southampton at 0700 ish.
Manchester
Newcastle
Glasgow
Edinburgh
Dublin
Amsterdam

Just have a look on the Flybe site.

[djc206]

NickCQ said:

Good shout, propeller plane over to Alderney will be more interesting that a jet I would think.

Alderney is fairly expensive. Air Aurigny have the monopoly so best part of £200 return seems to be the going rate.

OP I’d just look at a variety of Flybe routes out of Southampton and take your pick. Jersey seems to be pretty cheap most weekends random weekend in jan coming in at £60 return.

[Riley Blue]

I'm imaging myself as a six year old with a shiny new passport and where I'd like to fly to - somewhere 'foreign' so I could get a stamp in it would be my choice.

[2fast748]

Riley Blue said:

I'm imaging myself as a six year old with a shiny new passport and where I'd like to fly to - somewhere 'foreign' so I could get a stamp in it would be my choice.

Genuine question: Where would you actually have to fly to to get a stamp these days?

[djc206]

2fast748 said:

Genuine question: Where would you actually have to fly to to get a stamp these days?

If you ask nicely you can get your passport stamped pretty much anywhere but the short answer is outside Europe.

[Riley Blue]

2fast748 said:

Riley Blue said:

I'm imaging myself as a six year old with a shiny new passport and where I'd like to fly to - somewhere 'foreign' so I could get a stamp in it would be my choice.

Genuine question: Where would you actually have to fly to to get a stamp these days?

I took two teddy bears (don't ask...) by car to France. Each has their own passport and I asked the nice gentleman who looked at my passport at Dover if he would stamp them:

[Puggit]

I'd look out of Gatwick. As someone who lives equidistant between SOU and LHR, I rarely see flights out of SOU that are cheap. Gatwick flights always come out much cheaper.

[aeropilot]

neilf said:

I appreciate you said he has a passport now, but if it’s the flying bit that interests you rather than actually going somewhere, you could book him a ‘trial flight’ at a local airfield.

A Cessna 172/Piper Cherokee would comfortably fit you both (with a pilot of course!) and take you anywhere you like for an hour. Might also work out cheaper than a couple of flights to Europe.

Completely different experience to flying on an airliner from a commercial airport but loads of fun.

^^^^^^This.

My first flight at aged 10/11 was a 40min stooge around the Chilterns in a Cherokee 140 out of Denham Aerodrome. Much more memorable than my first ever airliner flight flight a few years later.

Plenty of pleasure flight options along the coast out of places like Goodwood, Fairoaks, Bournmouth etc.

Edited by aeropilot on Wednesday 24th October 11:01

[Zetec-S]

Something like this?

https://www.comptonabbasairfield.co.uk/?page=shop&...

[S100HP]

I'd really rather it was a commercial flight opposed to a flight in a light aircraft. Mostly because he's young and would undoubtedly be nervous doing something like that, so I'd rather sit with him rather than leave him in the back.

It seems we can do Amsterdam from Southampton for £122 return for us both, which is a result!

[MarkwG]

S100HP said:

My little boy is coming up 6 and I've never taken him on a plane. Now he has a passport I wish to rectify this.

Looking for the cheapest flights from either Southampton or Bournemouth to somewhere, with the return leg on the same day ideally or the next if not possible.

He's at school so would have to be on a weekend. Any suggestions?

EZY ski flights should start soon, Geneva is doable if you fancy a night stop. I often do the car show in March that way.

[captain_cynic]

aeropilot said:

neilf said:

I appreciate you said he has a passport now, but if it’s the flying bit that interests you rather than actually going somewhere, you could book him a ‘trial flight’ at a local airfield.

A Cessna 172/Piper Cherokee would comfortably fit you both (with a pilot of course!) and take you anywhere you like for an hour. Might also work out cheaper than a couple of flights to Europe.

Completely different experience to flying on an airliner from a commercial airport but loads of fun.

^^^^^^This.

Double this.

If you want to give your kid a treat try going on a sightseeing flight instead of a commercial one. Especially if you're not planning on actually staying anywhere.

A quick Google came up with this

At those prices, I'd definitely be giving the guy a tip at the end though, getting a PPL and having a plane isn't cheap.

[Condi]

Look on skyscanner.

Cheapest return flights from Southampton seems to be Geneva in January. £54 return.
Go to Gatwick and Alicante in December from £28 return is possible.


If you're flexible with flights they're really not expensive.