End-of-season cheap flights are making luxury trips to destinations like Rhodes, Dubrovnik, and Italy more affordable than ever. As the summer season draws to a close, airlines are offering bargain fares for flights that have limited passengers – sometimes just a handful or even a solitary traveller.
Holiday flights start winding down as autumn arrives, with the last weekend of October marking the change from northern summer to northern winter airline season by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). This transition leads to many holiday routes ending, especially those serving destinations like Greek islands that have no winter connections. These final flights are often termed “dog flights” as they struggle to be filled at any price.
This year, easyJet is offering an extreme example of end-of-season pricing on flights between London Gatwick and Rhodes. While outbound flights are available for under £15 with over 1,100 seats on the last three days, return flights a few days later can cost up to £904 – a staggering 60 times more for the same air travel distance.
Travel expert Simon Calder has identified some of the best deals on end-of-season flights for October. For example, flights from Bristol to Kefalonia on 13th October with Jet2 are priced at £50, with around 89% of seats still empty. Passengers can explore options like taking a ferry to Patras and a bus to Athens, or catch a flight back to a London airport and return by bus or train to Bristol.
Similarly, flights from Belfast International to Barcelona on 22nd October with easyJet are available for £22, with about 81% of seats vacant. Travelers can consider returning by catching a flight from Barcelona to Dublin and then taking a bus to Belfast. Other deals include flights from Manchester to Reggio Calabria on 23rd October with Ryanair for £24, where 88% of seats are still unoccupied.
One of the most striking examples is the London Gatwick to Rhodes route on 29th, 30th, and 31st October with easyJet for just £15. With nearly 98% of seats empty on these flights, the return fares are significantly higher at £904 due to heavy bookings.
While the outbound flights for easyJet remain undersold on 1st, 2nd, and 3rd November, inbound flights from Rhodes are selling for upwards of £595. Passengers looking to return on a budget can explore alternative routes such as ferries to nearby countries or domestic flights.
Overall, end-of-season flights offer a unique opportunity for travelers to enjoy luxury trips at a fraction of the cost, as airlines aim to fill remaining seats before transitioning to winter schedules. By keeping an eye on these bargain deals and considering creative return options, savvy passengers can make the most of these affordable travel opportunities.