How to fly to London, Europe and avoid Heathrow

If a stopover en route to London on a palm-fringed white-sand beach island sounds good – not to mention skiing Japan and France – consider these airline choices.

Fiona CarruthersTravel editor

Feb 22, 2024 – 5.00am

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When it comes to the top long-haul destinations favoured by Australian travellers, the United Kingdom is second only to the United States. London’s Heathrow remains the UK airport most Australians will fly into. But there are alternative ways to hit old Blighty and limit the pain of passing through Heathrow – the busiest airport in Europe, and the world’s fourth-busiest, according to the latest data from the Official Airline Guide.

Turning to Europe, Australians were most likely to fly to Italy, France, Greece, Germany and Spain (in that order) in 2023, according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The tried and true big carriers are usually going to win your booking – but here are some alternative ideas to stretch your horizons when it comes to entry points for the UK and the Continent.

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Fiona CarruthersTravel editorFiona Carruthers has written and edited travel for the Financial Review for almost a decade. She has held senior roles with ABC Radio National, Deutsche Welle Radio, TIME and The Australian, and was deputy editor of Traveller.