Heading to the UK? Here’s how to avoid going through Heathrow

For most Australians, Heathrow Airport is their first and not always most beloved introduction to the UK. But it doesn’t have to be – and if London is not your intended destination, there are better alternative entry airports available.

London Gatwick, for example, is more convenient for much of the south coast of England – notably, Brighton – and south London.

The lineup at Gatwick – there are plenty of options beyond Heathrow.Credit: iStock

Emirates, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines and Air China offer one-stop flights from Australia to Gatwick, while China Southern is launching a Gatwick route from Guangzhou in June 2025.

The other London option – Stansted Airport – is usually used by budget airlines, but Emirates flies there from Dubai. Stansted is close to Cambridge and a better bet for East Anglia.

Beyond the airports attempting to pass themselves off as being in London, the UK entry point with the most options is Manchester. Choose it for quicker access to most of northern England, including Liverpool, the Lake District and Yorkshire, plus north Wales and the Peak District.

Credit: Greg Straight

Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines offer connections from Australia via their usual bases, while Juneyao Air recently launched flights to Sydney, Melbourne and Manchester from Shanghai.

The other solid option for the Lake District is Newcastle Airport, which is easily the closest for the north-east and Northumberland. Emirates flies there.

The Dubai-based carrier is one of three airlines – the others being Air India and Qatar Airways – running one-stop routes from Australian cities to Birmingham. If planning to visit the Midlands or mid-Wales, you’ll get there quicker flying into Birmingham than Heathrow. The same applies – just about – to south Wales, especially since the pandemic killed off the Qatar Airways route to Cardiff.

Use the codeshare between American Airlines and Aer Lingus to fly to Dublin via Los Angeles.Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

For Northern Ireland, there are no long-haul routes into Belfast Airport, but flying to Dublin in the Republic of Ireland is far quicker than attempting the ferry crossing from Britain. You can use the codeshare between American Airlines and Aer Lingus to fly to Dublin via Los Angeles, or take the seasonal option via Vancouver with Air Canada. Fly west, and there are Emirates, Etihad, Hainan Airlines and Qatar Airways to choose from.

In Scotland, there’s fierce competition between Glasgow and Edinburgh Airports. As a rule of thumb, Glasgow is better for the west of Scotland, including most of the islands, while Edinburgh provides better access to the east.

From Australian cities, Emirates has one-stop flights into Glasgow, while Emirates, Hainan Airlines and Qatar Airways land in Edinburgh.

Of course, you can always land at Heathrow, then fly straight out again. Qantas codeshares with British Airways, and the UK flag carrier connects to several further-flung UK cities, including Newcastle, Belfast, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Inverness and Aberdeen.

However, the secret weapon for multiple connections to smaller UK airports is KLM. Fly into Amsterdam from Australia, and KLM hops over to several British cities. These include Southampton – home port for several cruises – Bristol, Cardiff, Norwich and Leeds.

Not all alternatives are better, however. Heathrow is still the best entry airport for a good chunk of England. If going one stop, Heathrow is best positioned for most of London and great chunks of southern England – including Oxford, Bath, Devon and Cornwall.