Find cheap Loganair flights

Loganair calls itself the UK’s largest regional airline, but to me, that’s somewhat misleading. While it might be true on paper, there’s a ‘small-time’ feel to this airline, and I mean that in the best possible way. The team is friendlier than most, and in this day and age, that really makes a difference.

Based at Glasgow Airport, and with a newer base at Southampton, Loganair connects travellers to destinations across the UK and Isle of Man, as well as Ireland, Norway, Denmark, Guernsey and Jersey. International routes extend to Denmark’s Esbjerg and Norwegian cities including Stavanger and Bergen.

Loganair is neither a budget airline like Ryanair, nor a flag carrier like British Airways. It has a different flavour altogether, and this has much to do with the airports and regions it serves. This is an airline for the adventurous. Travellers who want to see Orkney and its Neolithic monuments. People who want to walk the white sand beaches of Tiree in the Inner Hebrides. Those who want to use Ålesund as a stepping stone to Norway’s fjords. Or those, like me, with family and friends in far-flung places.

Types of ticket

Loganair segments its fares to reflect a diverse customer base, from local residents and island-based passengers needing regular mainland connections (for work, hospital appointments, even sporting fixtures) to oil industry workers flying to North Sea rigs. 

You might find the range overwhelming at first glance, but each fare type serves a specific travel pattern. Beyond standard fares, Loganair offers several specialized ticket options and discounts:

• Business Connect targets regular route flyers and includes fast-track security. This fare requires booking a minimum of five return journeys on eligible routes

• Family discounts allow children under 2 fly free, with those aged 2–11 eligible for discounted fares when travelling with an adult

• Corporate solutions provide bespoke packages for companies requiring at least 200 annual seats on routes with more than one daily departure

• Student Study Travel offers special rates for eligible travellers aged 12-25 travelling between home and their place of study

The airline also aims to accommodate changes to travel plans caused by bereavement or the need for urgent medical treatment, for instance. Loganair can help with new ticket purchases, which it calls Compassionate Fares, or changes to existing Loganair bookings. This is known as Compassionate Flexibility.

I have been in this situation with other airlines and would welcome this kind of help. It’s the kind of personal touch that makes all the difference. It marks out Loganair as a community airline, which recognises the serious role it plays in people’s lives.

Your aircraft

Nervous fliers should double-check what aircraft are in use on their preferred route. The Loganair fleet ranges from the very small Britten Norman Islander planes (carrying a pilot and eight or nine passengers, with no cabin crew) to the ATR 72-600 (with space for two pilots, two cabin crew and 70 passengers).

A number of the airline’s aircraft are turboprops (they’ve got propellers), which may not suit all travellers. If you’ve got mobility challenges, contact Loganair in advance to discuss aircraft accessibility.

How much baggage can I bring?

Baggage allowances vary according to the fare. Fly customers can carry up to 21kg total (15kg hold and 6kg cabin luggage), Fly Flex customers are entitled to 23kg hold luggage and 6kg cabin luggage, and Fly Flex + passengers can carry up to 30kg hold luggage and 6kg cabin luggage.

The airline stresses that the maximum weight per individual bag must not exceed 25kg, regardless of fare type or excess luggage paid for.

Loganair flies a number of routes that use smaller aircraft, particularly on its Scottish inter-island services. This means that if you are flying to the likes of Barra, Campbeltown, Tiree or within the Orkney Isles, you can take just 15kg of luggage in total.

Where most Loganair flights are concerned, additional hold luggage (one piece per passenger, weighing up to 15kg) can be pre-booked, although this is charged for. Aircraft size means that the service is not available on flights to or from Tiree, Barra, Campbeltown or within the Orkney Isles.

The check-in process

You can checkin online and print your own boarding passes if you wish, dropping off any hold luggage at an in-airport kiosk. If you prefer, check in at the airport desk, where staff will print your boarding pass.

What to expect onboard

All of my Loganair experiences have been marked by the friendliness of the staff. They have been helpful and accommodating and seem genuinely concerned about their passengers. Many of the destinations Loganair serves are at risk of weather-related disruption, and cabin crew seem to have been trained to deal with this in as calm and friendly a way as possible. I have been on some very bumpy Loganair flights and although I am not a particularly confident flier, I have always felt safe and in good hands.

I have also found that Loganair cooperates well with its airline partners in terms of dealing with disruptions and missed connections. I have missed several Loganair connections due to delayed flights from London and the airline has always accommodated me in a friendly, organised fashion.

I have been transferred between airports by taxi, had my luggage delivered later rather than me having to wait for it, and was once ushered through Aberdeen airport so as not to miss my flight. It always felt like Loganair staff were working with me, rather than against me, which has not often been the case with other airlines.

Food and drink

Complimentary refreshments (often featuring the iconic Tunnock’s caramel wafers) are included in the cost of your ticket, adding a bit of old-school charm to the Loganair experience. Keen to highlight Scottish products, the airline recently offered the much-loved Mrs. Tilly’s tablet (a sugary treat that’s fudge-like but never to be described as fudge) as part of an annual Scottish food and drink festival. For me, personal touches like this make Loganair stand out from the crowd.

Loyalty programmes

Members of the Loganair Loyalty programme earn Avios per flight and are rewarded for how often they fly, rather than how far they fly. Avios are accrued on even the cheapest fares and can be exchanged for Loyalty Reward Flights.

Members can earn up to 1,300 Avios per flight, depending on the ticket category. Loganair Loyalty awards 1,300 Avios for a one-way Fly Flex + flight, 650 for a one-way Fly Flex flight, and 410 for a Fly flight (again, one way).

This means earning enough Avios for a Loyalty Reward Flight requires five Fly Flex + return flights, 10 Fly Flex return flights, or 16 Fly return flights.

Avios cannot be claimed for flights operated by other airlines, even when they are part of a codeshare agreement, nor on Orkney inter-isle services. It’s worth noting that points will automatically expire after 36 months. If, like me, you use Loganair just a couple of times a year, there may be little reason to join this programme, but the airline’s growing list of destinations can only make it easier to accrue Avios.

Improvements to the schedule

Loganair has introduced ‘same plane’ services, including a trial route connecting the Isle of Man to Southampton via Manchester. The new services include connecting the Shetland Islands’ Sumburgh to Belfast, Sumburgh to Manchester, Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands to Belfast and Kirkwall to Manchester. Operating the routes as ‘same-plane’ means you don’t need to deboard and change planes (you’ll remain on the aircraft at any stops).

Something to be aware of

The airline itself has warned potential travellers to be aware of fake Loganair accounts appearing on social media, primarily on X, Facebook and WhatsApp. These channels are contacting customers and asking them for personal information, including their phone numbers. The airline does not use WhatsApp when dealing with customers and will never ask for financial information. Check the official social media accounts listed on Loganair’s website before responding to messages. Err on the side of caution.

Finally … a fun fact

Loganair operates the shortest regularly scheduled flight in the world. Flying between Westray and Papa Westray, two of the Orkney Islands, it takes around one minute.