Look, layovers are the worst. You’re either sprinting through terminals or buying things you don’t need in duty-free. Not to mention the cursed missed connecting flight – especially coming up to Christmas. But what if we told you that skipping the connection could save you both time and money?
We crunched the numbers (so you don’t have to). These new direct airline routes from the UK aren’t just faster. They’re also up to £200 cheaper than one-stop flights. Here are our favourites for this upcoming winter.
New direct routes from London this winter
London Southend (SEN)
✈️ London Southend → Lanzarote (ACE) on easyJet
📅 Starts: October 2025
💸 Save: £124
🕒 Save: Over 14 hours
Need some vitamin D? easyJet’s new Lanzarote route from Southend is your ticket to winter warmth. Save over 14 hours and swap rain for rays on this Canary Islands escape. Expect volcanic landscapes, beachside walks, and plenty of sun-soaked serenity.
✈️ London Southend → Barcelona (BCN) on easyJet
📅 Starts: November 2025
💸 Save: £103
🕒 Save: Nearly 7 hours
easyJet’s new direct route from Southend cuts your travel time dramatically and saves you money. A perfect pick for a quick, culture-rich city break when you need a dose of winter warmth.
✈️ London Southend → Berlin (BER) on easyJet
📅 Starts: November 2025
💸 Save: £102
🕒 Save: Almost 6 hours
Berlin’s Christmas markets, art scene, and buzzing nightlife are now even closer. easyJet’s new Southend–Berlin route saves time and cash, getting you there in around two hours. Ideal for a cool winter weekend full of history and glühwein.
✈️ London Southend → Rovaniemi (RVN) on easyJet
📅 Starts: December 2025
💸 Save: £201
🕒 Save: Over 18 hours
Say hello to Santa’s hometown. easyJet’s new direct flight from Southend to Rovaniemi brings you to Lapland’s snowy wonderland faster than ever — saving over 18 hours and around £200. Chase the Northern Lights, meet reindeer, and live your Christmas fairytale.
✈️ London Southend → Salzburg (SZG) on easyJet
📅 Starts: December 2025
💸 Save: £197
🕒 Save: Nearly 22 hours
Get to the Alps faster this ski season. easyJet’s new Southend–Salzburg flight saves you nearly a full day of travel and almost £200. Whether you’re carving slopes or wandering Salzburg’s festive streets, this route makes winter magic that much easier to reach.
London-Gatwick (LGW)
✈️ London Gatwick → Abuja (ABV) on Air Peace
📅 Starts: October 2025
💸 Save: £94
🕒 Save: Nearly 15 hours
Nigeria’s capital just got a whole lot closer. Air Peace’s new nonstop flight from Gatwick saves you almost 15 hours of travel time. Whether visiting family, exploring the city’s vibrant markets, or soaking up the sun by Jabi Lake, Abuja is now within easy reach this winter.
✈️ London Gatwick → Graz (GRZ) on British Airways
📅 Starts: November 2025
💸 Save: £96
🕒 Save: Over 18 hours
Dreaming of snow-dusted streets and festive charm? Head to Graz — Austria’s UNESCO-listed gem — now with direct flights from Gatwick. You’ll save almost an entire day of travel and a bit of money, too. Wander Christmas markets, explore Baroque architecture, and warm up with mulled wine in this picture-perfect winter destination.
✈️ London Gatwick → Rabat (RBA) on British Airways
📅 Starts: November 2025
💸 Save: £52
🕒 Save: Almost 14 hours
Trade frosty mornings for Moroccan sunshine. With British Airways’ new Gatwick–Rabat route, you can stroll through medinas, visit the Kasbah of the Udayas, and enjoy ocean views in just over three hours.
✈️ London Gatwick → Tirana (TIA) on Wizz Air UK
📅 Starts: October 2025
💸 Save: £35
🕒 Save: Around 12 hours
Wizz Air UK’s new route to Tirana makes Albania’s capital one of Europe’s best-value winter city breaks. Save over half a day of travel and extra cash to spend exploring lively cafés, Ottoman architecture, and nearby mountain escapes. It’s a fresh and affordable European adventure.
London-Heathrow (LHR)
✈️ London Heathrow → Cancun (CUN) on Virgin Atlantic
📅 Starts: October 2025
💸 Save: £49
🕒 Save: Over 15 hours
Skip the layovers and save more than 15 hours getting to Mexico’s most famous beach escape. Whether you’re chasing winter sun, exploring Mayan ruins, or sipping margaritas by turquoise water, Cancun has something for everyone.
London-Luton (LTN)
✈️ London Luton → Rome (FCO) on Wizz Air Malta
📅 Starts: October 2025
💸 Save: £50
🕒 Save: Almost 9 hours
Wizz Air Malta’s new route from Luton to Rome cuts your travel time by nearly nine hours and saves you money too. Perfect for a quick culture-filled winter getaway or a spontaneous Christmas market escape.
✈️ London Luton → Venice (VCE) on Wizz Air Malta
📅 Starts: December 2025
💸 Save: £53
🕒 Save: Almost 8 hours
Venice’s romantic canals and cosy cafés are now just two hours away from Luton. With Wizz Air Malta’s new Venice flight, you’ll save time and cash while experiencing one of Europe’s most magical winter destinations.
✈️ London Luton → Vienna (VIE) on Wizz Air Malta
📅 Starts: October 2025
💸 Save: £54
🕒 Save: Nearly 7 hours
Vienna shines in winter with Christmas markets, imperial palaces, ice skating and plenty of museums to escape the cold. And now, it’s even easier to reach. Wizz Air Malta’s new direct flight from Luton saves nearly seven hours, giving you more time to enjoy the festive magic.
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New direct flight routes from Bournemouth this winter
✈️ Bournemouth → Agadir (AGA) on Jet2
📅 Starts: November 2025
💸 Save: £60
🕒 Save: Around 10 hours
Winter sun seekers, rejoice. Jet2’s new route from Bournemouth to Agadir brings Morocco’s golden beaches and surf spots closer than ever. Save around 10 hours of travel time and some money too, swapping chilly UK days for souks, seaside cafés, and Atlantic warmth. A perfect off-season escape just a few hours away.
Prefer the idea of Christmas Markets and cosy winter feels? From November, Jet2 will also begin two new routes from Bournemouth to Prague and Vienna. Perfect for pre-Christmas winter city breaks.
New destinations from Bristol and Liverpool this winter
✈️ Bristol → Munich (MUC) on easyJet
📅 Starts: October 2025
💸 Save: £96
🕒 Save: Over 7 hours
Beer halls, Christmas markets, and snow-capped Alps — Munich is a winter dream. easyJet’s new direct route from Bristol gets you there in under two hours, saving you more than seven hours of travel time. Perfect for a festive weekend or a base for your next ski trip.
✈️ Bristol → Rovaniemi (RVN) on Ryanair
📅 Starts: November 2025
💸 Save: £137
🕒 Save: Over 10 hours
Fly straight to the magic of Lapland with Ryanair’s new Bristol–Rovaniemi route. Save more than 10 hours and £137 while heading north to meet Santa, ride reindeer sleighs, and chase the Northern Lights. This one’s pure Christmas adventure.
✈️ Bristol → Zurich (ZRH) on easyJet
📅 Starts: October 2025
💸 Save: £107
🕒 Save: Around 8 hours
Swap connecting flights for Alpine style. easyJet’s new route from Bristol to Zurich saves you time and money — nearly eight hours and over £100. Whether it’s a ski trip, a festive city break, or a winter lakeside getaway, Zurich is now easier than ever to reach.
✈️ Liverpool → Turin (TRN) on Ryanair
📅 Starts: December 2025
💸 Save: £270
🕒 Save: Nearly 12 hours
Snow lovers, this one’s for you. Ryanair’s new direct route from Liverpool to Turin cuts out almost half a day of travel and could save a hefty £270. Gateway to the Italian Alps, Turin is perfect for ski getaways, winter hikes, or simply enjoying espresso and chocolate in grand piazzas after a day on the slopes.
New routes from Manchester airport this winter
✈️ Manchester → Bangkok (BKK) on Norse Atlantic UK
📅 Starts: November 2025
💸 Save: £61
🕒 Save: Over 13 hours
Long-haul made easy. Norse Atlantic UK’s new direct route from Manchester to Bangkok saves you more than 13 hours of travel — and over £60. Trade grey skies for golden temples, night markets, and Thai beaches this winter. A perfect mix of adventure and sunshine, just one flight away.
✈️ Manchester → Exeter (EXT) on Loganair
📅 Starts: October 2025
💸 Save: £87
🕒 Save: Almost 9 hours
A quick escape to the South West just got quicker. Loganair’s new Manchester–Exeter route takes just over an hour, saving nearly nine hours compared to previous connections. Ideal for weekend getaways to Devon’s coast, countryside walks, or pub retreats.
✈️ Manchester → Ljubljana (LJU) on easyJet
📅 Starts: November 2025
💸 Save: £154
🕒 Save: Over 10 hours
Slovenia’s charming capital is now easier than ever to reach. easyJet’s new Manchester–Ljubljana flight saves over 10 hours of travel and more than £150. Wander the festive old town, take a winter trip to Lake Bled, and soak up one of Europe’s most underrated destinations.
✈️ Manchester → Rovaniemi (RVN) on Ryanair
📅 Starts: November 2025
💸 Save: £107
🕒 Save: 10 hours
Santa’s hometown just became a direct flight away from Manchester. Ryanair’s new Manchester–Rovaniemi route saves you 10 hours and over £100. Experience Lapland’s snowy magic, chase the Northern Lights, and make Christmas memories that are worth the (much shorter) trip.
More new airline routes and destinations for autumn/winter 2025
Whether you’re chasing winter sun, snow, or culture, these new routes launching in autumn or winter 2025 make it easier to escape the UK chill.
Money Savings: For airfare savings calculations, KAYAK compared round-trip, economy flight prices of the new direct routes to the non-direct alternatives for the same origin-destination pairs that were searched between Jun. 21, 2025 and Sep. 21, 2025 for travel between Oct. 1 – Dec. 31, 2025. Savings are on average and are subject to change.
New Flight Routes Selection: Air traffic data for 2025 was sourced from Cirium. New direct routes were identified by comparing 2025 schedules to those from 2024, highlighting non-stop airport routes that did not previously exist. For each route, the operating airline and launch date are presented.
Time Savings: For time savings calculations, KAYAK compared flight durations of the new direct routes to the non-direct alternatives for the same origin-destination pairs that were searched between Mar. 21, 2025 and Sep. 21, 2025 for travel between Apr. 1 – Dec. 31, 2025
