A new money-saving trick is gaining attention among travellers looking to reduce the soaring cost of long-haul flights — and it involves starting the journey somewhere unexpected. According to new findings from the consumer advocate Which?, one of the most effective tactics is to first fly to Istanbul — then catch a long-haul flight from there — potentially cutting hundreds of euros off the cost of a long-haul ticket.
The analysis reveals that a flight from Istanbul to Sydney costs on average £653 (€760) — significantly cheaper than the roughly £1,012 (€1,180) price for a direct trip from the UK. That amounts to a potential saving of around £359 (€420) per person.
Similarly, travellers heading to Tokyo may save about £350 (€410) by flying via Istanbul instead of booking a traditional direct route.
The savings stem from differences in pricing between departure airports. Istanbul has emerged as one of the cheapest European hubs for intercontinental flights, beating departures from traditionally expensive airports such as London or Amsterdam. For example, Which? found that Istanbul fares were on average £137–£139 (€160-€165) cheaper per person compared to flights from London or Amsterdam across a range of long-haul destinations.
Part of the reason for the price difference is taxes: flights departing from the UK include a substantial long-haul tax in economy class, which pushes up overall fares. In comparison, flights from regional airports such as Bristol or Manchester can be booked for less than £30 (€35), making it far cheaper to take a short domestic or European hop before connecting to a long-haul route.
The layover-based approach isn’t without drawbacks: for journeys to Australia, there often is still another stopover after Istanbul, since there are no direct flights from Istanbul to Sydney. For some travellers, that might be a trade-off: lower cost in exchange for extra flight time or potential inconvenience, especially when factoring in luggage fees.
According to the analysis, Oslo was the second cheapest airport, with fares around £612 (€690), followed by Paris and Stockholm (both £641/€725), Madrid (£672/€760), Copenhagen (£682/€770) and Frankfurt (£705/€795). Copenhagen offered the cheapest flights to New York (£355/€400) and Oslo to Los Angeles (£401/€455), though both required connections. London ranked as one of the most expensive cities to fly from, partly due to the UK’s long-haul tax of £94 (€105), while taxes in other countries ranged from zero in Türkiye and Sweden to around £40 (€45) in France.
For budget-conscious flyers or families, the savings can add up significantly. A family of four travelling to Sydney or Tokyo on such a “two-step” itinerary could save well over £1,000 (€1,170) compared with booking direct flights. With airfares growing increasingly complex, this strategy gives savvy passengers a smart way to significantly reduce long-haul flight costs.
