Cyprus isn’t one of the cheapest destinations to fly to but if you are prepared to shop around for your Cyprus flights there are still some great deals to be had. The introduction of “green taxes” has not helped the situation any either so locating the best prices is now even more of an issue. Charter companies offering flights only are a good bet but you need to brave enough to wait until the last minute before you book. This is not ideal if you have already reserved your hotel accommodation and there is a hire car waiting for you at the Cyprus airport. The other problem with many of the charter flights is that they don’t always cater for longer stays or one way flights. These are becoming more and more in demand as those owning holiday homes spend more time on the Island.
Sometimes it’s worth checking with the travel agents in Cyprus if you are looking for a one way flight or even a return to the U.K. Rumor has it that most of the empty seats from Cyprus to the U.K. are passed to these agents especially seats with the national carriers. Even the charter companies and global travel businesses like Thompson and First Choice will need to put bums on seats so to speak so they too must be worth a try. Of course the best tool at your disposal is the internet which will give you the ability to make instant price comparisons on your Cyprus flights. That said it may still be worth a visit to the local Cyprus travel agent if you are looking to travel the other way.
One of the reasons that flights to Cyprus are so expensive is the cost of landing taxes on the Island. This coupled with the journey time goes towards making the Island a pricey option for flight only deals. There have been several occasions where it has actually worked out cheaper to book a last minute package tour rather than a flight only. The party have then just forgone the accommodation and made their own airport transfer arangments such as a taxi or car hire. Once again however the major drawback to this option is that you may have to wait untill the last minute before you book your Cyprus flight. However for retired couples or people not tied to set holiday entitlements like the self employed this option could work real well. It really does come into it’s own too if you are one of those lucky people who own a Cyprus villa or apartment.
For most people wishing to stay on the Island for more than the standard two weeks the best option may be to book with a company that makes scheduled Cyprus flights. Unlike the charter flights where a tour operator hires a plane and then fills it, the scheduled plane travels the same route at the same time every week. Most of these companies will fly to a specific U.K. airport about twice a week or more from Cyprus and then back again. Just like trains or buses they are scheduled to fly on a pre defined date and time as per their timetable. The only downside is that they will more often than not only operate from the major locations like Luton or Heathrow which may involve some additional travel to and from the airport. The upside is that these companies need to fill those Cyprus flights so the cost may be quite competitive.
Another reason that Cyprus flights seem so expensive is because the budget airlines have spoilt us with those cheap flights to other parts of Europe. When you stop to consider the real cost of flying in terms of fuel plus the capital outlay air travel is in fact actually relatively cheap and affordable. Imagine for instance paying a taxi driver by the mile to take you and your luggage 2400 miles! Bearing in mind that the cost of buying a taxi is only a tiny fraction of the price of the plane and would probably use less fuel for the whole trip than the plane consumes at take off. If you look at it that way a couple of hundred pounds or so to travel such a huge distance so quickly actually makes them cheap Cyprus flights.