Cheap April Bank Holiday Flights 2026 — Best Deals from Stansted, Gatwick & Manchester

Cheap April bank holiday flights for 2026 are narrowing fast. The April bank holiday runs Good Friday April 3 to Easter Monday April 6 — four days that represent the busiest travel window of the spring. Airlines price accordingly, and fares on popular sun routes are 40–80% higher than the surrounding weeks.

That said, not every route reprices at the same rate. Routes with strong competition between budget carriers — Stansted–Porto, Stansted–Kraków, Gatwick–Amsterdam — stay more reasonable than routes dominated by a single carrier or heavy leisure demand. The cheapest April bank holiday flights right now are on less-saturated routes departing April 4 or 5 rather than Good Friday April 3.

If you haven't booked yet, fares are still moving. Airlines release unsold seats at reduced prices in the 7–10 days before departure. Checking morning and evening can surface drops of £30–60 per person on routes that are underperforming on load factor.

Kraków (KRK) from Stansted — Ryanair: Consistently the best-value Easter destination from the UK. Fares for April 4–5 departures around £35–55 one-way. Kraków at Easter is culturally rich — the city takes the holiday seriously — and costs on the ground are 40–50% below Western Europe.

Porto (OPO) from Stansted — Ryanair: Around £65–90 one-way for April 4–5. Porto in April is 17–19°C, dry, and significantly cheaper than Lisbon. Ryanair's multiple daily frequencies mean more seat availability than routes with single daily flights.

Amsterdam (AMS) from Stansted — Ryanair: Around £50–70 one-way for April 4–5. April is tulip season — Keukenhof is open over Easter weekend and at peak bloom. Two or three nights works well for the bank holiday window.

Brussels (CRL) from Stansted — Ryanair: Charleroi is 60km from Brussels by bus (60 minutes, €15). Fares around £40–65 one-way for April 4–5 — consistently one of the cheaper Easter options. Brussels itself is walkable and compact for a long weekend.

Dublin (DUB) from Gatwick or Stansted — Ryanair: Back near its everyday pricing at £30–55 one-way for mid-bank-holiday departures. Dublin is a strong 2–3 night option: no currency exchange, English-speaking, direct flights multiple times a day.

Some of the best-value April bank holiday flights come from regional airports. Manchester Airport is the strongest northern option, with Ryanair and Jet2 competing on the most popular Easter routes.

Manchester to Kraków (KRK) — Ryanair: Around £40–65 one-way for April 4–5. Comparable to Stansted fares and no London transport cost on top. For anyone based in Yorkshire, the North West or the Midlands, Manchester to Kraków is the best-value Easter flight going.

Manchester to Faro (FAO), Algarve — Jet2: Around £75–100 one-way with bags included for April 4. Jet2's inclusive pricing from Manchester often beats easyJet or Ryanair when bags are factored in — and the Algarve in April is excellent (19–21°C, uncrowded).

Manchester to Amsterdam (AMS) — KLM: Around £80–110 one-way for April 4–5. Pricier than Stansted on Ryanair, but direct from Manchester and includes reasonable service. Worth comparing against the total London cost.

Birmingham (BHX) to Malaga (AGP) — Jet2 or Ryanair: Around £80–115 one-way for April 4–5. BHX is genuinely quick to get through — no Gatwick-scale bank holiday queues. Costa del Sol at Easter is 19–21°C.

Edinburgh (EDI) to Amsterdam (AMS) — KLM: Around £85–115 one-way for April 4. Edinburgh has limited Easter routes but Amsterdam is well-served. A 2-night break works well from Edinburgh.

Some routes have simply repriced too far to make sense. Barcelona (BCN) from any London airport is now £140–190 one-way for Good Friday departures — peak summer pricing for a spring break. The city is also at its most crowded over Easter.

Malaga and Alicante from Gatwick or Manchester are showing £110–150 one-way for the core Easter dates — not outrageous but hard to justify given that identical weather and the same beaches are available for half the price in May. Rome is similarly overpriced: Ryanair's Stansted–Ciampino fares are past £120 one-way for peak Easter, and the city is overwhelmingly busy with religious tourism through the bank holiday.

If you've missed the window on these routes at reasonable prices, the better move is to book them for the week after Easter (April 7–13) instead — same weather, significantly lower fares, fewer crowds.

Avoid Good Friday (April 3) and Easter Monday (April 6) departures. Saturday April 4 and Sunday April 5 are cheaper than the two bank holiday days themselves. If you can return Tuesday April 7 instead of Easter Monday, the saving on the return leg is typically £30–60 per person.

Fly from Stansted for the lowest fares. Ryanair's UK hub gives Stansted the most competitive pricing on budget routes. The train from Liverpool Street takes 47 minutes (£10–18). On a £40–60 fare, the journey cost is significant — factor it in — but for longer trips the saving over Gatwick or Heathrow is worth it.

Carry-on only is essential at Easter prices. At £60–90 one-way base fares, adding a £30–40 checked bag adds 35–50% to your cost per leg. Ryanair's 10kg cabin bag (fits in overhead) avoids the charge; anything larger requires paying for hold baggage. Pack accordingly for a 3–4 night trip.

Compare total prices, not headline fares. A £49 Ryanair fare with a £35 checked bag and £12 seat selection costs £96. A £75 easyJet fare with carry-on only costs £75. Always build the total before committing to the cheapest-looking headline number.

In the 7 days before Easter, airlines do something counterintuitive: they sometimes release additional inventory at reduced prices on underperforming routes. Not every route — popular routes like Gatwick–Malaga are full and stay expensive — but routes with multiple daily frequencies where not every seat is sold can see last-minute price drops.

The routes most likely to drop in the final week are high-frequency Ryanair routes from Stansted: Stansted–Madrid, Stansted–Seville, Stansted–Porto, Stansted–Brussels. Ryanair flies these many times per week and has more unsold inventory to work through than thinner routes.

Setting a price alert on Google Flights or Skyscanner for these routes and checking twice daily (morning and evening) is the right strategy if you've left it this late. Airlines typically release reduced-price inventory in batches rather than all at once — you need to catch the window.

The risk of waiting for a last-minute drop is that on popular routes, the remaining seats actually get more expensive as departure approaches. Only wait if you're targeting a specific high-frequency route and have confirmed the alternative (e.g. staying at home or doing a domestic trip) is acceptable if the price drop doesn't materialise.