By 
Considering the Baltic for your next city break? Look no further than the Latvian capital of Riga. Packed with breathtaking architecture, old and new, this UNESCO Heritage Site is a stunner all year round. There are travel bargains to be found, so here are some things to bear in mind when shopping around for flights to Riga
The handy insights tool on momondo.co.uk compares data from more than 900,000 possible flights and shows that seasonality, choice of airline and how far in advance you book have the biggest impact on prices. So, here’s the lowdown on how to find cheap flights from London to Riga.
When to book
The biggest savings on flights can be found when you make the booking and are determined by how far in advance you do so. According to the insights, bookings made up to seven weeks in advance of the flight were up to 150% cheaper than same- or next-day bookings. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the information suggests that it’s advisable to book at least 30 days in advance; after that, the price rises fairly steadily day by day.
When to go
The affectionately nicknamed ‘Paris of the north’ is beautiful all year round. In summer it’s warm, breezy and green, while in winter it’s a snowy wonderland. As such, there’s never a ‘bad’ time to fly to Riga.
Seasonality, though, has a notable impact on flight prices. The effect of the summer sun on the historic buildings is an understandable draw and flights from London to Riga in mid-July are comparatively popular. However, the attraction of the city at Christmas is powerful and flights during the last week of the year are the most expensive. Meanwhile, just two weeks later, during the beginning of January, flight prices are at their lowest. Between the two extremes is a price difference of around 125% so if you’re flexible on dates, aim for the early part of the year, though Momondo.co.uk shows that flights are also relatively cheap in early May and at the end of November.
Though it’s cheapest to fly on a Monday or Tuesday, and most expensive on a Friday, the insights show that there is on average less than a 15% price difference between the two. And if the day of the week has only minimal impact, the time of day you choose to fly has even less impact on price fluctuations, though it is around 3% cheaper to fly in the evening.
Which airline and which airport
With a range of airlines offering routes to or through the Baltic, it’s possible to find cheap flights from Manchester, Birmingham or Liverpool to Riga. However, in general, flights from London airports tend to be the cheapest. The stats gathered show that the cheapest flights to Riga are offered by Wizz Air from London Luton and by Ryanair from London Stansted. Choice of airline affects the cost of travel greatly, with flights on British Airways up to 70% more expensive than Wizz Air. While less drastic, the choice of airport has some impact; flights from Stansted and Luton are between 10 to 15% cheaper than those from London City.
Top tips for finding the cheapest flights to Riga
- Pre-planning has a huge impact; book as far in advance as possible to ensure the best deals.
- Avoid the high season price spikes in mid-summer and at Christmas.
- If possible, fly from a London airport and use a price comparison tool to choose the cheapest airline.
You can find all the data presented here
Comments