Why the timetable matters more than the price
Two fares on the same route can differ by six hours of travelling and a connection in a third country. The timetable shows departure and arrival in local time, total journey length and where you change, so you can judge whether the saving is worth the disruption.
This matters most on long-haul: a direct flight to Dubai is around seven hours from Heathrow, while a one-stop option can take eleven. On short-haul, an early departure from Stansted often costs less than a day flight from Heathrow — but add the 4am taxi and the comparison changes.
Departure times that suit UK travellers
Flights leaving the UK between 10am and 2pm are the easiest: no pre-dawn start, and you still arrive with the evening ahead of you in Europe. They are rarely the cheapest, though, and the gap can be £60–£120 on peak routes.
For long-haul, overnight departures from the UK usually work best: you sleep on the plane and land in the morning, which helps with jet lag on arrival.
Understanding stopovers
A connection under 90 minutes is tight on a long-haul itinerary — one delay and you miss the second leg. Two to four hours is comfortable, and anything over six hours is worth pricing as a separate trip or a hotel night.
Check whether the connection is on one ticket. If it is, the airline is responsible for rebooking you when the first flight is late. If you booked two separate tickets, you carry that risk yourself.
Keep planning
Frequently asked questions
Do timetables show local times?
Yes. Departure and arrival times are shown in the local time of each airport.
How long should a connection be?
90 minutes to four hours is comfortable for most long-haul connections.
Can I filter by direct flights?
Yes, use the stops filter in the search results to show direct options only.