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Thursday, April 23, 2015
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8 Tips on Finding Cheap Flights from London to Hong Kong
With that in mind, it’s hardly surprising that flights from London to Hong Kong are in high demand, with hundreds of thousands of people searching for seats on the route each month, and no fewer than three international airlines running regular non-stop connections between each city. If you’re thinking about making the trip, then be sure to check out these top tips for finding cheap tickets from London to Hong Kong, offering insights into the best time to fly, buy, book and plenty, plenty more.
Travelers who save money on flights to Hong Kong will have more to spend in the markets!
Don’t miss out on a mega saving of up to $225 on return trip flights to Hong Kong by booking your flight too late or too early this year. In fact, making sure you purchase your tickets exactly 27 days before departure can reduce fare prices to the buzzing Asian cityscape considerably, with our statistics showing a dip to an average price of around just $1000 return. That should leave passengers with plenty more dollars to flash amidst Hong Kong’s swish cocktail bars and jet set harborside haunts!
Not only do the early months of January and February usher in a period of dry days and mild nights that’s perfect for travelers eager to tick off all the city’s major “must sees” in one fell swoop, but they also herald the beginnings of Hong Kong’s festival season, when kaleidoscopic shows of fireworks and laser lights adorn the tips of the harborside skyscrapers at New Year, and oriental night parades mark the turning of the Chinese calendar. The best part though? It’s also the cheapest time to fly, with our experts estimating savings of up to $200 on fares!
January/February coincides with Chinese New Year and is a great time to visit Hk!
Granted $8 may seem a rather meager amount when compared to the $200 reductions outlined above, but it’s also perhaps one of the easiest savings to make on flights from London Heathrow to Hong Kong International, because all would-be fliers need to do is book their flight on a Friday! Of course, remember that it’s also really important to time your booking correctly, ensuring that you purchase tickets 27 days before departure for the maximum combined saving possible.
With London’s various airports infamously strewn all over the city’s peripherals, would-be fliers can sometimes have a hard time identifying which one offers the best deals on flights for them. Well, when it comes to return trip fares to Hong Kong, sprawling Heathrow is unquestionably the best option, with average, indirect fare prices on the cheapest carrier totaling at just $785. Coming in at a close second is London Gatwick, where nonstop flights can be had for around $977 return.
With non-stop flights on the route between England’s capital and Hong Kong lasting just over twelve hours from departure to arrival, it’s understandable that many passengers will be looking to break up their journey with a stop-off somewhere midway. If that sounds like you, then consider flying with Russian Aeroflot, whose average $785 tickets include a stopover in Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport. Alternatively, the best non-stop option is with British Airways, who fly the route regularly for an average of $957 return.
Airlines offering direct flights from London to Hong Kong:
– British Airways makes the journey in 13 hours for $950 round trip, on average.
– Virgin Atlantic makes the journey in 13.5 hours for $994 round trip, on average.
– Cathay Pacific makes the journey in 13 hours for $1124 round trip, on average.
Airlines offering connecting flights from London to Hong Kong:
– Aeroflot makes the journey in 16.5 hours via Moscow for $785 round trip, on average.
– Air China makes the journey in 17.5 hours via Beijing for $851 round trip, on average.
– Qatar Airways makes the journey in 19 hours via Doha for $962 round trip, on average.
– Emirates makes the journey in 19 hours via Dubai for $991 round trip, on average.
– Finnair makes the journey in 16 hours via Helsinki for $1065 round trip, on average.
If you’re lucky enough to be a member of British Airways’ Executive Club, earning Avios points every time you fly, then you may be able to bag yourself a flight to Hong Kong for next to nothing, cashing in 60,000 miles and paying just taxes and fees for a seat. If you don’t have enough points stacked up, then never fear, because BA also let their loyal passengers pay with a combination of cash and Avios points, meaning it’s also possible to significantly reduce the total airfare from London to Hong Kong.
On long, popular routes such as this, we at Hopper know it can sometimes be difficult to keep abreast with drastically fluctuating flight prices, with fares ebbing to an attractive low one day and soaring to almighty heights the next. Thankfully, help is at hand, and it comes in the form of our When to Fly and Buy Reports page, where would-be passengers between the Big Smoke and Hong Kong can get up-to-date stats detailing everything from the cheapest departure dates, to yearly fare trends.
By collating as much data as possible related to flights between these two global cities, we’ve discovered that a good deal should cost passengers anywhere in the region of $855 round trip. Yes, some passengers have managed to secure seats for a measly $750, but we’ve also estimated that these lucky few represent less than 10% of people on each flight, while more than 75% of passengers from LHR pay upwards of $1000, meaning you’re definitely better off grabbing that bargain while you can!
Distribution of economy round-trip prices quoted for flights with stops from London to Hong Kong.
– This article was written by the data science team at Hopper, a Boston-based travel startup that uses big data to demystify airline pricing and help consumers save on flights. For more information on
what the Hopper data science team do, head over to Hopper to check out their when to fly and buy reports.
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10 Destinations like Paris
Paris is an inimitable city, its grand boulevards shooting off from the Seine like arteries, leading to iconic art galleries, boutique fashion stores, great literary quarters and innumerable fabulous cafes and bistros. If you’re infatuated with its many charms – the culture, the architecture, the food, the coffee, the shopping, the hotels, the views and the romance – then try these ten cultured cities for a shiver of the same pleasure as emanates from France’s fabled capital. Peaceful, tolerant Amsterdam is known for several of the same qualities as Paris. Its trio of world-class art galleries, while not as iconic as the Louvre, together contain a collection that is just as impressive. The Rijksmuseum hangs renowned Rembrandts alongside works by other Old Masters such as Jan Steen and Jan Vermeer; the Van Gogh Museum has more of the expressionist artist’s paintings than anywhere else in the world; and the Stedelijk Museum shelters a superb collection of modern and contemporary art. Once you’ve soaked up the city’s artistic offerings, you can stroll round the lamplit Canal Ring, then relax in one of the capital’s famous cafés – even if they are famous for rather different reasons than their elegant counterparts in Paris.
The canals and historic buildings of Amsterdam on a normal, non-celebratory day.
Nicknamed the crossroads of Europe, Prague has picked up influences from both east and west and blended them into a beautiful farrago of architecture that enchants people from all over the world. This fairy-tale skyline rises above the historic Charles Bridge, which was for centuries the only means of crossing the river Vltava, placing Prague at the heart of continental trade up until the 19th century. Crossing the bridge takes travelers from the ninth century Prague Castle into the Old Town, where the blackly gothic Tyn Church vies for attention with the baroque St.Nicholas Church, while both are overshadowed by the alethiometer-like Astronomical Clock. And the city is studded with cozy boutique hotels, such as the intimate Cerny Slon (Black Elephant), which make a great base for losing oneself in the historic, cosmopolitan and romantic atmosphere.
Prague is a bit like the Paris of Eastern Europe: artistic, historic and always charming.
Europe’s preeminent city for 250 years and the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance, you could say that Florence was Paris centuries before Paris became Paris. It was the home of artists such as Michelangelo, writers like Dante and political thinkers such as Machiavelli, and this lustrous history of culture, beauty and poise remains etched on its streets today, in statues, sculptures, palaces and churches. Like Paris, there’s no better way to experience Florence than on foot, pausing on bridges and street corners to enjoy the sublime views that suddenly open up. The city streets are packed with small cafés and restaurants, and travelers with fat wallets can find a plethora of fine boutiques and designer shops where the historic and commercial districts meet.
The magnificent Duomo up close and personal with its stunning views of the city.
It’s pretty impossible to beat Paris for the pleasure of spending a day strolling between cafés, but Melbourne tops it on one front at least – the coffee. Australia is the acknowledged king of the current hipster coffee boom, and Melbourne has a sprinkling of fine places to get your fix: drop into Patricia Coffee Brewers on the corner of Little Bourke and Little William streets, or wander Prahran Market and just follow your twitching nose. As well as coffee, Melbourne hosts a fabled food scene, driven by waves of immigration from Greece, Turkey and Lebanon as well as (relatively) nearby Vietnam and Indonesia. And the same cultural diversity has helped make Queen Victoria Market a fabulously vibrant Melbourne institution, its vaulted halls and colorful stalls selling fish, cheese, secondhand books, vintage clothes and vast amounts more.
The skyline of downtown Melbourne and the Yarra River. Photo credit Gordon Bell.
If Melbourne is spearheading contemporary trends in coffee, then Austria’s cafés were doing the same back in 1683, when the first coffee shop opened in the city, using beans taken from defeated Ottoman invaders. Cake and coffee remains an integral part of life for many in Vienna today, and the center’s elegant cafés are a very pleasant way to break up strolls along the city’s stately boulevards, shadowed by baroque imperial palaces. Beyond sweet delicacies, Vienna has a cultural heritage to rival Paris: it was the cradle of much of the world’s greatest classical music, a creche for Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Haydn, and the waltz wizard Johann Strauss. And tourists can also explore the glorious MuseumsQuartier, among the world’s largest art complexes, with Old Masters exhibited in the Albertina and more contemporary work displayed in the MUMOK Museum of Modern Art.
The stunning Belvedere Palace in Vienna.
Coffee and cake continues in Stockholm with fika, a regular afternoon ritual which involves consuming coffee with something sweet while pondering the questions of this existential galaxy with friends. But Stockholm is a fine place to visit beyond the coffee shops, a city of broad skies and shimmering water spread across a chain of islands, connected by a web of elegant bridges. At its heart is Gamla Stan, the city’s old town with a traceable history back to the Vikings in 1252, although sword-forging blacksmiths have since been displaced by excellent bakeries and waffle shops. And the city has heaps of good restaurants, some with fabulous views over the city’s backdrop of woods and water – for a terrific all-you-can-eat feast, settle for a few hours by the steamed-up windows of Hermans Vegetarian Buffet.
An aerial look at Stockholm’s Old Town.
The capital of French-speaking Quebec is often overshadowed by the effortless style of its neighbor to the south, but Quebec City is actually one of North America’s oldest and most elegant settlements. This is obvious to anyone who’s wandered the city’s beautiful Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that, with its cobblestone streets,17th century houses and gothic churches, feels disconcertingly like France’s Rouen. And with the biggest Francophone population of any city outside of the patrie, it’s not surprising to find the city’s squares and boulevards colored by the awnings of many quaint bistros and cafés. Beyond the Old Town stretch several neighborhoods with vibrant restaurant, shopping and nightlife scenes.
French? Check. European-style architecture? That too.
OK, so almost everything about Seville is different from Paris: the art, the architecture, the food, the streets, the trees, the music, the shops. But it has all of these, and showcases them with the same passion and sensuality that has made Paris the world capital of romance. Orange trees line every central street, scenting the dry Andalusian air with their acidic fruit. Flamenco music drifts from dimlit bars where locals and tourists sit side-by-side drinking good red wine at outrageously low prices. And best of all is the tapas, cooked in myriad bars and cafés, all crammed with customers ordering calamari and aioli or the local speciality of deep-fried eggplant drizzled in honey. It has all the same pleasures as Paris, just done with an invigorating difference.
A look at the stunning city of Seville.
“The Paris of South America” is the epithet Argentina’s tourist industry has succeeded in attaching to their country’s vibrant capital. And however skeptical you might be of such a flagrant attempt to attract wealthy gringos, once you step out onto the grand Parisian boulevards criss-crossing its center, you’ll be forced to confess to a striking similarity. But from the tango dancers of La Boca to the underground nightlife of San Telmo, through the mouthwatering steakhouses found across the different barrios, Buenos Aires undoubtedly has its own very distinct ambience. If you’re hungering for a truly Parisian vibe, however, head to the chic residential district of Palermo, its streets lined with French fashion labels alongside a superb fine dining scene.
When the sun sets in Buenos Aires, the real fun begins.
Montreal may have lost its position as Canada’s preeminent city over the past few decades, but this has only accentuated its Parisian charm. It’s a wonderful city for the flaneur, who can watch the bilingual post-industrial life unfold while weaving through a warren of old town streets in the Vieux Port or strolling alongside the Lachine Canal. While doing so, this idler can pause to take in French-flavored sights like the neo-gothic Basilique Notre-Dame, or to grab a meal from a corner café or candlelit bistro. The city begins romantic and historically preserved by the harborfront and becomes younger, more colorful and trendy the further north you go, making for a superb and eye-opening walk. Montreal is also one of North America’s top gourmet destinations, filled with fabulous food markets, great patisseries, innovative delis and top-class restaurants. Its signature dishes differ quite dramatically from Parisian cuisine, though: feast on smoked meat, bagels and poutine.
Inside Montreal’s Notre Dame Cathedral, which is a replica of the Parisian one.
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24 Hours in Hong Kong
A single day in Hong Kong is definitely not long enough to do this great city justice. But, if you’re on a layover on your way to Bali or you just want to go big on your first day in Hong Kong, we’ll show you how to hit up all the major tourist hot spots in one afternoon and spend your downtime eating like a local, as we take you on a 24-hour whirlwind guide through the Fragrant Harbour.
Looking out over Kowloon with Hong Kong Island in the distance.
Jostle elbows with the breakfast crowd to secure a seat at a local cha chaan teng
for a hearty early morning tea-set meal. These ubiquitous Hong Kong diners – translated literally as “tea restaurants” – are a staple of local dining culture and can be found on every block of every district in this bustling city. Items on the menu such as French toast, macaroni and ham, and scrambled eggs hardly sound like a Chinese specialty, but these Western dishes have a distinctly Asian flair to them that has been satisfying local palates since cha chaan teng culture exploded onto the scene in the 1950s. Don’t leave without trying lai cha, or Hong Kong-style milk tea, which mixes super-strength black tea with evaporated milk and sugar in a smooth, creamy combination. These cheap and somewhat cheerful eateries – the mood often depends on your waiter’s – typically have an English menu available. If not, take a scan around the room and you’ll quickly find out which sets are the most popular. Hong Kong-style French toast at a local cha chaan teng. Photo by roboppy/Flickr.
Art galleries, curios, traditional medicine shops and temples – this rapidly gentrifying neighborhood fuses the old with the new, never failing to provide an unexpected surprise around the corner. Start along the section of Des Voeux road known as Dried Seafood Street for a peek into traditional stores and stalls selling edible and medicinal ingredients such as “wind-dried sausage,” salted fish, blackened century eggs, flattened dried duck and fat choy
– a stringy black moss that looks suspiciously like hair and is popular choice during the Chinese New Year. Head on up towards Upper Lascar Row, known as Cat Street, with its antique shops and stalls selling bric-a-brac and second hand items. A few steps away you’ll find the Man Mo Temple on Hollywood Road. Dating back to 1847, this historic monument transports you to another place and time altogether with its smoky incense coils and elaborate altars. Taxis on a crowded street in Sheung Wan.
From there, make your way over to the Central-Mid-Levels escalator, famously known for being the longest outdoor escalator in the world. Linking the city’s financial hub, Central, with the posh residential neighborhood along the mountainside, this extensive covered walkway will take you up and over narrow streets on a tour of restaurants, bars and shops in the area. Continue all the way to the top until you reach Jamia Mosque, the city’s oldest mosque dating back to 1890. Directly opposite you’ll spy the inconspicuous sign for Rednaxela Terrace, a misprint of Alexander Terrace, due to some kind of transcription error by a sleepy colonial era clerk.
The Mid-Levels escalator takes pedestrians from the harbor up the mountainside.
No trip to the city would be complete without sampling traditional yum cha
or dim sum, so make a beeline for Tim Ho Wan at IFC Mall in Central – one of the cheapest Michelin-starred restaurants in the world. Fast, delicious and busy, try to go outside of standard lunch and dinner hours to avoid the long queue. Har gau, shrimp, is a traditional dim sum flavor.
At this point, you should now be too full to walk. Good! You did it in true Hong Kong style. Next, hop onto the Peak Tram and take in the stunning harbor views as this funny little funicular winds its way up the impossibly steep mountainside. The breathtaking skyline view from the Peak never fails to impress, but a stroll around the Lugard Road and Harlech Road circuit offers just as many stunning vantage points and only half the tourists. For a bit of an adventure through the lush tropical vegetation, opt for the hike back down the hillside along the paved Old Peak Road.
The Hong Kong Peak Tram has been climbing Victoria Peak since 1888.
For more than 120 years the Star Ferry has been shuttling commuters back and forth between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, and still remains the most affordable way to cross the harbor. The best seats on these pretty green and white, open-air ferries can be found along the sides of the top deck, affording spectacular panoramic views of towering skyscrapers. The crossing only takes about 10 minutes, but, with tickets costing only HK$2.5, visitors can ride it back and forth a few times if they really can’t get enough of the harbor.
The Star Ferry has been crossing Victoria Harbour since 1888, like the Peak Tram.
Although only two dozen officially licensed dai pai dong
still exist in the city, the word is now used more generically to mean open-air food stalls characterized by their folding tables, questionable cleanliness and roadside ambiance. Some have even moved indoors into cooked food centers found in every district, offering the luxuries of air-con and potentially improved hygiene. Tuck into seafood and Tsing Tao beers at one of the lively restaurants along the Temple Street Night Market in Jordan. A look at the Fa Yuen Street Market, which is less touristy than the nearby Ladies’ Market.
Wrap up your day and a dizzying 24 hours in Hong Kong with a fancy cocktail at Ozone, the highest bar in the world. Miles away from the cheap food stalls along the street, the glitz and glamour of your surroundings truly put into perspective the enormous divide between rich and poor in Hong Kong. Stay and admire the view as long as you like, the neon skyline remains forever alluring in a city that never sleeps.
See that tower there? The really tall one? Yeah, Ozone is at the top of that.
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