Heathrow vs Stansted?
 

Hello! My boyfriend and I will be flying from London to Dublin. We had initially planned on booking a super-cheap flight through Ryanair and flying out of Stansted. However, there's a flight out of Heathrow for about $115 USD (more than Ryanair, but still do-able).

Is Heathrow much easier to get to via tube than Stansted such that, all things considered, it would be a better option to fly out of Heathrow even if the flight itself is a bit more expensive? We will be coming from Pimlico station.

Have you checked flights to the several other London airports - Gatwick, London City, Luton & Southend?

Heathrow is much easier to get to on the Tube as Stansted isn't on the Tube - you need to take a coach or train into central London

I'd pay extra just to avoid Ryanair.

If you do use them, make sure you are aware of all their little restrictions and extras, otherwise your cheap flight will be a lot less cheap than you think!

Heathrow is much easier to get to. It is also cheaper to get to (I think) if you use the tube.

For a short flight, I would have no problem flying Ryanair, but mjdh1957 is right that you need to be very careful about totaling up the extras and ensuring compliance with the various rules, or else that Ryanair flight will end up costing you a lot more than the quoted "price".

Stansted isn't hard to get to; it just requires a change from the Tube to a train at Liverpool Street, so it's an extra step and would cost a little more for transport vs. the Tube to Heathrow. It's a smaller airport and easier to navigate, if that makes any difference to you.

stanstedexpress.com

As others have said, I would add up ALL the costs, look at the schedules and airlines, and make a decision from there.

Considering that you don't have to change as much to get to Heathrow and if you are comfortable with the price from Heathrow (I assume you have added up ALL the costs involved with taking a Ryanair flight) then it seems like a no-brainer. Why put yourself through any extra hassles (assuming they seem like that to you) to save HOW MUCH money....something you didn't tell us.

This is VERY helpful - THANK YOU!

You need to add up all the costs in order to make a comparison. Advice to avoid FR on a short flight is ridiculous, if it's the cheapest way to go with all costs & travel time considered, then go for it. LHR is always going to be more convenient to central London but if the price difference is significant then go for STN & FR. Currently I travel on FR approximately every month & have not experienced any of the problems encountered by other posters here. My first choice would always be LHR if the price is right & sometimes it is.

The train to Stansted costs a lot more than the tube to Heathrow. Buses a bit cheaper, but of course it takes longer. If you start in Pimlico, Heathrow would be the obvious choice - or indeed Gatwick if that offered a reasonably-priced flight - because they're the same side of London and quicker to get to.

I, too, am a Ryanair boycotter. But since it seems to be your first time considering them we cannot expect you to join us. However, since Heathrow seems to make as much sense or more and since it seems to pretty much balance out in the costs/bother analysis, I'd urge you to pay a bit more, go from LHR and probably get a better experience into the bargain.

<I, too, am a Ryanair boycotter>

And me. I wouldn't give my money to a man who so openly despises his customers, unless there is absolutely no alternative. Pay a little more and use a real airline which has some notion of customer service.

Anicecupoftea, I'll take a step further and say if Ryanair is the only way to get to a place I'll go somewhere else. And have. The thing is, there's always another way if you really want to go.

Avoid Ryanair...