Not wanting inbound flights so late at night

[Kitchensinktoday]

We've just booked a trip to Gran Canaria, and it was really tricky to find inbound flights at reasonable times. We usually travel with either TUI or Jet2, and apart from one or two Manchester/Birmingham options (we've opted for Manchester) all other flights got back into the UK after midnight. I really didn't want to get back so late, and I can't imagine anyone with children would be keen on it either.

I remember struggling to get civilised flight times back from Cyprus a few years ago, and recently had the same issues with Greece. TUI usually offer a late check out option (at a cost ....... ) but it makes your journey home a really long day.

Spain and the Balearics still seem ok, so maybe it’s medium-haul issue?

I live 20 mins from Stansted and rarely fly from there for this very reason. We usually go BA from Heathrow. Sorry, that’s probably not very helpful but I do have sympathy because it’s a pain not being able to use our local airport!

We always used East Midlands where possible, but have opted to go from Manchester this time, just to get a day time inbound flight, very annoying!

Why not book BA or scheduled flight then? Usually more flight options.

only if you're near a London airport

I much prefer a late night flight home with kids as they sleep on the plane then car journey home and just transfer to end back at home

My preference was a package deal (and we didn't want to go to London to fly BA)

We had this coming back from Tunisia it was a pretty shit holiday for a few reasons kids were 3 and 6.
Flights took off around 11.45pm and landed at Gatwick at about 2 or 2.30 iirc. Around 4am by the time we got home.
3 year old slept the entire time in the buggy at the airport/on the plane/in the car.6 year old slept on the plane and in the car. We did not and were completely wrecked!! I felt like i needed another holiday 🤣

I use Tui, we only go to Cyprus from Manchester. I find tinkering with the days can get you better flight times

@Kitchensinktoday BA do holiday packages. You tinker with days to get best deal. You don’t like the local flight time and are going non scheduled so it’s what it is. Scheduled airlines have the better flight times.

I think one issue is many airlines don’t like nightstops (due inherent costs) so the airlines with UK bases only tend to be early AM ex-UK, round trips through the day and late returns at night.

The networked carriers such as BA tend to see nightstops as a necessary evil in order to use their short haul fleet to feed their day time Long haul departures from main base, so to some extent their schedules are run differently.

Some of the LoCos get round it by having some bases in Europe.

I did the late night flight getting back at 2am
I just slept in the car as a) I was knackered b) I can’t really drive in the dark.

Taxi was too expensive that time of night and too late arrival for a hotel. Got back home at 8am which was fine.
Wouldn’t fancy it with kids as likely they would sleep and be perky as the next day.

It’s Gran Canaria that’s the issue, the airport is open 24 hour so I think most package deals tend to be night flights. Same with a lot of Greece.
Does it have to be Gran Canaria? Lanzarote airport closes at night so apart from the odd departure home at say 9pm there tends to be a lot more daytime flights.

I used to work for Jet2, in summer their aircraft will fly a short route first thing, 2-3 hours and return for example. Then later same day they will do a longer route and return, this is why they land back in UK so late.

I’m with you- it’s not a holiday to me! Jet2 changed our civilised 10am departure, 3pm return flight to a 5am departure and an 11pm return!! I complained and they refunded me and I booked elsewhere.

@notimagain Yes I agree but the resulting departures and arrivals are more civilised. I accept we are near enough to London to do it but I’ve taken dc to airports for early flights and it’s a killer. As are late arrivals. It’s ok if young but with a family? Ugh.

I guessed as much, obviously they need the planes working as close to 24/7 as possible in summer. I wonder if it's also partly to do with some/most Spanish/Portuguese airports only being open during the day while Greece/Cyprus/Turkey seem to actively encourage planes landing at all hours.

But if more and more flights are operating at odd times, does this mean the skies are quiet during civilised times? I can’t make any sense of it!

As other posters have suggested, I’ve looked at BA and EasyJet packages - BA flight times are bit better, but they’re Gatwick, and EJ don’t appear to offer Gran Canaria

Jet2 do it because the airport landing ‘slots’ are cheaper at that time of day. I don’t love it and it means the next day is written off but it is what it is.

I live 4 almost 5 hours away from the airport so if the plane lands at 2am we have to pay £200 for a hotel for about 6 hours 🥲 or drive straight home but I’ve never felt that was very safe.

Depends what you pay for and when book

I’m happy to fly 7am so up 3ish and by pool 1 ish - few hours chilling and early evening meal and bed early and start afresh next day

I have done late flights coming home. It’s hell and ruins holiday as tired and grumpy and want to sleep bit noise on plane

so pay a bit more to fly home 1230pm

so up normal time. Nice breakie in cafe and then to airport for 1030 and flight home

I’m honestly not sure slot cost is the main driver behind timings TBH, it certainly isn’t the only reason.

The late arrivals into UK will have much much more to do with maximizing aircraft/crew utilization throughout the whole day combined with a wish by some airlines to avoid night stopping crew and aircraft away from base.

Easyjet do offer Gran Canaria next summer, with daytime flights on a Saturday from Manchester.

https://www.easyjet.com/en/holidays/mixedresultlist?ibf=true&to=08-08-2026&from=01-08-2026&dst=ESGC&sAccId=&geog=ES,ESGC&flex=0&org=MAN&aa=1&rooms=2_2:6|10&page=1&take=10&orderBy=recommended&orderDirection=default&m=0

Are you picking 2026 from the drop down menu in the holiday search?

Screenshot of flight options.

OP I spent hours (days?) last holiday to get a package with middle of the day flights. I too hate middle of the night travelling. I was searching entirely according to flight times and price, didnt mind where. Found a great EasyJet holiday. Then a couple of months before we were due to travel they changed our flights - arrived and left during night. So annoying!

Our flight home from Kefalonia last year was scheduled to arrive back at Stanstead at 11pm, which already felt super late. But it was delayed by 3 hours, meaning, with the two hour car journey from the airport, we didn’t get home until 5.30am! The DC coped surprisingly well with it, but I had to get up and be at work for 8am that same morning, and was an exhausted wreck. This year we are going to Italy and have a very civilised late afternoon flight home.

I have booked a package with easyJet to Gran Canaria in June as they were the cheapest for the hotel we wanted and had the best flight times. 1.55pm out from Manchester and about the same time coming back. We'll get breakfast on our last day and get the transfer at around 11am. Perfect!