Cheapest way of getting a flight?
 

My 3-year-old lad is displaying a keen interest in all things flying and keeps asking me if he can go on a 'plane or helicopter in the sky! Not being one to discourage such interest I'd love to surprise him with a short flight somewhere. Problem is we are not flying anywhere on hols any time soon and it would be a shame to make him wait a few years.

What would be the cheapest way to take him up for a trip? A short economy flight to a regional airport? Pleasure flight in a light aircraft/chopper?

His Mum is a bit worried about light aircraft/choppers, seems to think there is more chance of things 'going wrong'.

We are not all that far from MAN and LPL if that helps.

Cheers.

I don't know about the cost of a short ride in a small plane, but I guess the cheapest would be a day trip on Ryan Air or another loco, it's probably best to hunt around the Eazyjet Ryan Air websites till you get something you like to look of

Suggest Liverpool to Belfast with easyjet. Daily flights so you can go out and back same day for around £45 return and by jet.

You can get some pretty cheap flights MAN-LGW, although check the schedules acrefully as they are not that frequent these days and getting back may be an issue.

EZY reckon you can do LPL - Isle of Man - LPL from £17.99 in August....

I had a quick look at Manx2.com. You can do Blackpool - IOM return for £40 on some dates in September. I don't know if Blackpool is close to you

They use small aircraft which are fun, the Dornier and the LET-410, which seat less than 20 pax, and you can see what goes on in the cockpit from the passenger seats.

Go to Barton Airport, book a flight in a light aircraft. Usually last about 1hour.
If you can persuade his mother.
J

A 3-yo in a light aircraft ? Hmmm, he'll not be able to see out the windows.

Wait till winter and fly for free or next to free with Ryanair :)

As said previously, Dublin / Belfast return would be your best bet on either Easyjet or Ryanair.

Cheap Flights from Manchester to Ireland | Skyscanner

Saturday 6th October you can do MAN-DUB-MAN for £42 each.

Hope that helps

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Best offer I've found so far, that doesn't involve early mornings or late evenings, is LPL - DUB for 17.99 each way per person with EasyJet, although there is about a tenner in charges to add on. I suspect the date has some significance in the cheapness as well, September 11th. Best not tell the wife that!

Can't resist, but children don't seem to need tickets in your part of the world.

Boy, 11, boards plane with no ticket

Maybe more helpfully I would say that a 3 year old will not enjoy a flight in a light aircraft - they can't see, it is noisy and they are far more prone to sickness.

Some open microlights may be more suitable (as he can see straight out), but I wouldn't take someone so young up unless they were known and VERY well behaved. Any planned flight should be very short, so that would keep costs down.

I still fondly remember trips to the airfield when I was that sort of age, so perhaps a special effort to be near the aircraft would be sufficient to keep the enthusiasm going.

Do Easyjet fly to Dub now?

Maybe it was Belfast, it was late last night anyway :zzz:

Ok! You got me excited there... thought there was finally a new option other than Ryanair and Aer Lingus for my trips to Europe! :ugh:

Enjoy the flight! You might even get time to wander around Belfast - great city.

AGOW

Wait a few years until he's old enough to blag his way on to a Manchester to Rome flight, unaccompanied, unticketed, uncounted etc !