Airport convenience almost as vital as price

British holidaymakers value flying from a convenient airport close to home only slightly less than a low-cost flight, a study from Holidays Direct has revealed.

In a poll, 37 per cent of people said the location of the airport they departed from was a key factor they thought about when booking a flight.

Although 44 per cent of people prioritised price considerations, accessing the plane from a convenient locale was much more important than the time of the flight, which concerned only 11 per cent of bookers.

Thanks to "the mass expansion of local airports in the UK … people are now very used to being able to fly to their favourite holiday destinations from their nearest airport", Holidays Direct spokesperson Paul Reeve commented.

"The days when holidaymakers from the north of England were willing to waste a day of their annual leave just to get to Heathrow Airport are long gone," he added, with an array of regional hubs including Manchester Airport, Leeds Airport, Liverpool Airport and Newcastle Airport receiving international flights from a growing number of airlines.