Autumn breaks on the horizon for majority of Brits

Seven in ten Britons are poised to take to the skies again this autumn on their way to foreign lands for a welcome break, a new survey from TripAdvisor shows.

Although more than half the people questioned said they thought autumn travel meant they could travel without being surrounded by crowds of Brits, the apparent popularity of an autumn break could dispel that hope.

With 90 per cent of Britons itching to leave the country, 43 per cent are heading 'offshore' in search of sun and sand.

Many of those will pass through Stansted Airport, which hosts Britain's low-cost airlines and recently overtook Manchester Airport as the country's third busiest.

Meanwhile, one in four lucky loved-up Britons will enjoy a romantic getaway, with the most popular choices for city breaks including picturesque Paris and buzzing Berlin.

Press this week reported that UK-based airlines Monarch, Thomsonfly and Flybe have begun selling flights for travel in summer 2008 weeks ahead of their usual ticket release dates.

The Times suggested that the airlines are angling to undercut low-cost rivals easyJet and Ryanair, which will release tickets for travel next year later in the autumn.