Best Airlines from the UK to Spain

British Airways is the UK's flag carrier and one of the longest-established airlines flying between Britain and Spain, operating primarily from London Heathrow and London Gatwick to Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga and Alicante, with a smaller presence at London City on selected routes. As a member of the Oneworld alliance, it offers strong onward connectivity for travellers combining Spain with a wider international itinerary.

easyJet is one of the UK's most recognisable airlines and operates one of the broadest UK-to-Spain networks of any carrier, flying from London Gatwick, London Luton, Manchester and Bristol among others to destinations including Barcelona, Madrid, Malaga and Alicante. It sits firmly in the low-cost category but with a reputation for a relatively strong overall network and generally straightforward booking experience.

Ryanair operates what is generally the largest number of UK-to-Spain routes of any single airline, flying from London Stansted, Manchester, Birmingham and a long list of other UK airports to an extensive range of Spanish destinations, particularly leisure-focused airports like Alicante, Malaga and Girona. Its ultra-low-cost model means headline fares are usually the cheapest available on routes where it competes.

Jet2 has built a strong reputation among UK leisure travellers, particularly those flying from regional airports outside London such as Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds Bradford, East Midlands, Newcastle, Glasgow and Belfast. It's especially popular for package-style holidays to Spain's resort coastlines, including the Costa del Sol, Costa Blanca and the Balearic and Canary Islands, though seat-only bookings are also widely available.

Vueling is a Spanish low-cost airline, part of the IAG group alongside British Airways and Iberia, operating flights from London and other selected UK airports primarily to Barcelona, its main hub. Because Barcelona is Vueling's home base, it offers particularly good onward connectivity within Spain for travellers continuing to a second Spanish city or region.

Iberia is Spain's national flag carrier, operating primarily from London Heathrow to Madrid, its main hub. As a Oneworld alliance member alongside British Airways, it offers strong onward connections from Madrid to other Spanish cities as well as an extensive Latin America network, making it a particularly useful choice for travellers combining a Spain trip with onward international travel.

Air Europa operates flights from London to Madrid and is part of the SkyTeam alliance, making it a useful option for travellers who hold SkyTeam status or are planning onward connections to Latin America, a region where Air Europa has a particularly strong network from its Madrid hub.

TUI Airways operates flights to Spain from a range of UK airports, closely tied to TUI's package holiday business, with a strong focus on resort destinations including the Costa del Sol, Costa Blanca, Mallorca, Ibiza and the Canary Islands. While many passengers book TUI flights as part of a package, seat-only bookings are also available on many routes.

Wizz Air operates a smaller UK-to-Spain network than easyJet or Ryanair, covering selected routes from selected UK airports, but follows a broadly similar ultra-low-cost model — low headline fares with baggage, seat selection and other extras priced separately.