While planning a recent trip to Grenada I was surprised at how difficult it was to find UK flight information. It was a challenge to learn which airlines flew to Grenada, what days of the week they flew there and which times of the year. Since the information was not readily available I spent a ton of time digging online and calling airlines. I documented my findings and am sharing with you today – so you don’t have to go through the same rigamarole I did.
Are There Any Airlines That Fly Direct to Grenada from the UK?
Unfortunately, no, there aren’t any airlines that fly direct to Grenada from the UK. However, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic both have near-direct options since they both fly from London to Grenada with only one short stopover.
Planning a trip to Grenada should be fun and exciting. Sure, I expected to spend maybe an hour online discovering options for air and hotel but not hours and days on the phone with airlines dancing around the questions “what day do you want to leave?” and “how long do you want to stay?” when my answer was always I DON’T KNOW!
Planning a trip to Grenada when you don’t have firm dates yet
If you’re like me, when I begin thinking about planning a trip I don’t have specific dates in mind. I may not even have a time of year in mind. I just know the destination and am on a mission to gather the information that will help me determine when I want to go.
If you’re not sure why Grenada is worth visiting, check out my article 20 Reasons Why Grenada is Totally Worth It.
Sure, if you know the exact dates of your trip it’s a little bit easier. Just go Skyscanner or Google Flights, plug in the dates and voila!
If you’re lucky and choose dates the airlines are actually flying to Grenada, you are presented with the flight options.
If you have average luck like me, instead of getting flight options you get options for “flight adventures”.
Flight adventures are a combination of several stops &/or layovers and take more than a day to get to your destination. They are a long, tiresome, and inefficient way to get to your destination.
Flight Adventures
Unless you’re a nomad traveling to Grenada with just a backpack, or someone who loves airports and plane rides, flight adventures suck. They are a long, tiresome, and inefficient way to get to your destination.
Flight search tools return flight adventures because the dates you input in the tool are days the airlines are not scheduled to fly to your destination. So, the tool has no choice but to piece together a trip that gets you from point A to point B.
For example, let’s say you live near Aberdeen Airport (Scotland) and wish to fly to Grenada. Using Google Flights you plug in a random date from Aberdeen (From) to Grenada just guessing a date. (Remember, this happens when you don’t know the airlines’ schedule)
This flight adventure starts in Aberdeen, heads to London then to St. Lucia and finally, Grenada. What an adventure! I’m rather impressed this only 28 hours.
How to easily plan your flight to Grenada & avoid flight adventures
Using the flight search tools in an efficient manner that doesn’t result in hours upon hours of research and ripping of hair requires you to know which UK airlines fly almost direct to Grenada and on which days.
Once you know the airlines and days they fly, you can begin to use the tool to come up with timeframes you may wish to schedule your trip.
So, the question becomes “OK, when do UK airlines fly to Grenada?”.
Don’t worry. I got you. I spent hours researching which UK airlines fly almost direct to Grenada’s Maurice Bishop International Airport, their flight schedules, and durations. Then I summarized the info into a nice tidy table.
Airlines That’ll Fly You to Grenada from the UK
While there aren’t any airlines flying directly to Grenada from the UK, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic both have relatively short flights, with only one stopover in St. Lucia. Each airline originates in London and flies to St. Lucia before the final destination, Grenada.
Neither of these airlines is a bad choice. After all, they’re two of the most reliable, comfortable, and luxurious airlines for economy class flights.
Schedules and Flight Durations
If you decide to use British Airways for your next flight from the UK to Grenada, you can expect a 10-hour flight. The first leg takes about 8 hours 30 minutes to reach the stopover point of St. Lucia. The second leg from St. Lucia to Grenada takes about 1 hour 30 minutes.
The British Airways flight schedule from London to Grenada is the same all year-round. There are two flights per week – one on Wednesdays and one on Saturdays.
On the other hand, Virgin Atlantic usually takes about 11 hours to fly from London to Grenada.
The Virgin Atlantic flight schedule from London to Grenada is also the same year-round. There are two flights per week: one on Mondays and one on Fridays.
Note: No matter which airline you chose, make sure that you prepare for the time zone change.
Summary of Flight Information from the UK to Grenada
| Airline | Flight Cities | Schedule / Flight Time |
| British Airways |
Gatwick Airport to St. Lucia
| Wednesday and Saturday / Flight time: 8 hours 45 minutes |
| Virgin Atlantic |
Manchester Airport to St. Lucia
| Monday and Friday / Flight time: 9 hours 5 minutes |
| Liat | St. Lucia to Grenada | Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday Flight time: 55 minutes |
Disclaimer: The schedules referenced in this article were current at the time of writing and subject to change at any time. Always check with the airline directly to confirm their current schedule.
How much is airfare to Grenada from the UK?
The cost of airfare to Grenada is highly dependent on several factors including the airline, the time of year you will be traveling, your originating destination (airport you live closest to) and the class of seating on you choose. The prices I saw ranged from $645 to $2,200.
If you’re interested in saving money (and who isn’t), check out my article on the Cheapest Times to Visit Grenada – it even includes examples!
The airline
British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are similar in terms of services, quality, and pricing. Given these few options, the choice of airline is not as big of a factor. However, savings can still be had by selecting a lower-priced seating option as we’ll discuss later.
Time of year you will be traveling
The cost of airfare follows basic economic principles – as demand increases so do prices.
More people want to travel around the holidays – especially Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s and Easter – so travel costs are higher during these times.
The same goes for springtime in general. If it’s gloomy Gus in the UK, US, and Canada, people are heading to the Caribbean.
You can save on airfare by traveling during slower times – summer and fall – except holidays.
Your originating destination (airport you live closest to)
The further you are from the city that flies directly to Grenada, the more you will likely pay because you need to pay to travel from your origination to a city that flies direct to Grenada.
In our flight adventure example, the traveler needs to travel from Aberdeen to Gatwick Airport in London in order to begin the trek to Grenada (by way of St. Lucia). This person will pay more than someone who lives near Gatwick Airport because they have an extra leg of travel.
Class of seating/ Fare Types (economy, business, first-class)
Most airlines offer fare types or classes of seating such as economy, business, and first-class.
Economy seating is typically the least expensive followed by business class then first-class. Of course, the cheaper the fare the fewer the benefits & features.
For example, economy seating may have 3 seats across with tighter quarters and less privacy. Ugh — the dreaded “middle seat”.
Sometimes airlines or travel aggregator sites will offer super cheap seats but be very aware because oftentimes the restrictions that come with the sale tag are very limiting.
For example, great deals are often non-refundable, non-changeable or both! Sometimes its worth peace of mind to pay a little extra knowledge you can change your flight reservations if you need to. You know, when life pulls a fast one on you. Be sure to read the fine print.
Saving money generally requires you to book an economy seat. You may not get a free drink but the potential for savings can be hundreds of dollars.
How long does it take to get to Grenada?
It can take anywhere between 9 to over 24 hours to get from the UK to Grenada.
Same as the cost of a flight to Grenada, the time to get there is dependent on your originating city and how many airport stops and/or layovers.
In case you’re not sure where Grenada is even located in this world (don’t be shy — I didn’t know either until I did know!) check out my article Where is Grenada Located.
Your Originating Destination (Airport You Live Closest To)
I think it goes without saying the further you are from Gatwick or Hartwick Airports, the longer your total trip duration will be.
Number of Airport Stops & Layovers
Airlines don’t just fly from any city to another city. Instead, they have hubs – a few main locations throughout the UK where all traffic comes in and goes out to get travelers to their destinations efficiently.
Without hubs, it would be unaffordable to fly, and the air traffic would be pure chaos.
More Tips to Save On Airfare
Who wouldn’t want to save money – especially on a big-ticket item such as airfare?
There are a variety of ways to save on airfare. Some of them we already discussed including:
- Choose low-cost airline
- Choose economy fare
- Fly off-peak (summer, fall and avoid holidays)
Depending on how much effort and hassle you want to put into it…there are more ways you can save money on airfare.
- Buy in Advance: The sweet spot for buying international airfare is between 1.5 – 5.5 months before departure. Earlier or later than this timeframe can cost you more. -Per Fare Compare.
- Compare: Always compare airfare – even if you think your hometown airline is always the cheapest, it’s not always true so do compare. -Per Fare Compare.
- Fly During on Weekday: Book travel on the cheapest days to fly – Usually weekdays for international travel. -Per Fare Compare.
- Setup an alert: Several airfare search sites (i.e. Skyscanner, Google Flights) allow you to set up an alert for your trip whereby they will email you when the fare has changed. If the fare goes down to a price that delights you, buy immediately!
- Credit Card Points: Apply for an airline points credit card to gain points toward the purchase of airline tickets. This typically requires you to charge a few thousand dollars on the care within a specified period of time (i.e. 3 months).
- Read the fine print carefully.
- Be sure to factor in any other charges, such as annual fees, to determine if the card is really going to save you money in the long run.
- Book Group Tickets Separately: When researching airfare always search on 1 adult ticket even if there’s a group of you traveling. If you search on 4 adult tickets and each ticket has a different price, you’ll be charged all 4 seats at the highest ticket’s price. BS if you ask me — but that’s how it works.
Life can be challenging at times. I don’t think planning a relaxing vacation should be one of those times. Everyone should have an opportunity to visit the amazing country Grenada and not let the roadblocks of finding travel information stand in the way. I hope you found this information valuable and a real timesaver. Happy planning!
