Cheap Flights to Asia from the UK
Best student & youth fares right now to Asia
Check out our live prices below to see the best student and youth fares from the UK to Asia. They are updated automatically, so the moment a new rock-bottom price is available, it’ll show here (feel free to bookmark this page and keep checking back!).
Student flights from the UK to Asia
Home to hundreds of unique peoples, histories and cultures, Asia is the holy grail of student travel, and affordable adventures await UK students and young people around every corner! Fall of the grid in Mongolia’s Gobi Desert, explore India’s Golden Triangle, and book cheap flights to Shanghai and Tokyo to get aerial views of their futuristic skylines.
Countries like China, Japan, South Korea, India and Nepal are packed with world-class things to do and see, and we can get you off to a flying start - literally. Our cheap flights to Asia ensure that you’ll have plenty of money left over to experience the destinations you choose to visit.
While anyone can book through StudentUniverse and enjoy special discounts, if you sign up and become a member (it’s free!), you’ll have a range of exclusive offers and deals to choose from. And our relationships with the numerous airlines that service the region mean our student flights to Asia come at prices you won’t be able to find elsewhere. Just use the search box above to see what’s on offer.
What are the main Asia airport hubs?
Asia has several main hubs, spread across its various countries. It’s a huge region that encompasses millions of square miles, so naturally the hub you end up in will depend on what part of Asia you want to visit.
The capital cities of all Asia’s countries are hubs by default - so think New Delhi in India, Tokyo in Japan, Beijing in China, Seoul in South Korea - but due to the enormous size of some of those countries, other hubs exist too. These include cities like Mumbai, Chennai, Shanghai and Hong Kong.
Much of Asia is fairly easy to travel around, especially the more visited areas, so to reiterate the above point, if you wanted a bit of an adventure you could consider arriving into one hub and departing from another.
How to fly from the UK to Asia
The UK enjoys fantastic connections to Asia, with a huge amount of routes serviced by a huge amount of airlines.
British Airways, the UK’s flagship carrier, flies direct to all the major Asian hubs (see more on those below), touching down in cities in India, China, Japan and South Korea. Similarly, specific countries in Asia all have national carriers that fly directly to and from the UK,including Japan Airlines, Air China, Korean Air and Air India.
Alternatively, if you don’t mind making a connection (which is often the cheapest option), then your choice of airlines opens up even further, with ones based in the Middle East (geographically between the UK and Asia) providing the best options. These include Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad.
If you’d like to explore multiple locations in Asia, you could consider flying into one hub and out of another, giving you the opportunity for overland travel.
When is the best time to fly to Asia?
Due to its sheer size, the best time to visit Asia will depend on what part of it you’re going to, and what you want to do.
From the tropical southern tip of India, to the arid steppes of northern Mongolia, this is a region that encompasses an enormous variety of climates and seasonal weather systems. Generally speaking, though, the further south you are, the warmer it will be, and the further north, the colder. Be sure to thoroughly research the specific part of Asia you want to visit, and ensure your stay won’t collide with things like monsoon season in India, which isn’t much fun for anyone (unless you have a penchant for rain).
Another thing to consider when planning your trip to Asia is major events. Again, due to the region’s size, it’ll be necessary to conduct research on a country basis. For example, Spring Festival in China sees millions of citizens on the move, which can make travel expensive and difficult for tourists.
When is the cheapest time to book a flight from the UK to Asia?
Prices based on bookings made 60 days prior to departure.
Why do British students love visiting Asia?
Asia is a huge hit for British students, due to English being widely spoken, and much of the region being possible to experience on a super-tight budget. The region is culturally worlds away from Europe, which adds to the sense of adventure.
Asian universities and campuses
Asia is far from a traditional choice for British students looking to study abroad (most look to neighbouring European countries, or across the pond to America), but this doesn’t mean for a moment it shouldn’t be considered. Top universities in Asia that accept British students include the University of Hong Kong, Peking University and Tsinghua University in China, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) in India, and Seoul National University (SNU) in South Korea.
Asian lifestyle and culture
Culturally speaking, Asia is quite far removed from the ways of life and customs that British students and travellers will be used to, but this just adds to the fun. The cities tend to be busier and more ‘in your face’ (for example, the concept of personal space is somewhat laxer in some of India’s larger cities compared to what you might be used to in rural England).
Due to the warmer temperatures, outside dining is common, with locals and tourists alike often settling for street food (sizzled up on the spot from a mobile stand). Alcohol is widely tolerated throughout Asia, though drug laws tend to be much stricter and the penalties harsher, so be safe and avoid!
Exploring Asia on a student budget
With the exception of Japan, with has approximately the same living costs as the UK (if not a little higher), much of Asia is incredibly cheap to live in and travel around, comparative to Westernised countries. Land transport, whether local or long-distance, tends to be far cheaper, especially in India, one of the best countries in the world to explore by train. Cheap eats can be found in all the major cities, from Mumbai to Tokyo.
Frequently asked questions about flying from the UK to Asia
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