Find cheap Loganair flights

Loganair bills itself as the UK’s largest regional airline, but to my mind that is a bit of a misnomer. It may be true in terms of passenger numbers and airports served, but there is something ‘small-time’, in the best possible way, about this airline. By that, I mean that the airline is friendlier, by far, than most. And in this day and age, that makes such a huge difference.

Based at Glasgow Airport, Loganair serves more than 40 airports, primarily across the UK (including the Isle of Man) and Ireland. Further afield, the airline flies to Esbjerg in Denmark and a handful of Norwegian airports, among them Stavanger, Bergen and Bodø.

Loganair is neither a budget airline like Ryanair, nor a flag carrier like British Airways. It has a different flavour altogether and this has much to do with the airports and regions it serves. This is an airline for the adventurous. Travellers who want to see Orkney and its Neolithic monuments. People who want to walk the white sand beaches of Tiree in the Inner Hebrides. Those who want to use Ålesund as a stepping stone to Norway’s fjords. Or those, like me, with family and friends in far-flung places.

Improvements to the schedule

Loganair recently announced additional ‘same plane’ services. The new services include connecting the Shetland Islands’ Sumburgh to Belfast, Sumburgh to Manchester, Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands to Belfast and Kirkwall to Manchester. Operating the routes as ‘same-plane’ means passengers don’t need to deboard and change planes to complete the route and remain on the aircraft at any stops.

Types of ticket

At first glance, the range of ticket types on offer by Loganair can be overwhelming – we seem to have moved well beyond the days of choosing a flight just by time and destination. Loganair has segmented its fares to reflect the width of its customer base, however, and offers deals for everyone from local residents to oil industry workers flying to and from North Sea rigs.

Loganair fare types also reflect the fact that many of its passengers are island-based and may need to fly regularly to the UK mainland for everything from work to hospital appointments and even sporting fixtures.

The Business Connect fare, for example, targets travellers who fly the same route regularly but may need a degree of flexibility. It includes fast-track security but requires travellers to book a minimum of five return journeys on an eligible route.

Many of the airports Loganair serves are holiday destinations, so the airline is keen to attract families. To that end, children up to the age of two fly for free, while those aged 2-11 inclusive are eligible for a discounted fair when travelling with an adult.

Loganair is also targeting the corporate travel market, offering bespoke solutions to companies requiring at least 200 annual seats on markets with more than one daily departure. A specialist corporate sales team has been created to deal with these needs.

Loganair also offers special fares for students travelling to Aberdeenshire.

The airline aims to accommodate changes to travel plans caused by bereavement or the need for urgent medical treatment, for instance. Loganair can help with new ticket purchases, which it calls Compassionate Fares, or changes to existing Loganair bookings. This is known as Compassionate Flexibility.

I have been in this situation with other airlines and would welcome this kind of help. It is the kind of personal touch that makes all the difference. It marks out Loganair as a community airline, which recognises and takes seriously the role it plays in people’s lives.

How much baggage can I bring?

Baggage allowances vary according to the fare. Fly customers can carry up to 21kg of baggage in total, consisting of 15kg hold and 6kg cabin luggage. Fly Flex customers are entitled to carry up to 23kg hold luggage and 6kg cabin luggage. Travellers who have opted for the most expensive fare, Fly Flex +, can carry up to 30kg hold luggage and 6kg cabin luggage. In the case of the latter, the airline stresses, the maximum weight per bag, regardless of fare or excess luggage paid for, must not exceed 25kg.

Loganair flies a number of routes that use smaller aircraft, particularly on its Scottish inter-island services. This means that if you are flying to the likes of Barra, Campbeltown, Tiree or within the Orkney Isles, you can take just 15kg of luggage in total.

Where most Loganair flights are concerned, additional hold luggage (one piece per passenger, weighing up to 15kg) can be booked, although this is charged for. Aircraft size means that the service is not available on flights to or from Tiree, Barra, Campbeltown or within the Orkney Isles.

The check-in process

Passengers travelling with Loganair can check-in online and print their own boarding passes if they wish, dropping off any hold luggage at an in-airport kiosk. If they prefer, they can check-in in person at the airport check-in desk, where their boarding pass will be printed by a member of staff.

Your aircraft

Nervous fliers should double-check what aircraft are in use on their preferred route. The Loganair fleet ranges from the very small Britten Norman Islander planes, which carry a pilot (no cabin crew) and eight or nine passengers, to the ATR 72-600, which have space for two pilots, two cabin crew and 70 passengers. A number of the airline’s aircraft are turboprops – in other words, they have propellers, which may not be everyone’s cup of tea. Travellers with mobility challenges would also be advised to contact Loganair in advance, to discuss aircraft accessibility.

What to expect onboard

All of my Loganair experiences have been marked by the friendliness of the staff. They have been helpful and accommodating and seem genuinely concerned about their passengers. Many of the destinations Loganair serves are at risk of weather-related disruption, and cabin crew seem to have been trained to deal with this in as calm and friendly a way as possible. I have been on some very bumpy Loganair flights and although I am not a particularly confident flier, I have always felt safe and in good hands.

I have also found that Loganair cooperates well with its airline partners in terms of dealing with disruptions and missed connections. I have missed several Loganair connections due to delayed flights from London and the airline has always accommodated me in a friendly, organised fashion. I have been transferred between airports by taxi, had my luggage delivered later rather than me having to wait for it, and was once ushered through Aberdeen airport so as not to miss my flight. It always felt like Loganair staff were working with me, rather than against me, which has not often been the case with other airlines.

Food and drink

Tea, coffee and snacks (often featuring the iconic Tunnock’s caramel wafers) are included in the cost of your ticket, adding a bit of old-school charm to the Loganair experience. Keen to highlight Scottish products, the airline recently offered the much-loved Mrs. Tilly’s tablet (a sugary treat that is fudge-like but never to be described as fudge!) as part of an annual Scottish food and drink festival. For me, personal touches like this make Loganair stand out from the crowd.

Loyalty programmes

Members of the Clan Loganair loyalty programme earn Clan Points per flight and are rewarded for how often they fly, rather than how far they fly. Reward points are accrued on even the cheapest fares and can be exchanged for Clan Reward Flights.

Members can earn up to 800 points per flight, depending on the ticket category. Clan Loganair awards 800 points for a one-way Fly Flex + flight, 400 for a one-way Fly Flex flight, and 250 for a Fly flight (again, one way). This means that earning a Clan Reward Flight requires five Fly Flex + journeys, 10 Fly Flex journeys, and 16 Fly journeys.

Points are not awarded on Code Share or interline flights where Loganair is not the operating carrier, nor on flights operated under contract for the Orkney Islands Council i.e. flights to/from the North Isles of Orkney. It is worth noting that Points will automatically expire after 36 months. If, like me, you use Loganair just a couple of times a year, there may be little reason to join this programme, but the airline’s growing lists of destinations can only make it easier to accrue points.

Something to be aware of

The airline itself has warned potential customers to be aware of fake Loganair accounts appearing on social media, primarily on X, Facebook and WhatsApp. These channels are contacting customers and asking them for personal information, including their phone numbers. The airline does not use WhatsApp when dealing with customers and will never ask for financial information. Check the official social media accounts listed on the Loganair website before responding to messages. Err on the side of caution.

Finally … a fun fact

Loganair operates the shortest regularly scheduled flight in the world. Flying between Westray and Papa Westray, two of the Orkney Islands, it takes around one minute.