UK Airlines

If you’re planning to take a hot beverage on your next flight, make sure you know your airline’s policy around food and drink. Some airlines are pickier than others about what you can bring into the cabin

When you’re rushing to the airport for a budget airline flight at some ungodly hour, you’ll no doubt be dreaming of your first cup of coffee of the day. Once through security, many of us make a beeline for the nearest café to get us through to our destination.

However, when it comes to boarding your flight, not all airlines are happy for you to bring your venti cup onboard. While some airlines are fine with hot drinks as long as the lid is well-secured, others will make you bin your freshly-roasted drinks and you may end up waiting for the trolley to come round to get your caffeine fix.

It’s important to check the rules with your airline – otherwise you may end up wasting money on a coffee you then need to chuck before you get on your flight.

Here’s what some of the UK’s most popular airlines say about bringing hot drinks onboard in their policies.

EasyJet

If you’ve booked a flight with easyJet you can bring your own food and drink, although the airline does of course sell its own range onboard. When it comes to your morning cuppa or coffee, the easyJet website states: “You can bring hot drinks on board if you’ve bought them at the airport and they have a lid on.”

When you buy your takeaway drink, make sure you keep hold of the lid, or even better buy a reusable cup with a tight seal such as the Byron 2.0 SNAPSEAL™ Travel Mug and get it filled with your favourite drink at the airport before you board.

Jet2

Unfortunately for Jet2 passengers, the airline doesn’t allow you to bring a cup of coffee onboard, even if bought at the airport. Its website states: “No, you can’t bring hot food or hot drinks onboard our planes for safety reasons. However, we offer a great selection of meal deals and hot and cold sandwiches that can be pre-purchased in Manage My Booking.”

The Jet2 website also has a link to its online menu, which shows it sells a range of Costa coffees including cappuccinos, lattes, Americanos, and decaf options. Its menu also includes Yorkshire Tea and Cadbury’s hot chocolate.

Ryanair

While Ryanair does allow passengers to bring their own cold food and drink onboard, its general terms and conditions of carriage clearly state: “You must not take hot drinks on the plane, or drink your own alcohol when on the plane.”

Ryanair has an app that allows passengers to order food and drink before the trolley comes round and in-between drink service. You can therefore order a coffee or tea as soon as you’re in the air and the crew will deliver it when safe to do so. While its hot drink selection is quite limited at just coffee, tea, hot chocolate, or cappuccino, the airline does offer some meal deals that include a sandwich and panini, snack, and either hot or cold drink which can work out cheaper.

TUI

TUI don’t specify whether you can bring your cup of coffee onboard. Under an FAQ saying “Can I take my own food for the flight?” the airline has responded: “Yes. However, we can’t provide heating facilities on board – although for infants, we are able to warm bottles of milk in hot water.

“Therefore, we would advise low-risk food such as pre-made sandwiches and snacks that can be eaten cold.”

It’s likely to be at the discretion of flight attendants whether they let you bring your coffee cup onboard, so you may be better off waiting for the trolley. TUI’s inflight café menu for short-haul flights includes cappuccinos, Americanos, and decaf options for coffee, as well as teas including herbal tea, and Cadbury’s hot chocolate.

British Airways

British Airways (BA) also don’t explicitly ban hot drinks from being brought onboard. It simply states that food and drink needs to pass security checks and adhere to customs regulations, so again, it’s likely to be at the crew’s discretion.

BA offer the High Life Café aboard most short-haul routes meaning travellers get a better choice of hot drinks than most airlines. From a flat white to a pumpkin spice latte, you’ll find the kind of coffees you usually order in high street chains. It also offers a wide range of Birchall teas and hot chocolate.

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A UK budget airline has added new routes and destinations to their summer itinerary with prices of return flights only costing around £50 for British holidaymakers

A popular UK budget airline has announced a £50 summer flight sale from London airports with the launch of new travel destinations.

Wizz Air has announced it will take holidaymakers to 77 destinations from the UK this summer – with return prices starting as low as £50 per person.

The budget carrier will run more than 104 routes from the UK, with 69 routes from Luton Airport and 20 from Gatwick.

Luton will now carry passengers to Bilbao, Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, Alicante and Seville.

It will also continue to run daily flights to Madrid and two daily services to Barcelona.

The airline will also serve seven destinations in Greece from London, including Athens, Mykonos and Crete.

Flights between London and destinations in Europe between June and September are currently on sale for bargain prices.

A return flight from London Luton to Kosice in Slovakia in June cost £42.98 per person and a return flight to Lyon in September is on sale for £31.98.

These prices do not include cabin bags or hold luggage.

Wizz Air UK managing director Yvonne Moynihan said: “ This summer, our customers told us exactly what they wanted – more sunshine, more choice and unbeatable value – and we listened.

“We’re stepping up while others step back, launching more routes, more flights and even better prices to Europe’s most loved destinations.

“From buzzing Spanish cities to iconic Greek escapes, we’re delivering the routes people actually want, at the best prices in the market.”