Closest London airport to Southampton

[Kite159]

For Heathrow, I'd consider the Southampton to Woking then RailAir (change at Basingstoke) the best route, depending on the connection at Basingstoke you could also maybe consider XC Southampton to Reading and Rail Air to Heathrow that way (probably more expensive, but less changes).

I can't say much on Gatwick as I've never been so I'll leave it to others.

Or even using the Flightline 730/731 service from Basingstoke to Heathrow, bit of a longer journey by bus but will be cheaper than RailAir (especially as only £4 each way under the current £2 single scheme)

 

[WestCoast]

Forgot this was an option, thanks! I might do this potentially, especially looking at how much cheaper the Ryanair flight is my company will be thanking me.

Bournemouth is also a quick airport to get through in my experience, on a par with Southampton. Shame about the relative lack of public transport access though.

I imagine the Ryanair service from there to Scotland has also affected the Loganair loads.

 

[Irascible]

As someone who is completely against regional flights since planes are the worst carbon emitters out of every mode of transport and flying such short distances should be completely banned IMO, I have to disagree.

Thus speaks someone in the south-east. If I want to go to south Scotland then I can catch a Loganair flight, or an overcrowded XC service that takes so long I can literally fly there, back, and there again ( and that is including turn-around times ) and still be there before the train, and it's not any more expensive. Assuming the train actually runs. Make the train better than flying & it'll go away. Regional routes are the one area I expect alternate fuel/electric to actually have a chance in aviation, so there's no use sitting on laurels.

I would take Bournemouth over Gatwick ( or Heathrow ) any day even if it's not in the right direction.

 

[Snow1964]

How about a train to Christchurch from Soton Central, taxi to Bournemouth Airport, then Ryanair flight to Edinburgh at 18.15 (scheduled to get in at 19.40 but likely earlier). Then bus home to Glasgow. You'd probably get quicker in than a flight from Gatwick at 7pm.

This would be quickest, Bournemouth airport is relatively small, so very quick to get through too, and you wont be waking half a mile to gate, or waiting for runway slot to take off as tends to happen at London airports with their lack of runways.

 

[AlastairFraser]

This would be quickest, Bournemouth airport is relatively small, so very quick to get through too, and you wont be waking half a mile to gate, or waiting for runway slot to take off as tends to happen at London airports with their lack of runways.

Yes, the only issue is alternatives if Ryanair have issues! But I'd say the OP shoulf give it a try.

Or even using the Flightline 730/731 service from Basingstoke to Heathrow, bit of a longer journey by bus but will be cheaper than RailAir (especially as only £4 each way under the current £2 single scheme)

I considered the flightline, but it is an hour and a half from Basingstoke to Heathrow, so it isn't really suitable for business travel.
On leisure I'd definitely use it.

 

[Butts]

As someone who is completely against regional flights since planes are the worst carbon emitters out of every mode of transport and flying such short distances should be completely banned IMO, I have to disagree.

Easy to say living in Berkshire, you may have a different perspective if you lived in Inverness.

 

[route101]

I have used most of the options here. Loganair had a decent schedule most days with exception of Saturday evening. Easyjet going daily is a boost but you need another flight to make day returns possible. I wouldn't get too cosy with easyjet staying on the route, we might end up with no Glasgow to Southampton service.

The Ryanair service was handy on a Sunday evening from Bournemouth. No buses to airport at weekend.

 

[Titfield]

If you go on X (used to be Twitter) and see the problems Railair have with the link to Woking you may be concerned about how much reliance you place on using them to get to LHR.

I use SOU or BOH where possible because of having to build in very considerable "buffer time" for lhr to allow for problems getting to lhr and then the time it can take to actually get to the gate.