Cheap flights from London to Panama City

May comes out as the cheapest month on this route, and the weeks around it usually hold up well too. Fares out of London rise around school holidays and the Christmas run, when everyone travels at once. In Panama, the dry season draws the crowds and the rain arrives later in the year, so the wetter, quieter stretches often line up with lower fares. Midweek departures, Tuesday to Thursday, tend to cost less than a weekend one. For summer and festive travel, book well ahead; for spring and autumn trips, a shorter lead time is usually enough.

No airline flies London to Panama City non-stop, so what you are really choosing is the connection. Low-cost names such as Wizz Air UK and Vueling Airlines sell the seat first and the extras after, so check whether a checked bag is in the fare. Iberia, Turkish Airlines, KLM Cityhopper, Air Europa, AeroMéxico, German Airways and BA CityFlyer are the full-service options in the mix, and they usually bundle more into the ticket, though what is included changes with the fare family. Read the conditions on both legs, especially if the two flights are sold by different carriers.

Tocumen International takes most long-haul arrivals and sits outside Panama City, a drive of roughly half an hour to an hour depending on traffic. Paitilla is the small city airport, close to the centre and convenient when your routing lands you there. From Tocumen you can take an official taxi, a ride-hailing car or an airport bus into town; agree the fare or set the trip in the app before you get in. Rush hour in Panama City is slow, so leave slack if you have a connection or a check-in to reach. Confirm which airport your ticket actually names.

Currency

USD ($)

Power sockets

Type A, B · 110 V

Language

Spanish

Emergency number

103, 104, 911

Driving side

right

Calling code

+507

Internet domain

.pa

Population of Panama City

1.5 M (2026)

Time zone

UTC-05 (America/Panama)

Country facts: Wikidata

• Check which London airport your ticket leaves from, because Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton and London City are not interchangeable.
• Confirm whether a checked bag is included, especially on the low-cost legs of the trip.
• Leave generous time for a self-transfer connection, since separate tickets are not protected if the first flight runs late.
• Look up entry rules and any onward-ticket or proof-of-funds requirements for Panama before you pay.
• Try the price calendar for May and the shoulder months instead of fixing on one date.
• Weigh total journey time against the fare, because every routing on this route connects.