Cheap flights from London to Penang

May is the cheapest month on this route, and the price calendar above covers every month from September through July. August is the gap in the data, so treat fares you find there with care. On the London side, prices climb around Christmas and New Year and again when the British school holidays start, which pushes summer departures up. Holidays at the Penang end matter too, but the London end drives the fare more. Midweek departures, Tuesday or Wednesday, usually cost less than a Friday or Sunday, and a long stopover is often what keeps a connecting ticket cheap.

No airline flies London to Penang nonstop, so every carrier here sells a connecting itinerary. The mix runs from Chinese airlines such as Xiamen Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Beijing Capital Airlines, Hainan Airlines and China Southern Airlines to the Gulf pair Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways, plus Singapore Airlines, British Airways and Finnair. All of them are full-service network carriers rather than budget operators, so the headline fare is rarely the whole story: what differs is where you change planes, how long the wait is, and what the ticket includes. Compare the total journey and the fare conditions side by side before you pick.

Penang International is the only airport serving the island, and it sits a short ride from George Town, so the transfer into town is quick once you clear arrivals. Taxis and ride-hailing apps both meet the terminal, and there is a public bus link into the city if you would rather spend less and take longer. If your connection lands late at night, check that your onward transport still runs, and keep some local currency handy for the first leg. Coming from London you will have been travelling for a long stretch, so build in time to clear immigration and pick up your bags before you head to your hotel.

Currency

MYR (RM)

Power sockets

Type G · 240 V

Language

Malay

Emergency number

999

Calling code

+60

Internet domain

.my

Population of Penang

794 k (2020)

Time zone

UTC+08 (Asia/Kuala_Lumpur)

Country facts: Wikidata

• London has several airports, so check whether your ticket leaves from Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton or London City before you plan the journey to the terminal.
• Every itinerary to Penang involves a change of planes, so look at where the connection is and how long the wait runs.
• If the legs are sold on separate tickets, a missed connection is your problem rather than the airline's, so leave a generous gap.
• Check what each fare includes, since a full-service ticket and a stripped-back one can look similar until you add bags.
• Make sure your passport and any visa or entry paperwork for Malaysia are in order well before departure.