Cheap flights from London to Portland

Put the expensive stretch first: the school-holiday weeks, the destination's summer and the run-up to Christmas sit at the top of the fare range on almost any long-haul route, and this one is no exception, so book those dates early if travel is fixed. From autumn the range slides back down month by month, and the low point comes in March, the cheapest month to make the trip once winter is out of the way. Midweek departures tend to price below weekend ones, which is easy to test in the calendar. Dated prices here run from October through August, so every month but September can be checked side by side before you commit.

The gap between carriers on this connecting-only route shows up in the connection and in what the fare bundles. Brussels Airlines, Air France, KLM Cityhopper, Lufthansa, Iberia and Air Dolomiti all sell seats here, and the fare type matters more than the logo: higher fares usually cover a checked bag and seat choice, basic ones bill both separately. BA CityFlyer, WestJet and Republic Airways turn up on individual legs of some itineraries, so check which carrier operates each sector before judging the schedule. One booking for both legs also gets a missed connection rebooked for you; two separate tickets do not.

The transfer from Portland International into town is the painless part of the journey: the airport sits close to the city by the standards of big American gateways, with taxis and ride services at the curb, rental cars on site and transit from the terminal — check the current line-up before you fly, since services change. It is the only airport serving the city, so there is no alternative to weigh — and since it is the point of entry into the USA, immigration and customs happen right there, before you leave the terminal. On one booking your checked bags are usually tagged through; on separate tickets you collect and re-check them yourself.

Currency

USD ($)

Power sockets

Type A, B · 120 V

Language

Samoan, Hawaiian, Chamorro, Carolinian, Spanish

Emergency number

911

Driving side

right

Calling code

+1

Internet domain

.us

Population of Portland

653 k (2020)

Time zone

UTC-08 (America/Los_Angeles)

Country facts: Wikidata

• Check whether a checked bag is included before you book, because entry-level fares on several of these carriers bill the bag and the seat separately.
• Fix the departure airport first — London City, Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton and Stansted are not interchangeable — and price each one on its own.
• On a separate-ticket connection, leave generous slack between legs, because the second airline owes you nothing if the first runs late.
• Make sure your passport is valid and the US travel authorisation UK citizens need is arranged well before departure.
• Sort your dates in the fare calendar, which runs from October to August with March at the bottom of the range.