Ryanair launches €6 flight deal from five Spanish airports

Ryanair is offering trips for about half the price of a menú del día to the east of England from the Spanish airports of Almería, Alicante, Bilbao, Málaga and Girona.

Flights are to Southend (Essex) only, a very small, single-terminal airport described as 'manageable' and 'cosy', and which comfortably serves the four coastal counties of Kent, Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk as well as the London area.

But you have to be willing to book and pay before the end of Friday (February 21), and the offer is only valid for travel between now and March 8.

This is the second low-cost sale the Irish carrier has launched so far in 2020 – back in January, the airline released a million seats to destinations all over Europe from the airports it serves in Spain for an average of 20% off, although with offers starting at as little as €8 one way.

Priority boarding, which includes being able to take a 40x55x20-centimetre hand-luggage case into the cabin, or the fee for taking one of these and checking it in, is extra, typically ranging from €10 to €15 each way.

Cabin bags of 40x20x20 centimetres are permitted free of charge, in addition to the larger bag if this is paid for, and checking in a full-sized suitcase on top, of up to 20 kilos, comes in at around €25 to €30 each way.

Checking in online is essential, and free of charge within 48 hours of the flight, and boarding passes must be printed, or downloaded on the Ryanair mobile phone App, to avoid a charge of €50 at the airport.

Cheap deals of this type are often released when Ryanair has seats it needs to fill quickly, and typically at off-peak times of the year, such as late autumn and the beginning of the year before Easter.