LONDON: Long haul flights offer better value for money for European travelers, according to a survey, with Bangkok the best destination of all. The survey, which compared routes on a cent-per-kilometer (c/km) basis, found that on average, short-haul flights in Europe - those of less than four hours within the same continent – are 140 percent more expensive than long-haul. Of Europe's 125 most popular flights, nine of the top 10 in the survey went to long haul destinations. Bangkok claims the top two positions in the best-value index with 3.3 c/km from Frankfurt and 3.4 from London. This is partly due to the high level of competition for these routes, according to Kelkoo Travel who commissioned the poll. For Europeans who prefer short haul trips, the best value routes are Paris Orly to Lisbon, London Heathrow to Athens, Madrid to Las Palmas, Paris (CDG) to Athens and Heathrow to Lisbon. At the bottom of the index, domestic routes from Oslo offer the worst value for money with flights from Oslo to Stavanger, Bergen and Trondheim costing 15 times more than the best value route. "Holidaymakers have chosen to travel to short haul destinations for their summer holidays in an attempt to save money in such a tough economic climate," said Chris Nixon, managing director of Kelkoo. "These destinations may appear cheaper on the surface, but when you look at the cost per kilometer, long haul certainly comes out on top," he added in a statement. "Consumers also need to consider the cost of living in the country they are visiting. Venturing further afield to places like Thailand not only provides better value for money in terms of the flight, but also great value for money at the destination."
