If you’ve read my guide to the Canary Islands travel discount, you already know that residents get 75% off flights to mainland Spain. It’s one of the best perks of living here.
But what you might not know is that you can use that same discount to dramatically cut the cost of flying to the UK — or anywhere else in Europe, really. It takes a bit of creativity and some flexible planning, but I’ve personally flown from Tenerife to London Stansted for €25. Yes, twenty-five euros.
Here’s how it works.
The Basic Idea
Direct flights from the Canary Islands to the UK aren’t cheap. Depending on the time of year, you could be looking at €150–€300+ one way. During peak season (Christmas, Easter, summer), prices can get eye-watering.
But here’s the thing: plenty of those flights have a stopover on mainland Spain — Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Bilbao, Málaga, etc. And that first leg, from the Canaries to the mainland? That’s a domestic flight. Which means you can get 75% off.
So instead of booking one expensive flight from Tenerife to London, you book two separate flights:
- Canary Islands → Mainland Spain — using your resident discount (75% off)
- Mainland Spain → UK — at full price, but often much cheaper than flying from the islands
The savings can be significant, especially during peak travel periods when the direct routes are at their most expensive.
How I Find the Best Routes
This is where Kiwi.com comes in. I use it because it has some features that make this hack much easier to pull off:
- Flexible date search — you can search across a whole month to find the cheapest days to fly
- Multiple airport search — you can search all mainland Spanish airports at once to find the best deal
- Stopover visibility — it shows you exactly where flights connect, so you can quickly spot routes that go via Madrid, Barcelona, etc.
Here’s my process: I search for flights from Tenerife (or whichever island you’re on) to the UK on Kiwi, and I look for routes with stopovers on the mainland. Once I’ve found a good connection — say, via Bilbao or Barcelona — I note the dates and times. Then I book the two legs separately:
- The domestic leg directly with the airline (so I can apply the resident discount)
- The mainland-to-UK leg wherever it’s cheapest — sometimes through Kiwi, sometimes direct with the airline
A Real Example: Tenerife to London for €25
One of my best finds was flying from Tenerife North (Los Rodeos) to London Stansted via Bilbao for a grand total of €25.
The Tenerife North to Bilbao leg was around €80 at full price, but with the 75% resident discount it came down to about €20. Then I found a Bilbao to Stansted flight with a budget airline for around €5 (one of those flash sales — you have to be quick, but they do come up).
We enjoyed a few nights in Bilbao because, why not?!
The Tenerife North Bonus
Here’s another reason I love this hack: it opens up Tenerife North airport as an option.
If you live in the north of Tenerife, you’ll know that Los Rodeos (TFN) mostly handles domestic flights. You can fly to Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Sevilla, and other mainland cities from there — but not directly to the UK.
That means most people default to Tenerife South (Reina Sofía), which can be a 60–90 minute drive if you’re based in the north. Plus, the queues can be horrendous.
With this hack, you can fly out of Tenerife North to your mainland connection point, which is often far more convenient. No long drive to the south of the island, no expensive airport parking, and — if you’ve got a resident discount applied — the domestic leg barely costs anything.
When It Works Best
I’ll be upfront: this doesn’t work every time. Sometimes the direct flight is already cheap enough that splitting it doesn’t save you anything. And sometimes the timing just doesn’t line up — you might end up with a 7-hour gap between flights, which isn’t ideal if you’re just trying to get to the UK quickly.
But it works brilliantly when:
- It’s peak season (Christmas, Easter, school holidays) and direct flights are inflated
- You’re flexible on dates — even a day or two either side can make a big difference
- You actually want a stopover — a night or two in Madrid, Barcelona, or Valencia can turn your trip into a mini-break. I’ve turned more than a few layovers into a nice dinner and a wander around a new city
- You’re flying from a smaller island or from Tenerife North, where direct UK flights don’t exist
Tips to Make It Work
Build in enough connection time. Since these are separate bookings, if you miss the second flight because the first one is delayed, you’re on your own. I always leave at least 3–4 hours between flights, ideally more. An overnight stop is even better — and often cheaper anyway, since you can fly at off-peak times on both legs. (And if a flight does get significantly delayed or cancelled, it’s worth knowing about Compensair — they handle flight compensation claims for you, which can be up to €600 under EU rules.)
Book the domestic leg directly with the airline. You need to book through the airline’s own website (Iberia, Vueling, Binter, etc.) to apply the resident discount. It won’t work through a third-party site. Make sure your NIE is entered correctly and your SARA verification goes through.
Use Kiwi’s flexible search to find the route, then book separately. Think of Kiwi as your research tool. Use it to discover which routes have cheap connections via the mainland, check flexible dates, and compare options. Then go and book the two legs independently.
Check both airports. If you’re on Tenerife, compare routes from both North and South. Sometimes one has a much better connection than the other. Same goes for Gran Canaria — Las Palmas has good domestic connections.
Don’t forget baggage. If you’re booking two separate flights, make sure your baggage allowances work. If you’re travelling light with just a cabin bag, this is a non-issue. But if you’ve got checked bags, factor in the cost on both legs.
Sort out your airport transfers. If you’re doing an overnight stopover in a city you don’t know well, Welcome Pickups is a great option for pre-booking airport transfers—I’ve never been let down. You get a driver waiting for you with your name on a sign, fixed prices, and no messing about with taxis after a late flight. I always do this if I’m flying into the south as the taxi queues can be awful.
Consider travel insurance. Since you’re booking separate flights, a standard booking won’t cover you if things go wrong between legs. I use SafetyWing — it’s designed for people living abroad and covers trip interruptions, medical emergencies, and all the usual stuff. It’s affordable and works on a monthly subscription, which suits the expat lifestyle.
Is It Worth the Hassle?
Honestly? For a quick weekend trip where the direct flight is £60 each way, probably not. But when you’re staring at a €280 one-way ticket to Gatwick at Christmas and you can do the same journey for under €50 with a stopover in Barcelona… yes. Absolutely yes.
And if you treat the stopover as part of the trip rather than an inconvenience, it’s actually a better travel experience. I’ve discovered some great spots in cities I wouldn’t have visited otherwise, just because I had a few hours (or a night) to kill between flights.
It’s not a hack that works every time, but when it does, the savings are worth it.
Have you tried splitting your flights to save money? I’d love to hear about your best finds — drop me a message on the contact page or share your tips in the Canary Islands Expats Facebook group.
Need help getting set up with the resident travel discount? Check out my full guide to the Canary Islands Travel Discount — including who qualifies, how the SARA system works, and how to get your travel certificate from your town hall.