British Airways and Easyjet (both Gatwick), and Ryanair (Stansted) are the main players operating DAILY return flights form their respective departure airports.

The table below shows who flys from which airports direct. Please note that with the except of those stated above, the others may not operate daily, and some only seasonally.

That said, they are still worth considering if geographically you live no-where near London. The use of Manchester, Birmingham or Edinburgh for example may be far more convenient (and cheaper) than travelling to London. The cost of an extra night’s accommodation in Marrakech is not expensive.

Costs – Like-for-like, prices are similar across the airlines and where they do significantly differ, it is likely to be date and departure time dependent. Do ensure that you compare like-for-like, be wary of the low-eye-catching headline prices offered by low cost airlines. They won’t include hold luggage.

Direct flights to Marrakech take under 4 hours

Don’t discount 2 x one-way tickets on different airlines. It might cost a little more but the convenience of the better departure or arrival times may counter any inconvenience caused by very unsociable times a return ticket may include with the same airline.

Is not recommended if you can help it. Why?

Cheaper flights are often the reason some people choose to fly indirectly. On this route, they are not that much cheaper (if at all) but the downsides are huge.

Missing a Connection – the UK is no longer in the EU and therefore the smooth, passport-less transition from one aircraft to the next through an EU airport is potentially not so smooth anymore. It will take longer due to passport checks. Any delay in departing the UK may cause you to miss the next connection, and if the connection is tight, will your luggage make it? The fact that on a through-ticket the airline is responsible for getting you to your destination is of some comfort, but when will that be? There are possible implications of missing the start of holiday itineraries too.

Using two low-cost airline flights to fly indirectly is also a huge risk as they are not ‘joined-up flights’. They are effectively 2 single flights where you need to collect your luggage and re-check in again. This is a much longer process than the traditional ‘transit’ process.

If your flights are later in the day, there is a greater risk of something going wrong. Any minor delays in the earlier part of the day are only ever going to accumulate as the day progresses.

Assuming that you choose to fly direct, who you book with becomes quite easy.

Booking with any low-cost airline is best done on the respective airline’s own website. Easyjet, Ryanair, Wizz Air, TUI Airways.

Booking with British Airways is also best done on their website but you can also book with an Online Travel Agent (OTA) (see below). If there is a problem (BA obviously have a UK Office), you can contact them and sort out any issues relatively easily. Any fees, should they be due, will be singular (just payable to the airline) and straightforward.

The simplest, and most transparent of booking processes is British Airways. Their costs will look higher initially, but they do include a generous carry on luggage allowance (56x46x25cm + a small bag), and include a snack and water during the flight. Low cost airline free cabin allowances amount to a small bag that must fit under the seat in front of you (typically 40x30x20cm but it does vary with airlines).

Be careful if you book a BA flight with a 3rd party (eg OTA). All you’re doing is adding a 3rd party to the communication chain and it can become cumbersome, expensive, and potentially disastrous if the OTA’s terms are not in your favour! What an OTA may deem as a cancellation, an airline itself may not. It can be extremely difficult to contact some OTA’s (some are not inside the UK), and they then, need to contact the airline. Sometimes this is not automated. Should fees be involved at all, the OTA will charge a fee, in addition to the airlines fee. You are paying twice.

If you are booking an indirect flight, the lure towards booking through an OTA becomes more likely as most people use search engines to find the flights.

I emphasise that the risk of such issues occurring may be small, but it is still a risk.

Flight search engines are excellent to get an overall picture of what’s on offer. The price, the airline, the timings, stopovers, etc… You want one with decent filters to allow you to narrow down your search with the minimum of fuss, adverts, or attempts to direct you elsewhere! Once you have identified your preferred flights, you can choose where you book from (OTA or airline direct). Bear in mind that not all flight options may show on search engines so it is worthwhile checking with airlines direct too. Whatever you do, before you decide who you book with, check their terms for changes and cancellations.

Kayak is good, and they also manage Momondo, which provides some interesting insights too (worth a look).

Expedia is a big player, and they own numerous other search engines including travelocity, hotwire, Orbitz, cheaptickets, and Trivago.

Flying direct is undoubtedly the best bet on this route, especially given that this is a relatively short air journey and the small price difference you may benefit from with any indirect option. If you were to factor in a decent time buffer at the intermediary airport to counter delays, it would double the time it takes to fly direct. Regardless of how you choose to travel, avoid booking with any airline, or OTA that does not have an office in the UK.