On this page (6 sections)
Who flies it
Three low-cost airlines on one of Birmingham's fastest-growing routes.
Ryanair, Jet2 and easyJet all fly Birmingham to Alicante direct. Ryanair runs the most flights, Jet2 sells seats and pairs them with package holidays, and easyJet adds a handful a week. Together they carried 459,732 passengers in 2025, the fifth-busiest route from the airport and the fastest-growing of the top ten, up more than 14% on the year. Three carriers competing keeps the fares honest, which is the main reason to care who flies it.
The demand behind those numbers is the Costa Blanca's large British community: retirees, second-home owners and regular visitors to Benidorm, Torrevieja and the coast around them. That is also why the route runs all year, not just in summer. The airline line-up at Birmingham shows the full roster, and the destinations guide maps Alicante against the rest of the Spanish network.
Flight time and distance
About two and a half hours, across roughly 980 miles.
Alicante sits about 980 miles from Birmingham, which the low-cost jets cover in around two and a half hours. It is a comfortable short-haul flight: long enough to want a snack, short enough that you do not need to plan your day around it. Spain runs one hour ahead of the UK, so an afternoon departure lands early evening local time.
Flight times barely move across the three airlines on a hop this length, so pick on price and timing rather than a few minutes of block time.
How often it goes
Up to four a day in summer, and never off the schedule.
In the summer peak there are up to four departures a day between the three airlines: Ryanair flies it two or three times daily, Jet2 once or twice, and easyJet a few times a week. That is heavy frequency for a leisure route, and it means flexibility on times and an easy rebook if a flight is disrupted.
The winter timetable thins out, but Alicante keeps a daily service or close to it right through the low season, which most Spanish beach routes cannot claim. For what is leaving Birmingham on the day, the departures board shows the schedule over the hours ahead; for dates further out, book against each airline's own timetable, since the frequency shifts with the season.
Fares, seats and packages
Cheap if you pack light, and worth pricing against a package.
This is a low-fare route. Off-peak, one-way seats often start around £25, and Ryanair can go lower still on quiet dates. The familiar catch applies: the cheapest fares are hand-luggage only, so a cabin bag or a hold bag adds to the price, and once you load those on, the three airlines usually land close together. Price the whole trip, bags included, not the headline seat.
Because Jet2 sells the route as flights and as package holidays, it is worth checking the package price if you want a hotel too, since a bundled deal sometimes beats booking the flight and hotel separately. Fares climb hard in the school holidays and around Bank Holidays, so book those weeks early. Know your baggage allowance before you pay, because the fees are where the low fares are recovered, and pack to the liquids rules to keep security quick.
Alicante airport and the Costa Blanca
One airport for the whole coast, and how to reach the resorts.
Birmingham has a single terminal, so departure is simple: bag drop and security, with the airport map showing where they sit. You land at Alicante-Elche Airport (ALC), the only airport serving the Costa Blanca, a short drive south of Alicante city. It is a busy, modern airport with car hire, coaches and transfers on the doorstep.
From there, Benidorm is about an hour north by road and Torrevieja around 45 minutes south, with the airport bus, resort transfers and hire cars all options. Alicante city itself is 20 minutes away, with a tram (the TRAM Metropolitano) into the centre. There is no closer airport to any of the main resorts, so ALC is the arrival point whichever part of the coast you are heading for.
Practical tips
What regular Costa Blanca travellers already know.
- Price the trip with bags, not the headline fare. The cheapest Ryanair, Jet2 and easyJet seats are hand-luggage only. Add a cabin or hold bag online in advance, where it is far cheaper than at the airport.
- Check the Jet2 package price too. If you want a hotel, a Jet2 package can undercut booking the flight and hotel separately, and it adds ATOL protection. Compare both before you book.
- Book school holidays early. Alicante is a family route, so July, August and half-terms are the expensive weeks. The earlier you book those, the better.
- Mind your passport dates for Spain. For this Schengen country your passport must be less than 10 years old on the day you enter and valid for at least three months after you leave. Check yours well before you travel.
- Sort your airport transfer in advance. Benidorm and Torrevieja are 45 to 60 minutes from the airport. Pre-booking a transfer or hire car is usually cheaper and smoother than sorting it on arrival.