Manila to London
Without the Gulf
Routes that actually work.
Most Manila to London flights route through Doha or Dubai. When Gulf airspace closes, those flights get cancelled or rerouted indefinitely. I helped a British traveler find alternatives after his March 10 flight was cancelled — here's everything we found.
Prices are approximate and change daily. Always verify on Google Flights before booking.
Via Taipei
MNL → TPE → LHR · multiple transit options
Fly Manila to Taipei, then pick your onward connection. Prices vary wildly depending on transit hub, so check each option.
TPE → LHR prices today (non-Gulf only):
Visa: Taiwan is visa-free for most EU/EEA passports. China transit needs 144h visa-free (onward ticket to a third country).
The Baku Express
The creative one
Total: ~€772
Cheapest non-Gulf option we found
3 flights over 4 days with stopovers. Visit the Terracotta Warriors in Xi'An and the Old City in Baku while you're at it.
China: 144-hour visa-free transit (must have onward ticket to a third country).
Azerbaijan: e-visa, ~$26, processed in a few hours.
No flight search engine shows this route. You have to search hop-by-hop — that's exactly what our tool does.
Via Singapore
MNL → SIN → LHR
Singapore Airlines runs SIN→LHR daily. You can book it as one ticket through SQ, or split-ticket Manila to Singapore on a budget carrier and then SQ to London.
Price: Varies widely, check SQ and split options
Visa: Singapore is visa-free for most passports
Via Bangkok + Royal Brunei
MNL → BKK (~€117) + BKK → LHR via Brunei (~€1,155)
Royal Brunei flies Bangkok to London via Bandar Seri Begawan. It's not the cheapest, but it works and availability is usually decent.
Total: ~€1,272
Visa: Thailand is visa-free for most EU passports
What doesn't work
Philippine Airlines "nonstop"
PAL MNL→LHR routes through Doha. Not a true nonstop, and cancelled when Gulf airspace closes.
Hong Kong → London (non-Gulf)
€2,300+ and no Cathay Pacific nonstop available at time of writing. Way too expensive for what you get.
India routes
Completely Gulf-locked. DEL, BOM, CCU to London — almost all connections go through the Gulf.
Chengdu trick
Sichuan Airlines runs Chengdu to Europe, but only works if you have flexible dates. Not useful when you need to get home urgently.
Free, no signup. We'll find routes that skip the Gulf.
Powered by Sherpa. Check transit visas for China, Azerbaijan, and every stop along the way.
Prices and routes change constantly. Always verify on Google Flights before booking. Built by a fellow stranded traveler, not a travel agent.