I just saw this article that there is a new budget airline coming in 2024 called Fly Atlantic, based in Belfast. It would be nice if something like that would stick around, but I think the odds are against it.
https://www.cnn.com/travel/amp/fly-atlantic-low-cost-airline-belfast/index.html
Right now, you can get to Belfast out of Melbourne, FL airport starting 6/22/2023.on TUI Airlines.
TUI also flies to six other U.K. cities from there--including Gatwick. I don't know how inexpensive they are.
That's fine if you live in Florida, but this would supposedly be going to many more markets in the US. I will definitely be checking it out. And it sounds like fares will be in the same ballpark as WOW Airlines or Play.
Look for Summer, 2023 to be very busy wiith all the pent up demand for travel after being coop'd up for a couple of years with the pandemic. High demand means high prices in most cases. I'm seeing $1500 airfares to be the norm in Economy Class.
We seldom travel internationally unless my wife can find a flight at 50% or less than the normal airfares. And she's usually successful.
David, it pays to travel off season. Delta tickets for my trip to Scotland in 2023 cost me $900 RT (main cabin) but the trip is in May. Those same tickets in June are around $1600 to $1700.