Return flights to London on sale for less than $1000

Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament in London. Photo / File

STA Travel is advertising Auckland to London return flights for less than $1000 in another sign of fierce competition in the airline industry.

The travel agency has advertised a Philippine Airlines flight via Cairns and Manila
for $979 return for travel during September, October and November.

"With a growing number of airlines servicing New Zealand with connections to London and other European cities, airlines are constantly competing to be the cheapest," STA Travel country manager Steve Green.

Last month, return fares to London were sold for under $1100, on a China Southern Airlines service.

Airlines and travel agents are competing for the record number of Kiwis travelling overseas.

Airlines are also pouring more capacity into this country as its tourism lure grows.

Last year around 3.5 million visitors came to New Zealand and more than 2.6m Kiwis travelled overseas, up 9 per cent on the previous year.