Six top destinations

Los Angeles: £263

Northwest Airlines from Gatwick via Detroit. Must be booked by today. Valid for departures January 10-March 31. Minimum stay one Saturday night, maximum one month. Bridge the World (0870 4441716, bridgetheworld.com).

Sydney: £617

Asiana Airlines from Heathrow via Seoul. Must be booked by January 15. Valid for departures January 16-March 31. Minimum stay four days, maximum three months. Trailfinders (020-7937 3939, trailfinders.com).

Hong Kong: £409

Emirates from Gatwick or Birmingham via Dubai. Valid for departures December 25-April 3, then April 12-July 15. Minimum stay seven days, maximum two months. Quest Travel (0870 4423513, questtravel.com).

New York: £186

Kuwait Airways from Heathrow. Valid for departures January 1-March 31. No minimum stay, maximum six months. Thomas Cook Flights Direct (0870 7520066, thomascook.com).

Paris: £59

British Airways from Birmingham. Must be booked online (£10 extra if booked by phone 0870 8509850) and at least 30 days before travel. Valid for departures indefinitely. British Airways (ba.com).

Amsterdam: £59.50

BMI British Midland from Heathrow. Must be booked on line (£5 extra if booked by phone 0870 6070555). Valid for departures indefinitely. No minimum stay, maximum one year. BMI British Midland (flybmi.com).

The pick of the rest

Melbourne: £585

British Airways or Qantas from Heathrow via Singapore or Bangkok. Valid for departures April 16-June 30. No minimum stay, maximum one year. Travelbag (0870 8901458, travelbag.co.uk).

Beijing: £380

Lufthansa from Heathrow via Frankfurt. Must be booked by December 31. Valid for departures January 10-February 29. Minimum stay one Saturday night, maximum one month. Trailfinders (020-7937 3939, trailfinders.com).

Mahé (Seychelles): £422

Air France from Heathrow, London City, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle, Southampton, Bristol or Aberdeen via Paris. Must be booked by December 26. Valid for departures January 10-June 14. Minimum stay one week, maximum one month. Airline Warehouse (0870 7707339, airlinewarehouse.com).

And the rail alternative

Paris/Brussels: £59. Lille: £55

Eurostar from Waterloo or Ashford. Valid for same-day returns December 15-January 2. No advanced booking needed but may not be available at last minute. Eurostar (08705 186186, eurostar.com).

NB Fares can change rapidly. These were available in reasonable quantities at the time of writing, but they can sell out in a sudden rush.