Six top destinations

Hong Kong: £374

Cathay Pacific from Heathrow, Must be booked by July 21. Valid for departures September 1-14, then October 1-November 25. Minimum stay three nights, maximum one month. Airline Warehouse (0870 7707339, airlinewarehouse.com).

New York: £229

Air India from Heathrow. Valid for departures November 1-December 15, then January 1-March 31. No minimum stay, maximum 60 days. Quest Worldwide Travel (0870 4423513, questtravel.com).

Sydney: £539

Austrian Airlines from Heathrow via Vienna. Must be booked by July 20. Valid for departures September 15-November 26. Minimum stay one Saturday night, maximum one month. Trailfinders (020-7938 3939, trailfinders.com).

Los Angeles: £295

Northwest Airlines from Gatwick via Detroit or Minneapolis. Must be booked by July 31. Valid for departures November 1-December 18. Minimum stay one Saturday night, maximum one month. Quest Worldwide Travel (0870 4423513, questtravel.com).

Amsterdam: £63.30

BMI from Heathrow. Must be booked online (£10 supplement if booked by phone, 0870 6070555). Valid for departures indefinitely. No minimum stay, maximum one year. BMI (flybmi.com).

Paris: £84.40

British Airways from Manchester. Must be booked online (£15 supplement if booked by phone, 0870 8509850). Valid for departures indefinitely. No minimum stay, maximum one year. British Airways (ba.com).

The pick of the rest

Faro: £93.88

Britannia Airways charter from Birmingham. Departs September 9 for seven nights. Thomson Flights (0800 000747, thomsonflights.co.uk).

Johannesburg: £413

KLM from Manchester via Amsterdam. Valid for departures until September 30. Mini mum stay one Saturday night, maximum one month. Thomas Cook Flights Direct (08701 111111, thomascook.com).

Mexico City: £478

Iberia from Heathrow, Manchester or Birmingham via Madrid. Valid for departures September 1-December 16. Minimum stay six days, maximum one month. Journey Latin America (020-8747 3108, journeylatinamerica.co.uk).

Tenerife (South): £139

Air Scandic charter from Manchester. Departs August 6 for 14 nights. Avro (0870 4582847, avro.co.uk).

And the rail alternative

Paris, Brussels: £59. Lille: £55

Eurostar from Waterloo or Ashford. Must be booked at least 21 days before departure. No advance booking required for Saturday or Sunday same day returns or trips including a Saturday night stay. 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.