Six top destinations

Amsterdam: £64
British Midland from Heathrow. Must be booked by December 11. Valid for departures January 8-March 19. Minimum stay two nights, maximum three months. Thomas Cook Flights Direct (0870 7520066).

Paris: £64.40
British Midland from East Midlands. Must be booked at least seven days before travel. Valid for departures except Fridays and Sundays until March 21. Travel must be between 9am and 3pm or after 7.30pm. Minimum stay two nights, no maximum stay. British Midland (0870 6070555).

Hong Kong: £313
Air France Heathrow via Paris. Must be booked by December 6. Full payment required when booking. Valid for departures December 25-March 21. Minimum stay one Saturday night, maximum one month. Airline Network (0800 727747).

Los Angeles: £243
Virgin Atlantic from Heathrow. Must be booked by November 30. Valid for departures December 25-March 21. Minimum stay one Saturday night, maximum one month. Quest Travel (0870 4423508).

New York: £185
Icelandair from Heathrow via Reykjavik. Must be booked by November 30. Valid for departures until December 14. Minimum stay one Saturday night, maximum 30 days. Trailfinders (020-7937 5400).

Sydney: £582
Garuda Indonesia from Gatwick via Bali. Valid for departures until December 10. No minimum stay, maximum six months. Trailfinders (020-7938 3939).

The pick of the rest

Perth: £510
Royal Brunei from Heathrow via Brunei. Must be booked by December 15. Valid for departures January 16-March 22. No minimum stay, maximum two months. Bridge the World (0870 44474747).

Mexico City: £389
United Airlines from Heathrow via Washington, Chicago, New York or Boston. Valid for departures until December 13, then January 9-March 21. One stopover permitted in the US. Minimum stay one Saturday night, maximum one month. Journey Latin America (020-8747 3108).

Faro: £89
Monarch Airlines from Birmingham. Departs December 16 for seven nights. Avro (020-8695 4440).

Rome: £130
Alitalia from Heathrow or Gatwick. Same day return. Must be booked at least one day in advance. Alitalia on (0870 5448259).

And the rail alternative

Lille £40, Brussels £50, Paris £60
Same day returns. Must be bought at least three days in advance. Valid for weekend departures December 1-February 3 and all week from December 17-January 4. Also available for longer breaks if bought at least seven days in advance. Valid for departures all week. Minimum stay one Saturday night or two other nights. Eurostar (0870 5186186).

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.