Andy Burnham says flights from Manchester to Jamaica are cheaper than the train to London Business News

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham sparked a furious backlash from rail industry supporters after he posted a tweet comparing Manchester’s most expensive ticket to London with a range of long-haul airfares.

He tweeted: “Return tickets from Manchester:

The highest Anytime return fare on Avanti West Coast between the two cities is £369.40 and applies during the morning rush hour, as well as the afternoon rush hour from London, Monday to Thursday. At other times the off-peak fare of £98.10 covers the journey.

Some people have responded to Mr Burnham by claiming even higher rates. Helen (@hjmac41) tweeted: “I paid £450 for the weekend and it was standing room only.”

The dates for which the airfares quoted by the mayor were obtained are unclear. Unlike the train ticket, they are not completely flexible and do not allow unlimited stopovers.

The Independent asked Mr. Burnham for more details. In the meantime, we’ve priced the cheapest flights to selected countries, as well as the most expensive Advance train tickets for Monday, April 25.

The cheapest return fares from Manchester are:

Mark Smith, the international rail travel guru known as The Man In Seat 61, said: “Sigh. The usual story. These are all cheap advance purchase fares with limited availability, with the exception of the rail fare which is of course the fully flexible and refundable business fare, with unlimited availability, valid for any train for business people when business pays.

Another Twitter user replied Mr. Burnham saying: “The prime minister and the government use misleading statements almost every day, the mayor should do better.”

A much cheaper and fully flexible fare is available at any time for people who are willing to change trains at Crewe and combine an Avanti West Coast train with a slower North West London service. The highest possible fare is £155.

The Independent asked for answers from the Department for Transport (DfT), which sets many ticket prices, and the Rail Delivery Group, which represents rail operators.

British Airways’ cheapest return fare from Manchester to London Heathrow on Monday is £398, hand luggage only.