The UK’s two largest full service airlines have cut fares in a bid to fill seats after the peak summer period.

And no-frills carrier easyJet followed suit by cutting the price of 750,000 seats to give a £11.50 one-way lead-in price. EasyJet's discounted fares are available until midnight on September 6 and apply to travel between October 1 and January 31.

British Airways says it has cut fares to long haul destinations by as much as £200 for its annual autumn seat sale. Around 1.5 million discounted fares are available for travel up to June 30, 2005 in some cases. Tickets must be booked by September 28 and some exclude peak periods like Easter.

Offers include £199 return fare to New York, £599 to Sydney, £429 to Antigua, and £269 to San Francisco. In the premium economy class, World Traveller Plus, tickets are also down to £519 to New York, and £719 to Hong Kong, for example, which both save over £200.

BA is also offering discounted hotel and Avis car rental on its website in a bid to boost revenues.

Rival bmi is also launching a sale but has restricted its booking period to six days from September 3-8. Its fares start from £28 on its largely shorthaul network. Tickets are for travel between October 1 and February 28.