I remember flying BEA (British European Airways - before they merged with BOAC!) back in the 70s paying £239 for a one-way ticket to heathrow from Zürich (which is closer than Carcassone-Stansted) in the days when a very nice house in the UK (Torquay) cost around £6,000 to £8,000 and the average white collar job in the UK paid £750-£1,000 p.a. - e.g. for a bank worker.

Weren't many expats around France in those days - except on the "Riviera"!!
People like David Niven, Roger Moore (still there!) and such..

..... and dmu - I was around in the 70s, working in Paris!

Used to fly with the "worlds favourite airline" but the service which you pay for is bad.......just can not stand them...
So i prefere the low cost option which sometimes more expensive or very cheap considering all the factors...
sadly i always purchase my flights a day before the 1 euro or pound sale.....

finished work today...works christmas meal was awful....loads of booze though