If you have a 1000 am flight from Gatwick....

[Neddevine]

Would you arrive at the airport at 6 am or 7 am?

Travelling by airport coach so these are the options. Check in desk opens at 7 am.

See usually I'm a bit last minute/ just leave enough time to get somewhere but airport travel is a different story!! Im never too early usually but the what if scenarios are on overdrive where flights are concerned!

Or maybe I'm finally learning to plan ahead!!

If you’re that worried, on this occasion, how about travelling the night before and staying in a local hotel? Obviously will add cost, but often very worth it for removal of stress!

That’s short haul, so I’d arrive 2 hours prior.

We recently flew from Gatwick on an EasyJet flight, due to our allowing for delays and traffic we arrived 3 hours before the flight but could not check in bags as the system only lets you do it 2 hours before.

There wasn’t really anywhere to wait around so it was really frustrating.

We often do a "park and stay" at a nearby hotel, (there will be loads that offer this, plus a bus to the airport in the morning.) It's more expensive than a coach but it's so convenient. And much less stress all round.
And I feel the car is safer than in a huge, expensive airport parking lot.
Plus DS had a holiday job once at an airport, parking and unparking the cars at the valet parking point. He enjoyed it rather too much, particularly the Lambos, Ferraris etc.

Go for the earlier bus as you never know if there will be trouble on the motorway.

This. The 7am may not allow for any delays. Its always good to have a contingency

Ah yes sorry op just re read! 7 is fine imo. Unless you particularly love hanging out in duty free / Leon etc..

6 am. We’ve been caught out before on traffic problems.

6am.

I'd rather be sat at Gatwick with a coffee for an extra hour than be stuck on a coach worried about missing my flight.

I always catch the public transport before the one need on the way to the airport. There has been occasions where this has paid off!

FWIW I’d go earlier and treat myself to a nice breakfast and a few extra cups of tea as a reward.

I'm only 15 mins away from Gatwick (via quiet back roads) so I'd get there for 7.30! You need 2 hrs to get through baggage drop and security + walk to your gate normally.

From Oxford I’d go for six. There’s a lot of the m25!!!

Same here

7am should be fine, but then if the bus is 15 mins late, then there's a 30min queue for bag drop (not unusual for early morning LGW), then a big queue at security, suddenly all your contingency has vanished. On balance I'd go for 6am, although I hate waiting around in airports (don't like flying, the waiting to get on the plane is far worse than the flight itself).