Why is Gatwick such a big pain in the arse to get ro

[Pavementworrier]

And why does British airways put so many of its flights out of there??

Gets right on my wick

I live in south London ( though fairly central) and it should be the easiest airport to get to for me with the exception of City, which I love!

but it’s a bloody nightmare! The roads are terrible and it’s a pain in the arse to go to Victoria.

If you’re coming down from up north yes it’s a disaster but only if you insist you want to fly BA.

easyjet is your friend

I can walk there. Closer you live the more airport noise and air pollution.

Other airlines are available.

All the 'London' airports are many hours away for me so they're much of a muchness. A long drive or a train ride that is likely more expensive than the flight means I pretty much never use BA.

People who live in London are utterly spoilt with transport connections. It's like that meme complaining that the next tube comes in 10 mins. The other 90% of the population would kill for public transport thar frequent.

45 mins for me. Always the risk of an M25 nightmare but same applies to LHR.

Plus BA lounge at South Terminal is enormous and usually empty because so few flights go from there. Unlike T5 where you’re better off in the main departure lounge.

@Marmalade71

Ah, the M25, I missed my flight at LHR on Friday due to an accident on the M25. We were stuck at a 2mph crawl and it was an agony watching the time tick by (I had left enough time to arrive 3hrs early and still missed it) Luckily a work flight, many people crying at the desk with ruined holidays and Xmas plans.

For me it's really easy. I hate it though. It's just massive and I always nearly miss my flight. Think I've got tons of time and by the time I've found the smoking area I'm running for the gate which is inevitably twenty minutes away?!

I prefer Luton or Stansted just because they aren't so overwhelming.

For me Gatwick is over 2 hours yet Stansted is an easy hour. It’s almost like some people don’t live in London……

Its got a train station ain't it?

Gatwick is easy for me now in south London. Easier than Stansted was when I lived in east London. Basically Gatwick is on more lines and you have more options and always a plan b, even if that involves Croydon and trams. But if the Stansted Express is spannered then so are you.

D you mean its hard to get to in a car?

It's a 40 minute drive for me, and dual carriageway almost the entire way.

It's also 40 minutes on the train, but I'd have to get a taxi or bus to the station, and our buses don't start till gone 9 and stop at 5.45pm. It only costs around £25 return though, so probably a lot less than parking at the airport.

If they keep putting up the charge to drop people off, it'll soon be cheaper to get the train though: it's going up to £10 in the New Year.

Heathrow seems to have way more BA flights than Gatwick. I live in the north and have changed at or flown from LHR many many times, all with BA, but never once has the option to fly via Gatwick ever been presented to me.

It is 50 mins from me too and I find it too far!!

I live in Horsham so it’s great for me :) depends where you’re living surely? Not everyone lives where you live :S

Basically Heathrow is BAs mainbase, their traffic out Gatwick has always been at a lower/much lower level (lots of history behind why...including the Bcal merger some may be old enough to remember).

It's now left to BA Cityflyer to keep the BA shorthaul flag flying and there's a bit of long haul leisure traffic operated by BA mainline aircraft with BA mainline flight crew, not sure what the deal is with cabin crew on those.

Nothing wrong with Gatwick as such but I'd recommend avoiding a LHR-LGW connection or vice versa.

This has happened to me.

I booked a trip, flying home into “london” Stansted. Assumed that it would be nice and easy to get home. I land into “London” Stansted at 3pm.

Turns out it’s closer to bloody Cambridge than it is to London. It feels deceptive imo

Well to state the obvious it’s depends entirely where you are and where you are going to.

When I lived near Crawley it was very easy to get to. And the Gatwick Express takes you straight into Victoria so I don’t see the issue.

I walk half a mile to the station, get on the train and I'm at Gatwick in 25 minutes. I wish there were more flights from Gatwick.

Seconded. It’s 30 mins on a direct train for me. Heathrow and Stansted are much more annoying (for me).

If they keep putting up the charge to drop people off, it'll soon be cheaper to get the train though: it's going up to £10 in the New Year

Its so bloody expensive!

Heathrow would be better if the Elizabeth Line worked on more than occasional basis 😖.

People who live in London are utterly spoilt with transport connections. It's like that meme complaining that the next tube comes in 10 mins.

It really does depend I have friends who are a good 20 min walk (no bus alternative) from a train station that only operates 2 trains an hour.

Boo hoo.

Meanwhile I know plenty of people and places that have literally no bus or train service at all.

I could say the same about Stansted and Luton.

Gatwick (and Heathrow) are both very convenient for us.