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AIBU?

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Original poster

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

190 replies

Pavementworrier · 13/12/2025 23:47

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

Gets right on my wick

OP posts:
KentishBob · 14/12/2025 17:51

Try Heathrow living in Kent

x12 · 14/12/2025 19:24

@WonderfulSmith boo hoo, straight back!

I was just explaining to you that not every where in London is the same. It’s not always a race to the bottom….

nomas · 14/12/2025 19:27

At least Gatwick has cheaper flights. Flights from Heathrow are £££.

gogomomo2 · 14/12/2025 19:34

Pain in the backside, I avoid completely, we either go out of our nearby airport, Birmingham is 90 minutes and Heathrow under 2 hours, Gatwick is at least 3 and puts me off, Manchester is easier usually than Gatwick though not my preference

dynamiccactus · 14/12/2025 19:41

Pavementworrier · 14/12/2025 00:09

I forget people in the south east have such low expectations on connectivity

Well, I can get to a station in 10 minutes with direct trains to Gatwick every 30 minutes.

Whereas I have to drive to Heathrow, or drive to another town and get a bus or get the train and an airport bus.

Heathrow is nearer but Gatwick is easier by public transport. Luton and Stansted are a long way from me. Southampton is really easy with its own mainline railway station.

Yesimmoaningaboutbenefits · 15/12/2025 22:37

ParisianLady · 14/12/2025 14:23

@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.

My parents instilled in all of us, NEVER use a motorway to get to an airport. It only takes 1 accident to ruin the holiday. A roads/B roads you can turn off and find an alternate route, even if you're later than planned. Motorway home is fine though.

Duechristmas · 15/12/2025 22:39

Gatwick is a lovely drive if you're on the south coast. I would say the same about Stansted. Gatwick and Heathrow are the only real options where I live and Heathrow is a pig to get to.

OneJollyPinkEagle · 15/12/2025 22:48

I live in horsham
Very easy to get to. Traffic can be a mare. But that's just part of it.

Mademoidame · 15/12/2025 23:01

Gatwick was brilliant for visiting my mum! A 30-minute potter down country lanes - family member would pick me up or a taxi was about £30 (bit more now I expect). Or the Gatwick express from Victoria takes 35 minutes - it's further out of town than my mum's but it's an hour on the train to mums because the train stops everywhere!

Hufflebuffs · 15/12/2025 23:09

Pavementworrier · 14/12/2025 00:10

Lots of routes only go from Gatwick and BA has cancelled it's regional connections to Gatwick so you have to get to Gatwick from London and it's the oldest, shittest connection going

Show quote history

Not really BA’s fault. They will only have so much capacity at Heathrow and want to run more flights so Gatwick it is? There’s also London city for BA flights.

Thechaseison71 · 15/12/2025 23:13

Berlinlover · 13/12/2025 23:52

It depends on where you’re living.

This!! I drive their in just over an hour a couple of weeks ago. Easy . And had to use Dartford bridge

Thechaseison71 · 15/12/2025 23:16

LighthouseLED · 14/12/2025 00:27

It’s the easiest airport to get to for me.

No idea what you mean about “low expectations of connectivity” in the SE - I can get everywhere I need or want to go to without too much of a hassle, from four different airports that are all reasonably accessible. Actually five if you include Southampton, though I’ve never felt the need to use that one.

Stansted on the other hand really is a pain.

Stansted is so so easy for me. Can even take a £3 airport bus Shame no long hauls go from there and I have to shlep to Heathrow from essex

Thechaseison71 · 15/12/2025 23:20

wombat1a · 14/12/2025 06:27

Heathrow and Gatwick are both awful to get too, Stansted on the other hand is a breeze.

Funnily enough it is far easier for us to fly from our local regional airport to Schipol and fly onwards from there than it is form any of the big UK airports. Its so easy that we even see people fly to Schipol to pick up flights to the USA flying back over the UK who so its faster for them to use their local small airport and fly to Amserdam and transfer than it is drive to UK airports and wait in the lines there.

Edited

Yes I've done Southend to Amsterdam then long haul. Can get to Amsterdam in less time than going to Heathrow

TurquoiseDress · 15/12/2025 23:32

Depends on where you live

It’s perfect for us as we’re in SE London

Lambington · 15/12/2025 23:33

Its 20 mins from us. Super convenient. We dont live in Croydon.(*although used to!)

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