What time to check in at Gatwick? Urgent please!!

[mumto3girls]

Hi

We are going to Malta in a week or so and the flight leaves about 7.15am...what time do we have to arrive at Gatwick please?

Should say in your tickets or you coudl check your airline website. Check in normally open around 2 hours beforehand.

According to their website :

Check-in times
Please check your ticket or contact your airline for advice on checking in times, but as a general guide:

Long-haul flights ? check in three hours prior to departure.
European flights ? check in two hours before departure.
UK and Ireland flights ? check in one hour prior to departure.

e went to menorca from gatwick last year and it was 2 hours before.

Thanks Guys...thankGod we don't live far fromGatwick!!

5.30 should do it.

If you can check in online (and book your seats) I would highly recommend it.

If you don't live far from Gatwick you can check in the night before including bags so you just turn up the next day.

We live relatively close to Gatwick too and some airlines let you check in the day before. Then all you have to do on the day is turn up with your boarding cards an hour or so beforehand and go straight through security. (Virgin for example does this and it is great only having to turn up with your hand luggage and avoid the check-in lines completely)

How do we checkinthenight before with bags please??

We're flying with BA

Check with airline first that they do, then roll on up at airport with tickets and bags and passports, as far as I remember it is after 5.30, they will issue you with boarding cards and away you go

My top tip, if you can afford it is valet parking if you have young kids. I did that whole long stay, lug bags, buggies, grumpy DH and kids at 5am...NO MORE!!! Phone Purple Parking, they meet you at the terminal at 5.30, you are inside by 5.35, bingo!

You can check in online for some flights, then drop your bags at a check in desk or quick drop desk when you arrive.

With Virgin you can turn up any time from Midday of the day before. Don't forget all those travelling must be there, complete with your passports and travel documents (and of course, luggage!)

BA definitely do online check-in....then quick bag drop 1 - 1.5 hours before and through...have a great time.

Oh well it's easy then. Go on to BA website 24hrs before. Follow online check in instructions. Pick your seats. they will tell you when check in closes. Arrive in time to check in and get to gate before boarding.

At the airport you go to the fast bag drop where they will check your bags in for you.

the main thing is your seats are booked and you get to use the fast bag drop.

DH and I did this travelling to Rome about a month ago and it was so easy.

Can you do it online with children now though - we could n't last time we flew with them , last summer, nor the electronic check in at the airport.

Thanks everyone!!

If you're flying with BA you must check in online in order to get decent seats! But it doesn't seem to save you that much time in queues as the fast drop queue is longer than the check-in queue these days. I've flown with kids on BA within the last month and had no probs in checking them in.