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Original poster

Departing from Gatwick Airport - any tips please

29 replies

mckenzie · 06/07/2007 21:34

We are off on our summer holiday next week, departing from Gatwick (which in my book is the airport from hell).
We plan on leaving extra time to cope with the extra security measures but does anyone please have any tips on how to make our time there, with a 6 year old and a 2 year old, more bearable?

TIA

OP posts:

sep1712 · 06/07/2007 21:36

what time do you fly?

Original poster

mckenzie · 06/07/2007 21:58

9.30 in the morning

OP posts:

sep1712 · 06/07/2007 21:59

do you live close by? If not maybe you could stay at a hotel the night before? Or is it tomorrow?

Original poster

mckenzie · 06/07/2007 22:01

is the time that we'll need to spend in the departure lounge that I'm concerned about sep1712.

OP posts:

LIZS · 06/07/2007 22:02

north or south terminal ?

Toothyboy · 06/07/2007 22:03

Look at www.gatwickairport.com - they have details of all the shops/restaurants etc in both terminals. I know for sure that the South Terminal has various children's play areas, I would imagine North does too. Other than that, I found that just the hustle and bustle of the airport is exciting enough for the children.
Have a lovely holiday !

Original poster

mckenzie · 06/07/2007 22:34

Lizs - I am so glad that you asked North or South. I went to get the flight tickets to check and realised that we haven't received any yet We don't travel until friday so i have time to chase them but if you hadn't asked that question i might not have realsied they were missing until much nearer the time.
Thanks for thet link toothyboy - I'll check it out.

OP posts:

Judy1234 · 06/07/2007 22:35

My daughter flew from Gatwick this morning. It was a total nightmare as ever. BAA are in serious crisis in my view and the Government has called them in for talks (about Heathrow which is even worse). Union members have reported lack of recruitment, staff stretched to the limit and the air lines want to sue BAA because they're annoying passengers and haven't ensured there are enough staff.

She barely got through after huge waits (and her water was confiscated) and then no time to buy air side so got on a long flight with no water as ever, as we had last summer.

I think most of your time will be spent standing still in a queue to get into the air port.

nooka · 06/07/2007 22:47

We flew from Gatwick (as we usually do) just before half term. It was fine. I don't think it is a particularly bad airport (better than many). My two are a bit older now, but when they were smaller and picking up dh (used to travel a lot) they always loved visiting. There are play places there, but otherwise it's like a shopping centre really, so has the usual good and bad things you might expect. Still I wouldn't have dared to take mine on a plane when dd was two, so best of luck!

Original poster

mckenzie · 07/07/2007 07:29

Xenia, so sorry to hear about your daughter's horrid time. why was her water confiscated? Was it too big a bottle?

Nooka - my two love flying so that bit isn't the problem and they won't mind that it's Gatwick (we normally go from Stansted where possible, much more civilised airport, it even has a Starbucks )

I can just picture it already though. DH being in a foul moood because he will have done lots of late nights to get straight before going away (it's now 7.30am ish saturday morning and he hasn't been home from work since he left at 8am friday morning) and then a very early start for the 9.30am flight, me being fraught that they will confiscate our water etc and then not have time to buy more, the children being over excited because they are going on a plane/on holiday etc etc.

I so wanted tgo holiday in the UK this year but DH really wanted to go away for 2 weeks of guaranteed good weather. If the airport check in is hell I'll be wanting to blame him for putting us through it. (note to self. remember to keep big mouth shut and not to start holiday off badly).

OP posts:

ShrinkingViolet · 07/07/2007 07:36

I was there on Thursday morning (buying tickets not flying so stayed before security) - be aware that it's taking longer to actually drive into the airport itself as there are police checkpoints (I don't think they actually stop people, juts if you look suspicious ) but the traffic was queuing more than usual.

Earlybird · 07/07/2007 07:54

We're flying a week today, and plan to take the Gatwick Express from central London so hope to avoid any issues/delays associated by driving.

Are they still asking people to arrive 3 hours before departure for International flights?

I really hope it isn't a nightmare experience....

Original poster

mckenzie · 07/07/2007 08:51

thanks shrinkingviolet, I hadn't thought about that. Means we'll have to leave home even earlier .

I don't know about check in times yet earlybird, I was going to check the Gatwick website that toothyboy kindly gave the link for.

OP posts:

Judy1234 · 07/07/2007 09:23

She knew you couldn't take more than 100ml through and we'd printed out the guidance so I've no idea why she thought she could take it. The rule is just a tactic to ensure you buy and spend money rather than take your own stuff. We had the same trouble last summer which just after that major security scare - queuing for hours to get in and then getting in with just enough to sprint to the flight.

Hopefully it will be better as the days since the Glasgow thing go by. School holidays and early flights are always the worst. I flew to Italy earlier this year mid week out of school time and it was a revelation - a completely different experience, civilised, no people around, not a cattle market.

Original poster

mckenzie · 07/07/2007 14:13

I was rather hoping that as we are going the week before the schools break up it wouldn't be too bad although thinking about it, we went this time last year from Gatwick and it was still horrid.

OP posts:

Judy1234 · 07/07/2007 16:23

The schools have broken up. My sister's broke up last week and my twins break up on Tuesday (that is private schools). I am not sure when the state schools break up but there will be a lot of children around who have finished term.

Original poster

mckenzie · 07/07/2007 16:38

ours dont break up until the 20th July so i thought I was one week early. Oh well, now I'm dreading it even more. I'm not normally so negative about things but I have a bit of a fear of flying anyway so from when I leave the house until I arrive at the resort will be torture, not just for me but for the whole family as they'll have to suffer me being impatient and tetchy. Oh dear. Forwarned is forearmed they say.

OP posts:

theStallionOfSensibleness · 07/07/2007 16:39

i dont see hat the deal
is
roll up check in
read sotries
ge ton lfight

BecauseImWorthIt · 07/07/2007 16:57

Make sure you get there really early - don't know if you're doing long or short haul, but I would seriously suggest that you add at least another half an hour on to the time they tell you to get to the airport.

We went away for a weekend recently and the queues to get through security were horrendous. We were so stressed out by the time we got to the gate it really spoilt the beginning of our trip.

Once you've checked in go straight through security and then go and have some breakfast - make that a treat start to the day. There are good shops in Gatwick.

It's also worth exploring if there are any lounges that you can pay to get into. I pay for a Priority Pass card (because I do a reasonable amount of travelling and not always on a business class ticket) and for about £15 each you can get into some of the lounges - it's really worth it for somewhere peaceful to sit - as well as having a free bar!

But above all, try to relax and enjoy it - it's your holiday!!!

KerryMum · 07/07/2007 17:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LIZS · 07/07/2007 17:05

We've also already broken up ! KM was that before recent bmbings thgouh . atm they have reopened the drop off zone to North terminal departures but not South. Not sure how this affects courtesy busses btu allwo extar time . Took dh almost an hour to clear security recently for a 6.30am flight, even before those bombings.

nooka · 07/07/2007 17:16

I agree with BecauseImworthit. My dh always gets us to leave at a time I think excessively early, and it does reduce the stress level. Also leave going to the gate until the last moment - always better to be amoungst the last to get on instead of the first (my guys get really fed up with that last bit when you are just waiting for the plane to get going, and I'd imagine that that could be a stressful bit for you too), and it gives you half an hour or so to do something pleasurable. But I can see that Stanstead would be nicer - we just think Gatwick is so much better than Heathrow.

KerryMum · 07/07/2007 17:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

mckenzie · 07/07/2007 17:28

I'm guessing by the typing that theStallionOfSensibleness is Cod.
It's the huge queues and crowds of people that i'm not looking forward to. Plus the fact that we're being picked up at 5.15am and DH is not a morning person at the best of times and that's after being woken about 7am. 4,45am and he'll be just horrid .

I've just checked with our regular airport cab man and he assures me that South terminal drop offs are fine, just done one level lower than they used to be.

Becausei'mworthit - did I dream it or is there a Fat Face at Gatwick do you know?

OP posts:

Judy1234 · 07/07/2007 17:45

Last summer just after the scare we were told to be there at 4.30am or something, in fact even earlier I think and yet the staff didn't arrive until 5am (no reason why they couldn't have got started earlier but they chose not to hire any staff before then) so before 5am the queues started but they ran out of space for the queues. Not fun. Took about 2 hours in that queue just to check in bags. That was the worst bit of all. Once through we were just relieved we'd made the flight. They were being very fussy over bag weights for passengers too - we were okay. The taking off shoes etc takes ages.

In December it took us ages to get through too and they went through everything so slowly, my son's lap top, mine, then the bag the boys bad brought the Christmas Nintendo wii in and we were called over for an extra check and had 15 minutes to walk a 20 minute walk to get the flight. Not good. Not even one second to buy liquid for the journey

The other point on check in is they say don't go more then 3 hours early to avoid crush but then they say be 3 hours early. So presumably you have to arrive at exactly the 3 hour point.

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