Is there enough time with 3.5 hours before next flight to get from London heathrow

[Milo13]

Hi Folks,
panic stations here! I booked Edinburgh to orlando and didnt notice the flight was to LHR then left LGW! Is there enough time in 3.5 hours to get to Gatwick? Bearing in mind we have our bikes to pick up from LHR as well? :-(

@Bjorkdidit

The OP has more than the minimum connection time so I'd just do it. If they miss the flight, BA will put them on the next one.

True, but given this season at least BA are doing only two (?) LGW-Orlando a day that could well mean spending an unwanted night at LGW.

Absolutely not.

You need to be at Gatwick three hours before your flight takes off! So you have half an hour to land, get all bags and then get to Gatwick. There's not a chance.

In theory it could be done by the skin of your teeth but in reality it takes ages just to get out of Heathrow, then it's an hour even with the most favourable traffic, then another 10 minutes to check in. Minimum check in is usually an hour for intercontinental flights. Can't you change your flight to Gatwick?

You need to be at Gatwick three hours before your flight takes off!

That’s not a requirement, though some airports like to use three hours as some form of guidance,

BA recommend a minimum of three hours between a flight arrival at one airport and a departure at the other (whether that is sensible or not is another matter).

https://www.britishairways.com/content/en/kw/information/airport-information/flight-connections

AFAIK Long Haul Check-in for BA at Gatwick closes 60 min prior to departure..that’s the absolute latest time you need to be at Gatwick if you are checking bags in.

@Florida2020 how is it your fault if you used a travel agent? You rely on them for their professionalism. Out of interest which agency did you use?

Are the bikes quite specialist or including children's bikes, or are you going on a bike trek?
If not, I'd hire them there. Because of the difference in the side of the road you drive on, bikes are set up the other way round in the US and it means when turning left (the tricky direction) your brakes are set up for safety over there - you can use the back brake and signal left.

I'm never sure where this oft-repeated information comes from. BA state themselves that long haul check in closes 60 minutes before a flight at LHR and LGW.

In addition to this, the OP will likely have actually been checked in for her London to Florida flight in Edinburgh, assuming she's on a through ticket.

I'm not saying the timing isn't too tight with oversized luggage to collect and re-check in this instance, or that 3 hours ahead isn't a good idea generally for smooth passage through the airport, but as long as a passenger is checked in before check in closes and at the gate before the gate closes, no other time constraints apply.

I travel on BA through tickets often as we live off-shore and if it's just me & DH and we're not changing airport we'll risk anything above an hour transfer time on the ground, so long as it's a frequent route with options should we miss the second leg.

I've had a Heathrow to Gatwick connection with BA twice and missed my flight both times.

BA booked me onto the next available flight at no cost but it was a pain - and in one case I had to overnight in a hotel and get an 0630 flight the next morning to a wedding that day- only just made the wedding and I was so knackered and grumpy!

@CheeseWisely

I think the three hours “rule” has been encouraged by some airports because it covers their backsides if security is having a bad day, but as you say it usually bears no resemblance to what the airlines actually operationally require, which is typically a lot less.

The airports might like a three hours figure because means it is a good day people scoot through airside PDQ and they then have time to spare so they spend money in the airside shops, which is good for the retailers and hence good for airport revenue…

I've absolutely done everything to amend this booking but to no avail. Cancelling would not get me a refund either! I am just going to have to take the risk but make sure everything is in place re check-ins , Uber etc. Wish me luck 🤞

Airlines rebook passengers onto the next available flight with seats which does not necessarily mean the next flight.

If it's booked as one ticket, how are they expecting you to get from Heathrow to Gatwick? Is that included as part of the ticket?

Exactly - the three hour ‘rule’ is purely marketing, to get you to spend more time and more money in the airport. I never get to the airport more than 90 minutes before any long haul flight - there’s just no need.

As for travelling by train between LHR and LGW that’s pointless. It almost always takes much longer than by car. I’d stick to NEX, if they’ll take the bikes. You’re unlikely to do it in 45 minutes, but at most times of day it’ll take an hour or so. Allowing for an hour of delay on arrival / getting from the gate to the bus terminal and getting on the coach, that leaves 2.5 hours. An hour on the road, and 90 minutes at LGW. Tight, but perfectly doable…or at least, more likely to work than not!

Thank you a very encouraging post!

Travel up x

Unless the motorway is closed/very congested, it is possible the oversized luggage is the bigger issue here as that is slower to be offloaded. It's one hour minimum check in at Gatwick

Never. A through ticket with a change of airport is always flagged as such at the time of booking (to whoever is making the booking, not OP in this case if she's used an agent, but the agent should have flagged it before confirming the booking).

I think it’s right.

Do not use Uber, they are awful at London airports.

Id actually see if you can get your luggage sent ahead, so you just have to check it in for the final leg.

It's a bit crap but you could drive or get the train to London.? Costs might be cheaper

Absolutely not. I had a Heathrow connection recently of an hour and a half, leaving from same terminal. Incoming flight landed early yet I still ended up running to the gate. There's so much faff and admin, don't be me the time I missed a flight to NYC 😭 I have a whole miserable thread about it.

I'd also be wary of Uber with outsize bags.

FWIW there are some car companies (Google is your friend) that specialise in inter terminal and inter airport transfers between the likes of Heathrow and Gatwick....at a price..

OK op, I used to work in the industry and here's what I'd do-

Before travel, keep a close eye on any time changes. If either of the times change you might well qualify for a free rebook.

Approx 1 week before I'd ring BA and find out in a lot of detail how to check in / do transfer etc. Ie. Will baggage be checked through, ie stamped to Orlando, will you have boarding passes for Orlando etc, so you know exactly what to expect.

On the day, I'd show up in plenty of time for previous flight from Edinburgh to Heathrow, and ask to be swapped onto earlier flight. They may well do it as they won't want you missing connection either.

If you end up on flight youve booked I'd take a good screen grab of your transfer on maps to prove you did it as quickly as possible.

And I'd also be mentally prepared to miss the Orlando leg and arrive following day.

Good Luck!

Anyone used this company? Asking the right questions at least. https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fbritanniaairportcars.co.uk%2Fheathrow-to-gatwick-airport-taxi-transfer&h=AT07MZqdMKtDgILxPs68MD_F7obMhlCiVVnWTb5OylB55qG70njXgP32xTmpqsqE7UvZxUTk2b_AWvXgv0djsjcDvNCc3bxm_UeyE2fmJ2OCrtHUEQnpo6NTtP2HeH7EP9_EFTMQBEWD&s=1

I know this thread is ancient but...

We do a lot of Gatwick / Heathrow transfers. There are companies who specialise and will have cars that take prams/wheelchairs/giant musical instruments whatever. But the traffic can be a nightmare.

The National Express is great, but allow time to get to from the coach stations at either end. I have done the transfer in that time but it can be a bit worrying and I wouldn't do it for a big international flight where there weren't many options.

We've bought insurance before now (DOhop and the like) where they'll guarantee a connection - i.e. if you miss your connection they'll put you on the next flight even if it's a different airline.

@dairydebris

Will baggage be checked through, ie stamped to Orlando, will you have boarding passes for Orlando etc, so you know exactly what to expect.

The phone call you suggested isn’t a bad idea..if you can get through🙄

It’s a long long time since I did this specific link (LHR-LGW) with hold bags, but I do know with BA it’s a sort of connection that in some ways isn’t an all whistles and bells connection, I.e. a proper one where almost everything is done for you and all you have to do is get yourself between two aircraft.

Regardless of whether the bags are tagged through or not AFAIK the current state of play for LHR-LGW connections with BA is the customer has to collect their bags at LHR, is responsible for getting themselves and bags to LGW and then has to hand the bags back in to check-in at LGW (so I’d expect on the 60 min check in time being applicable and a factor in planning).

Happy to be corrected.