Transferring between London’s LGW - Gatwick and LHR - Heathrow Airports

MCT (minimum connect time) LGW <—> LHR is normally three (3) hours on through ticketing. ”Reasonable Connect time” may be longer.

American Airlines no longer flies into LGW, but has a number of daily flights to and from LHR Terminal 3. See FT - AA thread GUIDE: LHR / London Heathrow Connection, MCT inc. AA T3 <--> BA/IB T5

British Airways has flights to and from LGW South Terminal, as well as LHR Terminal 5 (primarily) and Terminal 3 (few).

Sometimes buying connection tickets or even split tickets using these two airports can be economically favorable, and some schedules might require it. Awards using AA transatlantic and BA to or from the European mainland may use LHR for AA and LGW or LHR for BA; this avoids paying high BA “carrier imposed fees” on the transatlantic sector.

If passengers are on a through ticket, airlines will reschedule on another flight in case of misconnect. On separate ticketing, most airlines will not reaccommodate passengers, however. AA will however, honor missed connections on separate ticketing (for now, subject to change) if connecting to or from AA and another oneworld carrier; contact AA in these cases.

Heathrow (LHR) is 15 miles (24 km) west of London, Gatwick (LGW) is ~30 mi (48 km) south of London. The airports, the United Kingdom’s busiest and second busiest, are 38 mi (61 km) apart, and traffic can be slow and tricky at times.

Through tickets using LHR and LGW on British Airways require a minimum connect time (MCT) of three hours; “reasonable” connect times are arguably longer, particularly on separate ticketing. Passengers should make allowances for flight arrival delays, Immigration (queues can be lengthy), baggage recovery arriving, and departing checking in, security, etc.as well as traffic and the timing of connecting ground transport.

There is no airline baggage transfer between both airports; you must collect your checked baggage and transfer it yourself, even on through ticketing.

Some passengers cope by overnighting between inbound and outbound flights; if the connection is under 24 hours, the United Kingdom Air Passenger Duty should be waived, even if the connection involves two airports (see linked FT thread).

Once at the airports, LHR’s terminals are connected by rail and bus. LGW North and South terminals are connected by an efficient monorail. To transfer between airports by train, one must travel to central London and make connections.

The practical ways to transfer between LGW and LHR include, in descending order based on price, limousine, regular “black” taxi, “minicab” taxi, National Express bus service, connecting rail service. Particularly with baggage, the latter can be inconvenient and require a lot of time.

TAXI: Officially licensed “black” taxis (can be other colors than black) will accomplish the journey in about 45 minutes or more, depending on traffic, and can carry up to five passengers. One way cost will exceed £100 (~$125 currently). Additional charge is made for baggage; don’t forget to factor baggage in your journey. Depending on one’s arrival time, there can be lengthy queues waiting for taxis.

”MINICAB” TAXI : Arranged in advance usually, cars can vary in size from compact to minivan; discuss your needs when arranging your transfer, which will cost starting at as low £50 per vehicle.

Not endorsing here, but Anthony Delicata’s London Minicab Service gets decent ratings in several places.

NATIONAL EXPRESS DIRECT COACH (bus) National Express (link)
(The National Express app is available from Google Play or Apple App Store.)

Coaches (busses) connect both airports directly, without having to connect. Cost is £27 per person, including two pieces of hold baggage and one piece of hand baggage; a slightly higher price is charged for flexible tickets in case of delayed arrival. Can be booked online. First & last journey daily 2:45am/10:45pm, 80 departures daily, minimum journey time 1:05.LGW South terminal: South terminal shuttle station

LGW North terminal: Bus stop #4, Arrivals.

LHR Terminal 2 & 3: Coaches arrive and depart from the Heathrow Central Bus Station.

LHR Terminal 4: Coaches arrive and depart outside of Heathrow Terminal 4.

LHR Terminal 5: Coaches arrive and depart outside of Heathrow Terminal 5.

For more detailed information and maps see here.

MEGABUS DIRECT COACH (bus): Link
“Coaches run direct between Heathrow and Gatwick with departures up to every hour.
Journey time: 75 minutes
Tickets and information: megabus.com or 0900 1600 900*
*Open 7 days a week, 7am - 10pm. Calls to this number are operated by JourneyCall Ltd and will cost 65p per minute, plus telephone access charges.“ - heathrow.com

RAIL (train and Tube: link for National Rail inquiries
Gatwick Express trains run non-stop between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport. The journey takes 30 minutes and a standard-class single costs £17.70. To make the link with Heathrow your options include:

• Heathrow Express between Heathrow and London Paddington, Underground between Paddington and Victoria (45min, £27) (Alternately, Heathrow Connect is cheaper but longer between Paddington and Heathrow.)
• London Underground between Victoria and Heathrow (50min, £4.80)

There’s an alternative route via Clapham Junction and Feltham (linked to Heathrow by bus route 285) but it’s only really viable if you have an Oyster card or UK contactless bank card for the bus leg (no cash fares). Journey time: 90min–2hr. Cost (with Oyster): £27.” heathrow.com

“You can either travel by Heathrow Express to Paddington (a 15-minute journey from terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5). From Paddington, you can board the Circle Line to Victoria Station (a 15-minute journey) and connect to Gatwick via the Gatwick Express (a 30-minute journey). The whole journey costs over £40 one way. (Alternately, Heathrow Connect is cheaper but longer between Paddington and Heathrow.)

Or you can travel by tube from Heathrow (all terminals) to Green Park (a 45-minute journey) then from Green Park to Victoria (a two-minute journey). From Victoria, you can connect to Gatwick via the Gatwick Express (a 30-minute journey). The whole journey costs around £20 one way.

Both routes offer step-free access. Something to consider if you have mobility issues, a lot of luggage or are traveling with children. (TripSavvy)

CHEAPER OPTION: “Low-cost carrier easyJet operates a bus service from Heathrow and Gatwick to central London (not between the airports though unfortunately). The cheapest and easiest way to use this service is to take the tube from Heathrow (any terminal) to Earls Court (the journey takes around 35 minutes) and then connect to the easyBus from Earls Court to Gatwick Airport North Terminal (the journey takes around 65 minutes). The whole journey could set you back as little as £3.50 (based on a £2 easyBus advance fare and a £1.50 off-peak Oyster fare).” (TripSavvy)

The most convenient transfers are via National Express, but for two or more people, a minicab or even taxi (four) can be more economical and quicker.