London City you've finally lost me
Jul 25, 2015, 3:37 pm
#31
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: LON, MAD
Programs: KE MC Premium, BA Gold, Hilton Diamond, AZ FA+, Melia Gold
Posts: 305
I live 12 mins away for LCY on a direct DLR route.. I tend to use for arrivals only due to mainly no lounge and the fact that you have to take out a second mortgage if you want anything to eat unless its a Boots meal deal. That said it was nice to leave home 40 mins before take off heading to Dubai via Frankfurt in J with Lufthansa.
Yes LCY can be crowded at certain times, but if you work in the city of the Wharf, its really a no-brainer, you can leave the office an hour before the flight. I use LCY frequently on Friday nights and have never found the security to be particularly poor - considering the number of complaints about LHR fast track security, I struggle to believe that LCY can be worse. The most I've ever had to wait is 15 mins. Last Weds there was an almost 20 min wait in LHR north fast track and practically every bag was searched. (a bit OT, but the number of BA Golds who seemed to have no idea what was required of them at the xray shocked me).
I do agree about the check in area though, it desperately needs expanding. I'm always HBO though so its not a huge issue for me.
Jul 25, 2015, 5:27 pm
#33
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 17
The cut off point for London joiners at 35 minutes before departure has been designed to give passengers enough time to reach the gate but not too much time as to cause a delay. On flights where delays are longer than 15 minutes, then it is common practice for the delay to be posted and conformance times are extended accordingly.
The potential benefit for frequent flyers is that the airline knows in sufficient time on a busy flight whether seats will become available after the flight has closed. This allows standby passengers to be given seats after those failing to conform have been offloaded.
I understand that being advised you are a minute or two after the designated time for conformance can be more than a little frustrating but the general aim of improving punctuality has been aided by this system compared to the old days in T1 and T4.
Jul 25, 2015, 5:30 pm
#34
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 17
The boarding cards always advise the earlier time in case the flight ends up being a coaching departure. As with anything, there are occasions where latecomers are accepted though this can depend on other factors such as whether bags are checked in or if there are lots of other pax missing as well.
Jul 25, 2015, 5:30 pm
#35
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Argentina
Posts: 40,211
Unfortunately, what was once a super convenient and very quick airport used exclusively by experienced business travellers has become a scaled down version of LHR, with suits and tourists rubbing shoulders, quite literally, in its cramped spaces.
Departure is still a relatively smooth affair, although security is still (under)staffed by clueless windowlickers who don't apply common sense to their work.
Departure is still a relatively smooth affair, although security is still (under)staffed by clueless windowlickers who don't apply common sense to their work.
Jul 25, 2015, 9:42 pm
#37
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Beijing, Paris, Edinburgh
Programs: Marco Polo Diamond, Flying Blue Platinum for Life, GHA Black, IHG Platinum
Posts: 450
I was a frequent user of LCY for well over a decade, beginning back when it had just 9 gates and no redeveloped mezzanine, and you had to grab a bus from Canary Wharf to get there! Back then, I was shuttling to & from Paris on AF every week. The lack of a lounge was well compensated for with a food voucher and free parking pass - even these perks were long gone before the place doubled in size. Unfortunately, what was once a super convenient and very quick airport used exclusively by experienced business travellers has become a scaled down version of LHR, with suits and tourists rubbing shoulders, quite literally, in its cramped spaces.........
.
.
Jul 25, 2015, 11:20 pm
#38
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BA, U2+, SK, AF/KL, IHG, Hilton, others gathering dust...
Posts: 2,552
Although LCY is not a fun place during IRROPS, absence of lounges aside I don't have any major problems with it for departures. Admittedly, though I'm still a regular user of LCY, I don't use it in the morning/evening peaks as much as before, but my last such experience a couple of weeks ago was just fine.
I almost never check a bag, so the situation at checkin rarely impacts me, I'm just straight up the escalator to security.
I would tend to share the view of chris1979 that I don't think the alternatives are much better, unless you really want to use a lounge. I still happily use LCY if the price/schedule works. They do need to maintain the speed through the airport, as that for me is the USP. Punctuality is maybe an issue, though for my flights I haven't found it worse than LHR recently.
I almost never check a bag, so the situation at checkin rarely impacts me, I'm just straight up the escalator to security.
I would tend to share the view of chris1979 that I don't think the alternatives are much better, unless you really want to use a lounge. I still happily use LCY if the price/schedule works. They do need to maintain the speed through the airport, as that for me is the USP. Punctuality is maybe an issue, though for my flights I haven't found it worse than LHR recently.
Jul 26, 2015, 1:49 am
#40
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Brighton, UK
Programs: BA Gold, IC Ambassador, HH Gold, SPG Gold, Fairmont Platinum
Posts: 3,166
My recent experience of numerous flights at both LHR and LGW is that baggage handling times are dramatically better than previously. My most common experience both long haul and short haul has been the luggage beating me to the carousel.
Indeed the biggest delay I've had in disembarking recently was having to wait for those with ridiculous amounts of hand luggage struggling to remove it from the overheads. These same passengers then walked past the carousel on which that flight's luggage was already revolving.
Time savings going HBO are now illusory much of the time - indeed from my experience delays in departing while trying to stow excessive hand luggage and in disembarking while people struggle to retrieve their luggage have outweighed any time spent waiting for luggage.
Domestics may be different as the time spent at immigration isn't part of the equation, although I have not waited more than five minutes recently for a JER flight's luggage to arrive at LGW (that used to be horrendous).
I am sure someone will be along to tell that BA always lose their luggage or they always have to wait a minimum of 45 minutes at the carousel.
All I can say is that that certainly hasn't been my experience recently.
Jul 26, 2015, 2:05 am
#41
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 6,349
Same here Francis. Even with the A380 there are usually 2 carousels and the baggage is coming out by the time you get there.
The only gripe I have about Gatwick are some of the walks are very long.
The only gripe I have about Gatwick are some of the walks are very long.
Last edited by simons1; Jul 26, 2015 at 3:05 am
Jul 26, 2015, 2:44 am
#42
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Singapore
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 48
BACF have serious timekeeping issues. They really are institutionally late.
Does anyone have access to punctuality figures versus say WX?
Does anyone have access to punctuality figures versus say WX?
London City Airport Flight Delays & Punctuality
Jul 26, 2015, 3:13 am
#43
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 629
Really? Is that based on recent experience?
My recent experience of numerous flights at both LHR and LGW is that baggage handling times are dramatically better than previously. My most common experience both long haul and short haul has been the luggage beating me to the carousel.
Indeed the biggest delay I've had in disembarking recently was having to wait for those with ridiculous amounts of hand luggage struggling to remove it from the overheads. These same passengers then walked past the carousel on which that flight's luggage was already revolving.
Time savings going HBO are now illusory much of the time - indeed from my experience delays in departing while trying to stow excessive hand luggage and in disembarking while people struggle to retrieve their luggage have outweighed any time spent waiting for luggage.
Domestics may be different as the time spent at immigration isn't part of the equation, although I have not waited more than five minutes recently for a JER flight's luggage to arrive at LGW (that used to be horrendous).
I am sure someone will be along to tell that BA always lose their luggage or they always have to wait a minimum of 45 minutes at the carousel.
All I can say is that that certainly hasn't been my experience recently.
My recent experience of numerous flights at both LHR and LGW is that baggage handling times are dramatically better than previously. My most common experience both long haul and short haul has been the luggage beating me to the carousel.
Indeed the biggest delay I've had in disembarking recently was having to wait for those with ridiculous amounts of hand luggage struggling to remove it from the overheads. These same passengers then walked past the carousel on which that flight's luggage was already revolving.
Time savings going HBO are now illusory much of the time - indeed from my experience delays in departing while trying to stow excessive hand luggage and in disembarking while people struggle to retrieve their luggage have outweighed any time spent waiting for luggage.
Domestics may be different as the time spent at immigration isn't part of the equation, although I have not waited more than five minutes recently for a JER flight's luggage to arrive at LGW (that used to be horrendous).
I am sure someone will be along to tell that BA always lose their luggage or they always have to wait a minimum of 45 minutes at the carousel.
All I can say is that that certainly hasn't been my experience recently.
Life is too short to deal with the hassle of HBO, fighting for space, queueing at the gate early to guarantee a locker etc.
I just check in a bag and have a less stressful experience
Jul 26, 2015, 3:37 am
#45
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,492
Really? Is that based on recent experience?
My recent experience of numerous flights at both LHR and LGW is that baggage handling times are dramatically better than previously. My most common experience both long haul and short haul has been the luggage beating me to the carousel.
My recent experience of numerous flights at both LHR and LGW is that baggage handling times are dramatically better than previously. My most common experience both long haul and short haul has been the luggage beating me to the carousel.
I was unaware of the changes at Gatwick, I was using it fairly regularly but stopped last year and switched to City because of the baggage waits - 50-55mins seemed to be the norm...and often there were only a dozen folk waiting...glad to hear it has improved