Jan 24, 2017, 5:49 pm
Last edit by: corporate-wage-slave
This thread is a user guide to the new British Airways LGW (London Gatwick) South Terminal. Operations for BA's service in LGW transferred on 25 January 2017 from the North terminal. The purpose of this guide is to assist passengers in locating the services and facilities in LGW South. Background to the move here: BA move to LGW South Terminal
Gatwick to Heathrow transfer guide
BA Lounge First guide: click here. BA Lounge Club guide: click here.
Gatwick to Heathrow transfer guide
BA Lounge First guide: click here. BA Lounge Club guide: click here.
Gatwick (LGW) South Terminal - user guide for BA travellers
Thanks again
Apr 12, 2017, 6:04 am
#77
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: LHR, LGW
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 3,444
Can you please advise if a 3h 35m connection time between LGW & LHR is achievable? HBO and Silver Card holder.
Looking at BCN-DXB fare thats just come up. Inbound is Vueling into LGW. The wiki guide suggest a taxi time of 50mins but at 7pm on the M25 this could be a lottery.
Looking at BCN-DXB fare thats just come up. Inbound is Vueling into LGW. The wiki guide suggest a taxi time of 50mins but at 7pm on the M25 this could be a lottery.
Apr 12, 2017, 6:10 am
#78
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
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Join Date: Feb 2010
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That connection time is fine. At 19:00 hrs the M25 will be a bit past its peak. Personally if the flight was on time I'd be OK to take the National Express or more likely the train+tube at that hour. In the case of the train+tube it takes about 1 hr 40, so add in conformance 35 minutes and you will see you have quite a fair bit of contingency in there. VY isn't good for time keeping, so if it was late the taxi would perhaps be a fallback, but it's not actually a lot quicker than the coach overall.
Apr 12, 2017, 6:28 am
#80
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
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Depends if you are our Gold card-holding (but with a penchant for CCR) Foreign Secretary or not. If you absolutely have to be on the DXB service as booked I'd think about other timings, but if it's easy come/easy go then I'd be happy with this connection.
Apr 12, 2017, 7:50 am
#81
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: LHR, LGW
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 3,444
I am a Meer Silver with the highest aspirations and a penchant for being CCR/LTG etc etc. But certainly not wishing to be Foreign Sec. Although if it gave me an opportunity to meet the current White House Press Secretary then I may wish harder! As I'd certainly have some words for that person! But I digress...
It's a WTP flight deal from BCN so I don't have an option to change or better the connection times. I do have the option not to book but at £320 return its a bit bargin not too!! See Premium Fare Deals for that thread!
It's a WTP flight deal from BCN so I don't have an option to change or better the connection times. I do have the option not to book but at £320 return its a bit bargin not too!! See Premium Fare Deals for that thread!
Apr 12, 2017, 12:30 pm
#82
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,146
Data Point.
1445. Arrived on Stand ex-DUB, 40 minutes late! 2 coaches waiting.
Followed C-W-S advice, took lift to Arrivals and walked very briskly to Border.
Re-entered Departures, through Security fairly quickly, legged it to Gate 12 for the final leg to JER.
1515. Arrived at Gate 12 ("Gate closes 1530").
So a good 30 minutes to connect with no added complications.
Our cases didn't make the flight, but were loaded onto the next JER and should be delivered to home within the next hour.* BA Baggage Recovery impressive up to this point
* Edit: Bags delivered to our front door a couple of hours after we landed in JER, having been loaded on the next flight..
1445. Arrived on Stand ex-DUB, 40 minutes late! 2 coaches waiting.
Followed C-W-S advice, took lift to Arrivals and walked very briskly to Border.
Re-entered Departures, through Security fairly quickly, legged it to Gate 12 for the final leg to JER.
1515. Arrived at Gate 12 ("Gate closes 1530").
So a good 30 minutes to connect with no added complications.
Our cases didn't make the flight, but were loaded onto the next JER and should be delivered to home within the next hour.* BA Baggage Recovery impressive up to this point
* Edit: Bags delivered to our front door a couple of hours after we landed in JER, having been loaded on the next flight..
Last edited by T8191; May 7, 2017 at 3:38 am
May 19, 2017, 9:23 am
#83
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: London
Programs: BA EC Gold
Posts: 214
Sofitel still a good option at LGW?
Related to BA's move from N to S, I'm looking to book a 1 night hotel room @LGW ahead of an early morning flight to HER next month. Ordinarily the Hilton would be the obvious choice but Mrs DCA and I will be joined by little Mstr DCA, so I'm leaning towards a 2 room suite at the Sofitel (avoiding the need for us all to head to bed at 7pm).
I am well familiar with the shuttle train from N to S, however not sure where the Sofitel is in relation to the N station. Is it close by?
I am well familiar with the shuttle train from N to S, however not sure where the Sofitel is in relation to the N station. Is it close by?
May 19, 2017, 10:14 am
#84
Join Date: May 2016
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold, Accor Gold
Posts: 1,431
Yes, it's about as close as you can get to the station. As the shuttle approaches the N Terminal the Sofitel is on the left hand side of the station, a few minutes walk even with little ones in tow.
Last edited by bhbloke; May 19, 2017 at 10:14 am Reason: typo
May 19, 2017, 11:16 am
#85
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: London
Programs: BA EC Gold
Posts: 214
Jun 23, 2017, 2:55 pm
#86
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
Programs: BA bronze
Posts: 432
Priority Boarding
Where is priority boarding you may ask? It is there but you need to get inside the yellow gate area to find the channel for it, and unless you can see around corners you wouldn't know it was there. You have three tactics: join the end of the queue and see what happens. Alternatively walk purposefully through the passengers congregated outside, as if walking to the next gate along, then turn straight into the priority boarding area in the yellow area; alternatively take the escalator past the gate and walk back. It depends a bit on the gate, some gates are by the open area between the walkways, so it's easier to see what to do. The problem is worse if there is also a queue from the priority boarding channel since at some point the queues will merge, there's not a lot of space there and clearly the gate wasn't designed with this operation in mind. easyJet had a similar problem with their Speeding Boarding product from time to time from South. It is also difficult for GLA, EDI, JER customers since though there may be 2 people working the BA desk, there may only be 1 GAL staff member handling the biometrics, and that can be a bottleneck. I suspect this may get easier as BA and GAL staff get used to the layout and ways of working.
Where is priority boarding you may ask? It is there but you need to get inside the yellow gate area to find the channel for it, and unless you can see around corners you wouldn't know it was there. You have three tactics: join the end of the queue and see what happens. Alternatively walk purposefully through the passengers congregated outside, as if walking to the next gate along, then turn straight into the priority boarding area in the yellow area; alternatively take the escalator past the gate and walk back. It depends a bit on the gate, some gates are by the open area between the walkways, so it's easier to see what to do. The problem is worse if there is also a queue from the priority boarding channel since at some point the queues will merge, there's not a lot of space there and clearly the gate wasn't designed with this operation in mind. easyJet had a similar problem with their Speeding Boarding product from time to time from South. It is also difficult for GLA, EDI, JER customers since though there may be 2 people working the BA desk, there may only be 1 GAL staff member handling the biometrics, and that can be a bottleneck. I suspect this may get easier as BA and GAL staff get used to the layout and ways of working.
The second time was yesterday. I arrived at gate 12 about 25 minutes before the estimated departure time of the delayed 17.10 flight to find a queue extending from the entry to the gate area back along parallel to the moving walkway past gate 11 to gate 10. The single queue was for one member of staff slowly processing the biometric checks. A few yards behind him were two under-employed members of BA staff waiting for passengerss to come through to them so they could check the boarding passes again. I realised that it was going to take about 20 minutes for the queue to pass through the biometric check so rather than standing for that time I sat on the floor by the gate opposite.
It did indeed take about 15 to 20 minutes to process the queue and during that time I only saw one passenger attempt to priority board. There are two Ryanair signs just before the biometric check desk - one indicating BIZ PLUS & PRIORITY and the other OTHER Q. The priority boarder stood in the BIZ PLUS & PRIORITY area for several minutess looking increasingly embarrassed as the biometric check agent ignored him and continued processing passengers from the main queue. Eventually one of the BA agents came forward and asked the biometric check agent to allow the passenger into the front of the queue. I'd have to say that I felt much more comfortable sitting on the floor than I would have attempting priority boarding.
It appears that the priority for BA status and Club Europe passengers doesn't apply to the biometric check (where it would be useful) but only to the boarding pass check by BA staff that takes place immediately after the biometric check (and for which there wasn't any queue at all).
Last edited by Alvador; Jun 23, 2017 at 3:41 pm Reason: additional info
Jun 23, 2017, 3:52 pm
#87
Join Date: May 2010
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 2,369
I've now taken two LGW-EDI flights with BA since the move to the South terminal. On the first occasion, I tried using your second tactic but was told by the single member of GAL staff operating the biometric check that there is no priority boarding and that I should join the end of the queue.
The second time was yesterday. I arrived at gate 12 about 25 minutes before the estimated departure time of the delayed 17.10 flight to find a queue extending from the entry to the gate area back along parallel to the moving walkway past gate 11 to gate 10. The single queue was for one member of staff slowly processing the biometric checks. A few yards behind him were two under-employed members of BA staff waiting for passengerss to come through to them so they could check the boarding passes again. I realised that it was going to take about 20 minutes for the queue to pass through the biometric check so rather than standing for that time I sat on the floor by the gate opposite.
It did indeed take about 15 to 20 minutes to process the queue and during that time I only saw one passenger attempt to priority board. There are two Ryanair signs just before the biometric check desk - one indicating BIZ PLUS & PRIORITY and the other OTHER Q. The priority boarder stood in the BIZ PLUS & PRIORITY area for several minutess looking increasingly embarrassed as the biometric check agent ignored him and continued processing passengers from the main queue. Eventually one of the BA agents came forward and asked the biometric check agent to allow the passenger into the front of the queue. I'd have to say that I felt much more comfortable sitting on the floor than I would have attempting priority boarding.
It appears that the priority for BA status and Club Europe passengers doesn't apply to the biometric check (where it would be useful) but only to the boarding pass check by BA staff that takes place immediately after the biometric check (and for which there wasn't any queue at all).
The second time was yesterday. I arrived at gate 12 about 25 minutes before the estimated departure time of the delayed 17.10 flight to find a queue extending from the entry to the gate area back along parallel to the moving walkway past gate 11 to gate 10. The single queue was for one member of staff slowly processing the biometric checks. A few yards behind him were two under-employed members of BA staff waiting for passengerss to come through to them so they could check the boarding passes again. I realised that it was going to take about 20 minutes for the queue to pass through the biometric check so rather than standing for that time I sat on the floor by the gate opposite.
It did indeed take about 15 to 20 minutes to process the queue and during that time I only saw one passenger attempt to priority board. There are two Ryanair signs just before the biometric check desk - one indicating BIZ PLUS & PRIORITY and the other OTHER Q. The priority boarder stood in the BIZ PLUS & PRIORITY area for several minutess looking increasingly embarrassed as the biometric check agent ignored him and continued processing passengers from the main queue. Eventually one of the BA agents came forward and asked the biometric check agent to allow the passenger into the front of the queue. I'd have to say that I felt much more comfortable sitting on the floor than I would have attempting priority boarding.
It appears that the priority for BA status and Club Europe passengers doesn't apply to the biometric check (where it would be useful) but only to the boarding pass check by BA staff that takes place immediately after the biometric check (and for which there wasn't any queue at all).
The whole thing sounds like a bit of a farce, you'd have thought they'd have managed to come up with a system by now! It was equally as bad when I boarded my last JER flight. In future I'm just going to stay in the terminal/lounge a little longer and board right towards the end!
Jun 23, 2017, 4:09 pm
#89
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Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
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Jun 23, 2017, 5:35 pm
#90
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2010
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It appears that the priority for BA status and Club Europe passengers doesn't apply to the biometric check (where it would be useful) but only to the
boarding pass check by BA staff that takes place immediately after the biometric check (and for which there wasn't any queue at all).
boarding pass check by BA staff that takes place immediately after the biometric check (and for which there wasn't any queue at all).
If it's any consolation, Ryanair frequently complain to GAL about this too, since passengers have endeavoured to have their Priority Board fee refunded. Ryanair only flies to DUB from LGW and so all their flights are impacted by the biometric issue. It would help both airlines if either 2 GAL staff were deployed or - as was usually the case in North Terminal - there is a dedicated CTA zone with multiple scan agents.
It is also the case that it is best to turn up at T-21 minutes and no sooner. It's rare for domestics to shut up shop more than a few minutes before departure.