BA at London-Gatwick 2019
#31
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 6,349
#32
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold, A3 *Gold
Posts: 887
Assume they meant after midday. I have to agree that these departure times are simply dreadful, 8am means leaving home around 5am or before unless you live very close to Gatters. No thank you!
#33
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 6,349
All the Malta flights from Gatwick go in the am - Easyjet, BA, Air Malta and Thomas Cook.
#34
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,146
Unfortunately for me, I’m not an early bird! I appreciate it’s subjective but 8 am still means an arrival and check in before 7 - not the greatest start to a holiday. I do know people who aren’t too troubled by this though. It’s the lack of even one afternoon departure that irritates me.
Personally, despite the early departures from LGW, I'm happiest to get to MLA early in the day to maximise the benefits of the hotel night I'm already paying for. Sadly, with our connection from JER, it means we have to have the previous night at LGW as well, to ensure we make the connection. Last trip was 0615 from LGW, but next April it's 1605 (!!) ... saving the overnight hotel but wasting a day in Valletta and not arriving until 2010. .
For comparison, attached is the July 2014 schedule - timings scattered all over the place depending on the day!
#35
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Cambridgeshire
Programs: BAEC Bronze; ALL Gold
Posts: 128
This had me worried for a moment - I'm booked on a November Tuesday departure at 11:20, carefully selected as the only reasonably-timed option. Flying in the front as it's essentially a TP run (two cheap nights and then back on Thursday 13:05) but both flights are conveniently timed for the full lunch experience...
#36
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Malta
Programs: BAEC Bronze
Posts: 671
[QUOTE=simons1;30242475]Aren't those all before midday?
Those times sound ideal for a late morning/lunchtime arrival and hotel check in at 2pm.[/QUOTE
Sorry - I did indeed mean after midday. It’s what you get for trying to finish typing in the lounge and still catch your flight!
Those times sound ideal for a late morning/lunchtime arrival and hotel check in at 2pm.[/QUOTE
Sorry - I did indeed mean after midday. It’s what you get for trying to finish typing in the lounge and still catch your flight!
#37
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Malta
Programs: BAEC Bronze
Posts: 671
Yes, I suppose I have just been spoilt - as T8191 has pointed out, at least in the past there has been a choice - thus providing something for everyone. I sometimes take EasyJet from Malta - but never out of LGW because it goes at something like 6.am.
#38
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,146
I would note that my April 16:05 departure was in panic while they were loading sale fares. I may try to pay to change that! (non-flex, so no chance!).
But LGW seems to still be the unwanted child of BA
But LGW seems to still be the unwanted child of BA
#39
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: Battleaxe Alliance
Posts: 22,127
Can anyone offer any insight into the extremely unfriendly BA-MLA slots from LGW this winter? Nothing before midday and most flights are very much earlier than that (06:15, 6.30 and 08.05). Is it simply that they are cheap slots? I can’t believe it’s due to customer demand.
I really do not like catching a flight at early hours of the morning either.
Some BA departures for LGW-MLA are in the afternoon though.
#40
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 5,596
#41
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Brighton. UK
Programs: BA Gold / VS /IHG Diamond & Ambassador
Posts: 14,197
Personally I'd like (in no particular order) - MAN, DUB and BER and a couple extra rotations to AMS
And for real pie in the sky a second to NYC but around mid day and on a decent plane!
And for real pie in the sky a second to NYC but around mid day and on a decent plane!
#43
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: Brighton UK
Programs: BAEC-Silver, AMEX-BA Prem' Plus & Standard, Accor Gold, HH-Silver, IHG,IBIS On Business
Posts: 955
#44
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 5,596
#45
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: West Sussex, UK
Programs: BAEC Gold (11/Dec/18)
Posts: 262
Not all of us Crawley residents are hoody wearing thugs...
(said tongue in cheek wearing a hoodie in the office as the aircon is in 'freeze your bits off' mode)
Going back on thread... I'd love to see a better LGW domestic service but I suspect the market for Gatwick isn't busy enough to warrant it...
Now if anyone is going to invest something in Gatwick (albeit the airport, not BA), having a proper Domestic arrivals route which doesn't involve a bus would be nice! (Although my last arrival was on the PrivatAir 737, which was on stand 134...)
(said tongue in cheek wearing a hoodie in the office as the aircon is in 'freeze your bits off' mode)
Going back on thread... I'd love to see a better LGW domestic service but I suspect the market for Gatwick isn't busy enough to warrant it...
Now if anyone is going to invest something in Gatwick (albeit the airport, not BA), having a proper Domestic arrivals route which doesn't involve a bus would be nice! (Although my last arrival was on the PrivatAir 737, which was on stand 134...)