bisonrav

My opinion of Gatwick is coloured by the fact I can get out of my door and into the south terminal in about 24 minutes (and of course vice versa). And to the lounge in usually no more than 10 minutes more. given fast track security I find it a very quick and easy immigration experience usually and echo the comments about how quick it is to get onto a train from when the doors open.

TimmyD

The thing which stands out to me at LGW is the friendliness, both of the security staff and those in the F Lounge. Although as someone said the First Wing has closed the gap, travelling through LGW with a toddler is made so much easier by the helpfulness of everyone which is not always matched at LHR

PUCCI GALORE

Firstly, thank you for actually telling me where the problem lies. Thus increasing the number allows more gates to open. I do not agree that this should automatically mean that taxes should be increased as to continue as I think that the tax and APD is more than sufficient, thank you. Rather than exclaim here, I will write to my MP as I think that this is one of these problems that just gets brushed over as most people forget about it once they get past Immigration. As I too often say, complaining here let's off steam, it does not actually achieve anything. I doubt that a letter from an MP will either, but it does make whoever makes these decisions obliged to justify them even if it is just to shut the Sitting Member up!

ajeleonard

Do you know why it's different between Heathrow (airport staff supervise gates) vs Gatwick (border force supervise gates)?

flatlander

Are LGW working on an airside connection route for domestic traffic? If they want to get parity or better than LHR for passenger facilities and shed their reputation of only point to point leisure routes, that seems essential to me.

corporate-wage-slave

It's the same at both airports actually, it's just that the purple kitted LHR staff are more visible. You will also see at least 2 Border Force staff in front of the T5 EEA channels during the main part of the day to assist with the eligibility variations. At LGW there are GAL staff working the area and controlling flows, but their uniform isn't so visible and their supervisors don't wear uniforms at all.

Yes, there is a plan for this I think for 2019 but I don't have many more specifics.

cornishsimon

flatlander

I'd say that the vastly inflated rates (about 10 times the actual cost of processing for UK Visas and Immigration) I am paying to process partner visas for my non-EU family should pay for an excellent service from anything to do with the Border Force - since the Home Office specifically says that the high charges on their visa services are to cross-fund other services for UK citizens. The UK Border Force and UK Immigration and Visas charge high fees for very poor service, far beyond what the service costs to provide.

fruitcage

Quite happy with BA's operation at LGW South.

I would say the new (year-old?) Club lounge at LGW is one of the best for CE / CW / SCH on the BA network (including OW and third-party lounges at out-stations), though there are plenty I've not visited of course.

The gate areas really show their age, particularly the ones where you queue to be bleeped into the holding pen and then again to actually board the plane, with the priority groups usually slightly enforced at the former, but largely ignored for the latter.

cwagsg

I really like travelling through LGW now and the lounge is a pleasant experience. Pleasant security staff are definitely a real bonus too. We connect from EDI and the lack of airside connection is a total pain along with the gap in EDI-LGW flights between noon/2pm and 7pm. The boarding process is also slightly chaotic at some gates and, with little to no possibility of enforced group boarding, the rush to board reminds me a little of the summertime videos of tourists rushing for sun loungers.

T8191

Agree entirely, fruitcage ... LGW boarding is VERY poorly managed for some reason. Gate layouts don’t help, of course, as they long-preceded Group boarding (presumably it was always the mass charge I’ve experienced often enough).

BUT ... no effort seems to have been made to revise Gate layouts and procedures to do that. Long-haul is particularly useless, with IME virtually no control whatsoever ... just almost inaudible announcements once you’re in the holding oen via a pathetic PA system from a distant desk, and with no staff at the door to the air bridge policing proceedings.

ratypus

Big fan of Gatwick - it's much easier to drive to from home for me, so gets my vote for short-haul in any event (where possible), but with the move to South Terminal I feel in many ways the Gatwick experience beats Terminal 5 as a BA Gold...yes, you miss out on the First Wing; but given the relative lack of first-class seats available and Golds/OWE travelling through LGW, the First/OWE check-in is always zero queue in my experience (even at super-peak times when Club check-in is heaving) and Premium Security is always pretty fast. For a Gold card holder, the First lounge at LGW is also (normally) blissfully peaceful compared with the Galleries First zoo at LHR. I genuinely enjoy and relax for my time there. The Club lounge is not bad either.

And Gatwick in general seems friendlier and better set up for travelling with small children - even in the BA lounges - aside from the fact the airport cannot get their act together to return checked pushchairs at the aircraft door but deliver to the baggage hall...not BA's fault, but pretty annoying especially if you didn't realize that and get a long walk on arrival!

simons1

Sealink

I love flying from Gatwick. Living in Sarf London it's really convenient and as you say, BA being in South terminal is great for access to the railway.

TWCLAM

Immigration remains the bug bare for LGW at times with BF's decision to have a shift change half way through peak times being of major annoyance to GAL management.

For @uncleT & others you will be pleased to hear that Pier 1 is scheduled to be made fully duel level allowing for Dom' to be integrated into flows better and allow for gate rather than busses & GAL have acknowledged it to be an unacceptable issue( so I don't mis remember or quote i'll just direct y'all to the recently published master plan available from their website).

Being a Brightonian & having LGW as my home airport it's the one I use most & even without Mrs Clam working there being factored in I have a pretty seamless & pain free journey through the place when travelling alone. 100% about LGW being treated as the poor relation to LHR and it's often to some annoyance even for those of us who understand the history and commercial reasoning behind many of the choices BA make. Fast Track Security is 95% of the time on point and efficient with it, usually, taking mere minutes to pass through. It would be great if the FT didn't feed into a standard lane although I get why it doesn't and aslong as you've got a good staff member on there managing the flow it's great. I too find the staff as a whole ( GAL/ BA/ just in general really) to be more approachable and friendly. I love my second home of the GC Lounge in the South( not sure i'll ever get to sample the GF). Even though BA didn't pay for it it showed some good sense to make it part of the terminal switch deal. Being able to bag drop pretty much anytime without any hassle is great as well.

Taking my Silver flight out of there in just over 14 hours and will be in the lounge from about 06:00 so if anyone else is passing through tomorrow feel free to come say HI i'll be in my 'flying uniform' of dark blue jeans and a white top with navy blue shoulders on it. My laptop case, dark sand colored rucksack and 20,000 bits of gopro kit and my Security Duck ( you'll know it when you see it lol) will be nearby to aid spotting & im always happy to meet others and swap some stories.