Dec 20, 2018, 5:24 am
Last edit by: Canarsie
Travelling to of from London Gatwick 21 December 2018
All LGW services operated on Friday with 2 exceptions (BA2758/0 to AMS and back; BA2938/9 EDI and back). Many flights were heavily delayed.
List of inbound BA diversions from latest closure is in post 463
Incomplete list of inbound cancellations for Friday 21 December is here in post 298.
Current customer guidelines in this post 344 (you can rebook free of charge to 5 January and reroute via LHR/LCY). Try rebooking via the App if you can, otherwise you need to telephone BA.
Background
Gatwick Airport was closed at 21:03 on Wednesday 19 December following reports of drones flying over the airfield. Sightings have continued throughout Thursday 20 December requiring the airport to remain closed. Gatwick Airport advising all passengers to check the status of their flights before travelling to the airport. Gatwick airport was further closed on Friday 21 December from 17:00 until 18:25 at which time normal operations resumed after suspected drone sightings.
Previous updates
Current list of cancelled and diverted services
Post 96 and Post 132 and Post 184
All LGW services operated on Friday with 2 exceptions (BA2758/0 to AMS and back; BA2938/9 EDI and back). Many flights were heavily delayed.
List of inbound BA diversions from latest closure is in post 463
Incomplete list of inbound cancellations for Friday 21 December is here in post 298.
Current customer guidelines in this post 344 (you can rebook free of charge to 5 January and reroute via LHR/LCY). Try rebooking via the App if you can, otherwise you need to telephone BA.
Background
Gatwick Airport was closed at 21:03 on Wednesday 19 December following reports of drones flying over the airfield. Sightings have continued throughout Thursday 20 December requiring the airport to remain closed. Gatwick Airport advising all passengers to check the status of their flights before travelling to the airport. Gatwick airport was further closed on Friday 21 December from 17:00 until 18:25 at which time normal operations resumed after suspected drone sightings.
Previous updates
Current list of cancelled and diverted services
Post 96 and Post 132 and Post 184
LGW closed due to drone activity
Dec 21, 2018, 12:15 am
#406
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: UK
Programs: BA Blue, IC Spire Ambassador
Posts: 5,228
on PPRUNE, there is a copy of the following NOTAM
A4124/18 NOTAMN
Q) EGTT/QFALT/IV/NBO/A /000/999/5109N00011W005
A) EGKK B) 1812210418 C) 1812211200
E) AD OPEN. RISK OF INCREASED DRONE ACTIVITY. MITIGATION IN PLACE.
It might be councidental but the below story on BBC caught my eye yesterday:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-46639182
(basically about alleged ‘spying’ at STR and possibly CDG, with German airports on alert, whatever that really means. Source said that there was certain information but this hadn’t been fully verified yet).
All very interesting but whatever the intelligence I do believe that both the authorities and airlines must be satisfied it is safe to resume operations, or they wouldn’t do it.
Hope people manage to get to where they need to be in time for Christmas.
Last edited by IAMORGAN; Dec 21, 2018 at 12:25 am
Dec 21, 2018, 12:51 am
#407
Join Date: May 2010
Location: UK
Posts: 5,380
Mine does. Multitrip.com includes missed connections as an extra. We pay £150 a year because we do a lot of xEU trips.
Had to use it once when our BA flight landed too late into CPH for us to get our connecting flight back home with RA. Spent the night at the Hilton Airport for £300. Insurers paid for the hotel and the flights home less our excess.
Had to use it once when our BA flight landed too late into CPH for us to get our connecting flight back home with RA. Spent the night at the Hilton Airport for £300. Insurers paid for the hotel and the flights home less our excess.
Dec 21, 2018, 1:01 am
#408
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 7,464
Dec 21, 2018, 1:03 am
#409
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 7,464
This may be true for UK issued policies, but making a sweeping statement like this and not considering other country issued policies is wildly misleading.
Dec 21, 2018, 1:09 am
#410
Join Date: Feb 2018
Programs: Mucci, BAEC Silver, IHG Platinum Elite
Posts: 1,038
This is just insane, When/if the catch the asshat(s) who did this I hope they are jailed for quite a long time. I also wonder how Ryan Air sending LGW flights to STN and Virgin to LHR will affect opperations at those airports as LHR isn't know for excess capacity...speaking of LHR thank your favorite deity they didn't pull this nonsense there as I could only imagine the disruption to global travel.
Dec 21, 2018, 1:30 am
#412
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,823
Yes it looks fairly good so far, the Santa flight to KTT has left, and all services so far have left on time. One cancellation only so far:
- AMS BA2758 07:45 cancelled
- Two flights without a scheduled time and "to be confirmed". INN BA2690 at 09:00 and NCE BA2624 at 15:35
- The JFK service is now back on time
- The other 2 Santa Lapland trips to RVI are running later today
- There are some delays of 30 minutes or so but with congestion that would be expected
- Some other flights have rather longer delays such as the TIA service due out at 11:10 and currently showing as 16:22 and a GLA for 18:40 showing 00:43
- Scheduled arrivals are more likely to show as landing on time.
I would guess the longer delays are waiting for returning aircraft and crew hours to stabilise, and may come forward if there are no more interruptions.
- AMS BA2758 07:45 cancelled
- Two flights without a scheduled time and "to be confirmed". INN BA2690 at 09:00 and NCE BA2624 at 15:35
- The JFK service is now back on time
- The other 2 Santa Lapland trips to RVI are running later today
- There are some delays of 30 minutes or so but with congestion that would be expected
- Some other flights have rather longer delays such as the TIA service due out at 11:10 and currently showing as 16:22 and a GLA for 18:40 showing 00:43
- Scheduled arrivals are more likely to show as landing on time.
I would guess the longer delays are waiting for returning aircraft and crew hours to stabilise, and may come forward if there are no more interruptions.
Dec 21, 2018, 1:34 am
#413
Join Date: May 2010
Location: UK
Posts: 5,380
Yes I was referring to the UK, and if you'd read the subsequent thread you would see that this morning I've already provided more information on this. But in the interests of not misleading others (wildly or otherwise) and being helpful to them, can you provide some examples of policies that do include missed connections as part of their standard cover?
Dec 21, 2018, 1:35 am
#414
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: SNA
Programs: AA EXP, UA 1K (until it expires then never again), *wood Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 9,239
I’d guess they didn’t shoot them out of fear of missing which could result in collateral damage when the bullet returns to earth.
Dec 21, 2018, 1:46 am
#415
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Scotland
Posts: 377
The fact that consideration has/is been given to using firearms to neutralise the drone threat shows how serious it is being taken by Police as current SOP is to find the owner and land the drone safely..
Last edited by argonath; Dec 21, 2018 at 1:46 am Reason: Missed an "e"
Dec 21, 2018, 1:48 am
#416
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: London
Posts: 517
Possibly, but I suspect that keeping the drone "alive" would also help with identifying the operators. At one point, punishment has to be weighed against the disruption. The longer the disruption, the increased chance of copycats in the future too vs a swift response at neutralising the situation.
Dec 21, 2018, 1:58 am
#417
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Windsor
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 909
BA's Update
Couple of key points I can see here (my bolding). First there is a much lower "flow rate" at Gatwick than usual and secondly looks like Heathrow is having it's own, non-drone, issues today just to add to the pre Christmas get away fun,
- LGW has re-opened and BA plan to run a full published schedule from LGW today with one cancellation planned LGW-AMS-LGW BA2758/2759
- There could be some rotational delays due complexity of aircraft positions and slots.
- LGW flow rate 2/60 from 0800hrs then 10/60 from 1000hrs
- We are expecting delays throughout the day, please advise the customer to check the on ba.com before departing for the airport
- 3 Lapland charters will operate today
- Flights are open for check-in and the concourse is relatively quiet this morning with people flowing through the airport well
- Strong winds at LHR are expected throughout the day
- High load factors across all terminals and airports
Couple of key points I can see here (my bolding). First there is a much lower "flow rate" at Gatwick than usual and secondly looks like Heathrow is having it's own, non-drone, issues today just to add to the pre Christmas get away fun,
Dec 21, 2018, 2:13 am
#418
Community Director
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Norwich, UK
Programs: A3*G, BA Gold, BD Gold (in memoriam), IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 8,478
As is evident from my posts yesterday, I was at LGW for about 5 hours yesterday before being one of the relatively lucky ones who escaped to LHR for my flight to AMS - for which I am immensely grateful to charlieboy77 who I think was first to post the text of the BA customer guidelines, as showing that trade page to the lounge ticketing agent so I could be rebooked was what allowed me to get out of the airport and over to LHR to catch a flight to get me to my destination last night.
I know how difficult and draining a day it was just for two of us who are relatively experienced travellers, with the benefit of lounge access and no queues for ticket agents, so I can’t begin to imagine what it was for those in the terminal, or with children, or whose first language wasn’t English. I’m delighted some of them, at least, will get on the move again today.
However, as things begin to return to normal, now seems an appropriate time to recognise the efforts of the BA staff, and the kindness of the Baxter-Storey lounge staff, through what must have been equally as stressful an experience.
Throughout the delay the BS staff were chatting and sympathising with the customers, making sure they were being looked after, and keeping supplies - clearly under greater pressure than usual - topped up. I was particularly struck by the lady who - as we were standing just inside the entrance to the F lounge waiting for our escort out - took the time to make sure we were okay and then wished us a safe and successful onward journey. These are people employed on low wages, in contrast to many of the people they serve, and at LGW particularly they always seem to go above and beyond any reasonable expectation of service.
The real thanks are due to the BA staff, though. From the lounge agents at the front desk who remained remarkly cheerful, to the ticket desk lady who rang and arranged for a personal escort back to landside, through the customer service agent who checked to make sure we weren’t waiting for a seat as we stood at the entrance, and finally our escort who went above and beyond in taking us out and then making absolutely sure we were given National Express tickets for the transfer even if it meant visiting multiple potential sources before she found some - and not abandoning us until she’d done so, I’m sure in spite of having many other passengers needing assistance. In the face of adversity, as far as 8m concerned BA absolutely stepped up to the mark for us, and there’s some ‘Well Dones’ due as a result. I hope, above all else, they have a somewhat more routine day.
I know how difficult and draining a day it was just for two of us who are relatively experienced travellers, with the benefit of lounge access and no queues for ticket agents, so I can’t begin to imagine what it was for those in the terminal, or with children, or whose first language wasn’t English. I’m delighted some of them, at least, will get on the move again today.
However, as things begin to return to normal, now seems an appropriate time to recognise the efforts of the BA staff, and the kindness of the Baxter-Storey lounge staff, through what must have been equally as stressful an experience.
Throughout the delay the BS staff were chatting and sympathising with the customers, making sure they were being looked after, and keeping supplies - clearly under greater pressure than usual - topped up. I was particularly struck by the lady who - as we were standing just inside the entrance to the F lounge waiting for our escort out - took the time to make sure we were okay and then wished us a safe and successful onward journey. These are people employed on low wages, in contrast to many of the people they serve, and at LGW particularly they always seem to go above and beyond any reasonable expectation of service.
The real thanks are due to the BA staff, though. From the lounge agents at the front desk who remained remarkly cheerful, to the ticket desk lady who rang and arranged for a personal escort back to landside, through the customer service agent who checked to make sure we weren’t waiting for a seat as we stood at the entrance, and finally our escort who went above and beyond in taking us out and then making absolutely sure we were given National Express tickets for the transfer even if it meant visiting multiple potential sources before she found some - and not abandoning us until she’d done so, I’m sure in spite of having many other passengers needing assistance. In the face of adversity, as far as 8m concerned BA absolutely stepped up to the mark for us, and there’s some ‘Well Dones’ due as a result. I hope, above all else, they have a somewhat more routine day.
Dec 21, 2018, 2:39 am
#419
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Kent, UK
Programs: M&S Elite+
Posts: 3,657
Shooting a moving target is a pretty tough thing to do. Especially with the weapons the police are likely to have available at the airport. People from a local gun club with shotguns who can hit clay pigeons (or real ones) would be more successful.