New LGW Domestic Arrivals now open (23 July)
Nov 7, 2019, 4:20 pm
#31
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Bridport, Dorset
Programs: Mucci, BA Blue, Hilton Gold, Virgin Red
Posts: 2,161
Never actually minded the bus at Gatwick, seemed to be a lot faster than when I arrived internationally (even allowing for no passport control).
This does seem like a backward step. So close to being great!
This does seem like a backward step. So close to being great!
Nov 8, 2019, 12:43 am
#32
Join Date: Feb 2018
Programs: Mucci, BAEC Silver, IHG Platinum Elite
Posts: 1,062
Just another proof to me how terrible Gatwick is. They bulild a new wing and still get it wrong in almost all possible ways…
You are not guranteed to actually arrive at one of the new gates when flying in from JER. If you do not arrive there, the bus will now take you there instead of the old drop-off point. Meaning a significantly longer walk from bus to exit.
At least arriving by bus means you only have to walk up one staircase or wait for one lift. Arriving at a gate, you first have to go down a staircase or a lift, walk quite a long way and then go back up again.
Oh, and even if the new area they have stupidly put staircases and lifts only, creating a bottleneck for those who can or will not carry their bags up and down stairs. And with only a single (slow) lift everywhere, it is made even worse.
At least I probably saved at least 20 minutes by not having any bags when I arrived yesterday. As somebody else said, the baggage collection is disaster.
Oh, and smart looking toilets which need to have instructions on how to get soap and dry your hands because all those things are hidden away behind the mirror.
Does Gatwick have a panel of people whose job it is to ensure passengers have as miserable an experience as possible?
You are not guranteed to actually arrive at one of the new gates when flying in from JER. If you do not arrive there, the bus will now take you there instead of the old drop-off point. Meaning a significantly longer walk from bus to exit.
At least arriving by bus means you only have to walk up one staircase or wait for one lift. Arriving at a gate, you first have to go down a staircase or a lift, walk quite a long way and then go back up again.
Oh, and even if the new area they have stupidly put staircases and lifts only, creating a bottleneck for those who can or will not carry their bags up and down stairs. And with only a single (slow) lift everywhere, it is made even worse.
At least I probably saved at least 20 minutes by not having any bags when I arrived yesterday. As somebody else said, the baggage collection is disaster.
Oh, and smart looking toilets which need to have instructions on how to get soap and dry your hands because all those things are hidden away behind the mirror.
Does Gatwick have a panel of people whose job it is to ensure passengers have as miserable an experience as possible?
The original plans for Pier 1, showed arriving people exiting the gates into the common travel area / the corridor to gates 1-5 and simply walking round to gate 5 and exit down the current new route. (the double doors at each gate bypassing the holding areas were built and are visible today). This then stated baggage collection would be built in the old zone b checkin.
At some point someone decided there was not enough space at zone b (or that area could become part of the departures shopping centre) and new plans were lodged with Crawley council for a new baggage hall with 2 belt loops, bank of lifts and possibly an escalator be built next to where the new single up lift is at ground floor level. At this point the walking route was move down stairs for arrivals leading to this new baggage hall and then up.
Then for some reason (probably cost), this application was withdrawn and replaced with what we have today. But the lower walking route remained.
I do wish they would go back to the idea of depositing passengers into the common travel area, signed with domestic arrivals turn right connections turn left. This would be no different to how EDI, GLA, ABZ and may others operate and would remove the needless down then up plus allow for connections.
International arrivals could still use there current route.
Nov 8, 2019, 3:51 am
#33
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: London, UK
Programs: bmi DC, BAEC
Posts: 1,168
I do wish they would go back to the idea of depositing passengers into the common travel area, signed with domestic arrivals turn right connections turn left. This would be no different to how EDI, GLA, ABZ and may others operate and would remove the needless down then up plus allow for connections.
International arrivals could still use there current route.
International arrivals could still use there current route.
Nov 8, 2019, 4:48 am
#34
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,230
I'll be running a time-check on Monday week to see how long the processes take with 2 cases.
Nov 8, 2019, 4:55 am
#35
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Glasgow
Programs: BAEC Silver, Sixt Platinum, HHons Diamond
Posts: 927
I arrived on Tuesday from Glasgow, was first off the plane and 9 minutes later was settling into my seat in GF having recleared through an empty premium security, so as an HBO passenger from my perspective the new arrangement worked very nicely, albeit more hassle that T5 where there is no need to go through security again when arriving domestically.
Nov 8, 2019, 4:58 am
#36
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,230
I arrived on Tuesday from Glasgow, was first off the plane and 9 minutes later was settling into my seat in GF having recleared through an empty premium security, so as an HBO passenger from my perspective the new arrangement worked very nicely, albeit more hassle that T5 where there is no need to go through security again when arriving domestically.
Nov 8, 2019, 5:21 am
#37
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Glasgow
Programs: BAEC Silver, Sixt Platinum, HHons Diamond
Posts: 927
Yes - totally agree, there seemed to be a lot of pax hanging around for bags as I passed and that was before the full Glasgow flight joined the throng!
Dec 28, 2019, 2:23 am
#38
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,230
Oops, I forgot to update this thread and just put some details in a TR.
18 Nov 19
1030 - Doors Open
1036 - at Domestic Reclaim
1052 - first bags emerged
1056 - our bags delivered
1100 - reached South Arrivals
.....
1112 - reached North Terminal.
18 Nov 19
1030 - Doors Open
1036 - at Domestic Reclaim
1052 - first bags emerged
1056 - our bags delivered
1100 - reached South Arrivals
.....
1112 - reached North Terminal.