LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT   Passenger Reviews and Customer opinions

LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT review :  21 November 2009 by S Martin   (UK)

Customer Rating :  1/5

Queuing

Cleanliness

Facilities

Departed south terminal on a quiet Thursday afternoon in November. Only 5 people ahead of us in security but it still took 45 minutes to get through. Every second bad was been hand screened. Apparently, this is now normal procedure at LGW, according to the otherwise very rude BAA security personnel. I suggest avoiding LGW at all costs, LHR moves much faster.

LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT review :  13 October 2009 by John Hobbings   (UK)

Customer Rating :  3/5

Queuing

Cleanliness

Facilities

Ref review 19 September 2009 by Stuart Fountain. BAA is not responsible for special assistance. It is done by a third party - at Gatwick is done by Group 4.

LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT review :  8 October 2009 by C Stephenson   (Isle of Man)

Customer Rating :  1/5

Queuing

Cleanliness

Facilities

Arrived at North terminal from an EasyJet flight, left from South on a Flybe flight. Very long walk to Baggage Reclaim via new-looking but slightly tatty corridors. Reclaim was OK. Exit led us to the Arrivals area with no sign of where to go next. Asked for info, and told that had to change floors then take a bus to the South terminal (the transit system no longer operates as it's being replaced). This was a bit unpleasant, with shouty staff ushering people officiously on board and not allowing the bus to leave until completely full. At South terminal, check-in was quick. The bad part came next. Despite being off-season, the airport was clearly overwhelmed with departing travellers, staff were looking stressed and it took ages to clear security even though staff opened two further security areas (which immediately both ground to a halt). Over an hour and a half after leaving our flight, we arrived in the departure area. After a quick meal, there was no time left for shopping but the gate hadn't been announced. Knowing that the time to the gate can be quite lengthy, we hung around the screens for a few minutes until the gate was specified. Here we hit another snag. Entrance to the gates is through a small hidden doorway and down a narrow and scruffy corridor. A flight had arrived, and arriving passengers were attempting to get out as hundreds of departing passengers were trying to squeeze through, many in a last-minute rush (due to delays at Security). Staff failed to prevent a melee, despite much shouting, and couldn't let us through as there was another security check ahead. Eventually the chaos cleared and we were in time for the flight. But why does it have to be such a palaver?

LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT review :  6 October 2009 by Harry Holden   (UK)

Customer Rating :  1/5

Queuing

Cleanliness

Facilities

North terminal. Early Sunday morning and they allowed anyone to use Fast Track lane to keep the excessive queue down. On our return, luggage arrived in the hall a good 45 minutes after the passengers. Awful experience.

LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT review :  19 September 2009 by Stuart Fountain   (UK)

Customer Rating :  3/5

Queuing

Cleanliness

Facilities

LGW North - check-in (BA Club World) with two special assistance pax a breeze, then BAA took 45 mins to get a wheelchair tin order to get o the lounge as they didn't have enough staff with airside passes. Security for disabled was good, however, BAA opened the Fast track lane to all and sundry. Again it was BAA who left it until 15 mins before gate closure before picking up the disabled pax. It's time the airlines were given back responsibility for special assistance, BAA cannot handle it.

LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT review : 1 June 2009: by John Wilson

Customer Rating : 2/5

Gatwick South Terminal. Check in Area fine, security - as to be expected these days, but after security the place turns into a dump. There are no views outside. Unless you go to a lounge. The rest of the terminal is enclosed, cramped and claustrophobic. The only things to do are to look around the sterile selection of shops or eat in one of the overpriced eateries. The bars are expensive and charge more for drinks than town centre bars / pubs. By the time I got on my flight to Munich I felt that most of my soul had been sucked out of me. Until the sale goes ahead or doesn't nothing's going to be done to improve this. The North Terminal is slightly better as at least you can see out from some of the windows.

LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT review : 28 May 2009: by Brian Hill

Customer Rating : 1/5

As from my comments in March 2009, only the upstairs security area in the South Terminal was open, but at least it was quiet at nine o'clock in the morning. Returning the border control and luggage reclaim areas were more like a building site than an airport, again thank goodness it was quiet, I dread to think what the border control queues are like when it is busy and only three desk are available for EU citizens.

LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT review : 18 May 2009: by H Nicholson

Customer Rating : 4/5

I was flying to Rhodes with easyjet from the North Terminal at Gatwick Airport. Compared to the south terminal which my flight from Glasgow arrived into, the North Terminal seems to be much more quiter. There are plenty of facilities available, cafes, restaurants, shopping and much more. The departure lounge is excellent with plenty of seating. Security and check in were very speedy and it is very easy to navigate yourself around the airport!

LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT review : 6 April 2009: by John Oram

Customer Rating : 2/5

It was busy before 7am and there did seem to be an effort to open all security lanes. Nevertheless this was achieved at the expense of not operating the Fast Track lanes for their intended purpose and herding the business class passengers with everyone else. What slows the process is the numerous futile procedures conducted by large numbers of staff at any one station most of whom are not actually doing anything. I was extremely annoyed to have to remove my laptop from my bag as this procedure has been suspended at LHR for some while. I learned though that that is only a trial. I learned too that they are not willingly going to relax liquid restrictions as hinted some months ago. They just love to cling on to all these climate of fear spin offs even after scientific proof of their futility. Passengers should miss no opportunity to complain but make sure not to fall foul of an increasingly defensive attitude to legitimate complaints which are now too often construed as aggressive or offensive behaviour.

LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT review : 26 March 2009: by Brian Hill

Customer Rating : 1/5

Outgoing on 5th March, security a joke! No sensible information that the check-in level departure area was closed and only the upstairs area was open. Departure lounge was a building site and the Servisair lounge is not worth the cost. Incoming on the 10th March, what purpose does taking my photo at the gate, being given a bar coded card to be given in a few seconds later, achieve? If this is meant to stop domestic passengers mixing with international ones, it fails. At least the luggage arrived quickly.

LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT review : 27 February 2009: by N Sutherland

Customer Rating : 4/5

I use both the North and South Terminals many times a year, and I'm liking it more rather than less. (Most Airports I use the reverse is the case). The Airport Hotels are conveniently located and reasonably priced (for Airport Hotels). Hire Car Areas are a bit cramped but certainly close enough to the Terminal. Summer gets very busy with holiday flights and gets very crowded early in the morning. Winter is much quieter. The Check-In areas are well laid out and a dream if your airline does online check-in. Security can get crowded, but professional and courteous behaviour as always from the staff makes a huge difference (maybe something many passengers could learn). There is very good shopping both in terms of price and choice in both Terminals. I recently got a better price on a Camera in LGW North Terminal than I could get in the UK, even online, Dubai Duty Free (crazy prices) or several cities in SE Asia. Restaurants and Bars are fine and Airline Lounges are less crowded than their LHR counterparts. Walks to and from the Gate Areas are often lengthy with the 'endless-dim- corridor' a common experience. Gatwick Express is quick and reliable and I often make a run in to London if I have a few hours between flights. In the middle of the day I've walked off the plane, done Immigration and bags and been at the Hotel Check-In inside 30 minutes. That's pretty good for an old airport. I much prefer going through LGW than LHR and this certainly affects my choice of airline.

LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT review : 12 February 2009: by M Luddington

Customer Rating : 4/5

Gatwick North Terminal compared to South Terminal is much quieter, calmer then the South, check in was quick and easy and the security check was quick with no line. Once through security there is a decent selection of shops, restuarants and bars. The only downside is the amount of walking to your departure gate.

LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT review : 7 February 2009: by Ian Burgess

Customer Rating : 5/5

I have used Gatwick North many times since the day it opened and still feel it is one of the best airports. It is big enough to matter and have all the facilities one would want but small enough to navigate without getting lost or angry! I am lucky that I fly business class usually or at least as a BA Silver member can enjoy quick priority check in. I do not know why when on a recent trip to Hong Kong from T5 they wouldn't let me check in more than three hours ahead and so was forced to sit it out for over 3 hours on hard seats, yet on the return from Gatwick to Bordeaux having got off the overnight from HK to LHR and coached it to Gatwick, BA happily checked me in five hours ahead of my lunchtime flight.

LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT review : 6 January 2009: by Phil Wegener

Customer Rating : 2/5

Gatwick North, airport looks decent but nothing special. Very long walk though in the North Terminal to get to the pier where the budget airlines are. After landing, it took me almost an hour reach the Gatwick train station, despite only carrying hand luggage. It also has to be said that the few train connections from the airport to London on a Sunday are absolutely shambolic for such a major city as London.

LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT review : 31 December 2008 : by A Bell

Customer Rating : 2/5

Gatwick South Terminal is a miserable place to wait for a plane. There isn’t enough seating and the seating does not face the monitors announcing the flights. There are no spoken announcements concerning departures (restful), so you often have to leave your seat to check the monitor. You can either leave your belongings while you do this and risk having them stolen and incurring the wrath of the staff (you are constantly told over the tannoy not to do it), or take them with you and risk losing your seat. The monitors look to date from about 1970. I complained about them 3 years ago and was assured that there was a project afoot to update them. Nothing has been done. Upstairs, there are inadequate catering facilities meaning long queues for vile and hideously priced food. It’s not big either. You can’t get away from the crowds, or sit peacefully. All in all to be avoided which I do. Use City if you can – a far better experience. Gatwick is positively a third world airport, shabby, cluttered and falling apart.

LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT review : 19 December 2008 : by David Leston

Customer Rating : 4/5

Qatar Airways have moved to the North Terminal, which has given them vastly improved facilities over those they had in the South Terminal. Progress through the terminal was quick and efficient - it wasn't a very busy day by the looks of it - and everything looked neat and tidy, with easy to follow signage. Only downside, the long walking distances to the gates.

LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT review : 24 November 2008 : by R Smith

Customer Rating : 5/5

LGW-DUB-LGW with Aer Lingus. I have never seen the airport so empty on Friday am. Check in was a breeze, Security empty - straight through, good mixture of shops and bars. Boarding effective and efficient. Arrival, off the plane quickly, into Customs where Dublin and Jersey passengers were kept to one side and asking for boarding passes which was strange but nevertheless straight through to baggage reclaim where our cases were already on the belt. Within 15 minutes from landing was out of the airport. Very impressed.

LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT review : 16 November 2008 : by J Booty

Customer Rating : 4/5

Checked in at around 11:45 on a Friday at North Term. and it was wonderful! Hardly anybody about, unlike the early morning crush that we have regularly encountered in the past. Security queues were minimal so we had plenty of time to spare. Coming back however, we had to walk for miles from the plane to baggage reclaim and then we had to wait almost an hour for our baggage because there were not enough handlers and this was at midnight.

LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT review : 6 November 2008 : by David Gartside

Customer Rating : 3/5

Checked in mid-morning Thurs at N terminal with BA fast bag-drop / internet check-in. Efficient process, acceptable security, long walk to pier but all worked as it should. Return to same pier was OK, long wait for carousel to be nominated and not straight-forward to find bus-stop for long-stay car park - several failed light bulbs didn't help!

LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT review : 14 October 2008 : by J Byass

Customer Rating : 3/5

North terminal. Rarely fly from Gatwick. Seemed just as it had been 4 years ago; that is, acceptable from a transit point of view. Flying Club Class for a change gave many benefits which possibly masked any shortcomings. MCO was a revelation, 30 mins from exiting the aircraft to driving the rental car from the car park. LGW return was different. A modest wait at immigration, followed by a longer wait for the carousel, followed by a wait for a few bits of luggage, followed by wait for an almighty crash when the luggage arrived up to 3 across and 2 deep, plus sundry parts lying around. This part of Gatwick I remember well, although similar has happened at Heathrow. None of this can be controlled by the traveller, but if anyone else has any tips please post them.

LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT review : 2 July 2008 : by Robert Bushby

Customer Rating : 4/5

I have criticised the place in the past so well done to those on duty at LGW South at 0800 or thereabouts on Sat 14 Jun. As pressure mounted at security we and some fellow outbound passengers were peeled off, whisked away and directed upstairs to a supplementary screening area. Once into the terminal proper it was clear that whilst not finished the remodelling of the first floor has allowed a bigger circulating area to be created. A good start to our holiday. On our return (28 Jun) - we were parked out at gate 999 - or so it seemed - but every moving walkway on the long hike to passport control was operational. It is these details that make or break so not quite 5 stars but definitely getting better. (Not BAA issues as such but passport lines were short and our bags were on carousel almost immediately afterwards)

LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT review : 30 May 2008 : by Michael Scott

Customer Rating : 2/5

I used North Terminal in the middle of a Friday morning. It was a miserable experience. Our check-in zone was Zone Z - a hard-to-find area alongside Zone A. Only two flights were checking in at Zone Z but there was no room for a proper queue and it was utter chaos. Long queues at security. Very long queues at every food outlet and shop in the departure lounge, and not nearly enough seating. The duty-free shops extend further and further into what used to be seating space, and the terminal becomes ever more overcrowded as a result. "Duty free" prices generally not that different to the prices you'd pay in any supermarket or department store in the UK. I'm giving Gatwick two stars - but only because it's not as bad as Heathrow.

LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT review : 21 May 2008 : by G Jardin

Customer Rating : 1/5

LGW-BFS. Quick progress through Security (although still no chairs to use whilst putting on shoes - is that not a fairly obvious customer care issue?). Didn't have long to wait for my on-time flight, and quite relieved. The South Terminal airside is not pleasant: claustrophobic, stuffy, a horrid shopping mall at its worst. There were loads of seats, but I wouldn't like to be there on a day of delays.

LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT review : 11 May 2008 : by T Hollis

Customer Rating : 1/5

As a more recent visitor to the South Terminal for work trips, I have come to dread my visit. I always check in online, so have no comment to make on that part of the airport. Security queues seem to be reasonable when I'm there which is usually about 7am. It's airside that the problems start, with so many flights leaving the South Terminal there are always large numbers of passengers and, just not enough room for everyone. From what I can tell there is only one toilet area to serve all these people. If only some of the shops would make way for a few more places to buy some decent food. I don't want to eat McDonalds, a 20 minute wait to buy a coffee is just not good enough. The North Terminal is a much better experience but, unfortunately I don't get to use that part of the airport. I'm considering using City airport despite living 20 minutes drive from LGW, it's a much better experience. I hope that BAA are forced to sell Gatwick as something needs to be done.