LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT   Passenger Reviews and Customer opinions

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LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT customer review :  19 February 2010 by Gary Farrelly   (France)

Customer Rating :  1/5

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Arrived into the South Terminal with BA and departed from North Terminal with Aer Lingus. By far the most depressing airport terminals I have ever visited. The long boarding piers at the airport could be a plane watchers dream and a free way to keep kiddies transfixed/ quiet - but LGW decides to make minimum use of windows denying passengers of any views of the apron and parked airliners and virtually no natural light. Catering and shopping everywhere but no distraction available other than retail. LGW looks like a dated out of town shopping centre. Long walks with nothing interesting to see (except faded carpet and out of service slot machines) make for a confusing and demoralising terminal layout. Staff in all areas of the airport roughly spoken and profoundly unhelpful. And what is with the weird, complicated closed gate boarding system - the mind boggles. I hate LGW and will avoid using that airport at all costs.

LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT customer review :  19 February 2010 by C O'Hanlon   (UK)

Customer Rating :  5/5

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Flew out from the North Terminal on a Sunday morning. Car meet and greet worked perfectly and queues at Check-in were small. There were helpers on hand at security to guide you to the shortest queue, ensure that we had the correct items out ready for inspection and advising that we needed to remove our shoes, which worked very well and we were through security in under five minutes. Good range of shops with some reasonable prices, clean toilets, good facilities for changing infants and plenty of places to sit. On the way to the gate we had to go through another security checkpoint (as we were flying to the US) with full bag searches and body pat downs, but this was handled efficiently. On the way back, a 10 minute queue at passport control and our bags were coming off the carousel as we got to the baggage claim. We were in the car an hour after landing, which for a larger airport I thought was pretty good.

LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT customer review :  9 February 2010 by Johnny Tung   (UK)

Customer Rating :  1/5

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I use Gatwick at least twice a month and my experience in January can only be described as disaster. Arrived from Prague on a late night easyjet flight landed at around 2250 at the South Terminal, the same day when the UK security level was raised to severe. When we disembarked the plane, we realized that the door between the jetty and the terminal was closed and there was no one inside the airport. We then managed to ask the flight attendant to help and managed the first door. Then we realized there was another second door locked. Again no sign of any staff at Gatwick. The flight attendant had to open the door again and here we are at the departure lounge rather than the arrivals. Then all the passengers wander around the almost empty airport without being approached or questioned. Eventually I managed to get the attention from a security personnel and he directed all the passengers though the arrival hall. No explanation whatsoever. They blamed easyjet of course. I have written to Gatwick airport but no response at all. It is ridiculous that they operate the airport, link the jetty to the airplane and then when something went wrong they said it wasn't their responsibility. It's a shame because departure from this airport is always smooth.

LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT customer review :  8 February 2010 by D Taylor   (UK)

Customer Rating :  2/5

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Outbound no issues except for delays at check in, which is more an airline problem. Security was quick and efficient although this may have more to do with the time of my flight which was outside of peak hours. Inbound - it took almost 2 hours from leaving the aircraft to make it through to arrivals, passport control painfully slow with massive queues, even after waiting for what felt like eternity the luggage was still not on the belt so even more delays.

LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT customer review :  26 January 2010 by Geoffrey McNab   (UK)

Customer Rating :  4/5

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Not having flown through Gatwick's South Terminal for some time, I was pleasantly surprised at the experience. I had allowed plenty of time for the security and had expected to queue for some time like other BAA airports. However the security staff at the South Terminal seemed well organised with some people being fed into the system and others directed to follow blue circles to a staircase up to another level. I was directed along the blue circles, up the stairs and found another security section with a very small queue. I did not have to take my belt or shoes off and, for once, did not send the scanner off pinging when I walked through! It was all fast, friendly and efficient. Almost as good as the good old days before intrusive security! Airside is still a bit of a jumble and the tiny door leading to Gates 1-10 is easily missed. Despite the terminal being busy there were plenty of seats available to sit o

LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT customer review :  20 December 2009 by S Smith   (UK)

Customer Rating :  3/5

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LGW to Dusseldorf and Luxembourg in the last month. South terminal is a dump, the Border post looks like a building site and a dismal experience overall. North terminal much better, all security channels were manned and there was virtually no queue, and immigration is much better organised. The temporary bus service between terminals is a big negative as well, run by staff who clearly missed out on charm school. Let's hope the new owners make a difference in attracting new carriers as LGW is slowly reverting to its origins as a bucket and spade, cheap and cheerful type place.

LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT customer review :  5 December 2009 by Howard Barker   (UK)

Customer Rating :  4/5

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North terminal Thursday mid-morning. A haven of tranquility compared to South and no queues for check-in or security. Not much in the way of facilities landside and, on return, a very long walk to baggage reclaim involving two escalators.

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

Customer Rating :  1/5

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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 customer review :  13 October 2009 by John Hobbings   (UK)

Customer Rating :  3/5

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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 customer review :  8 October 2009 by C Stephenson   (Isle of Man)

Customer Rating :  1/5

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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 customer review :  6 October 2009 by Harry Holden   (UK)

Customer Rating :  1/5

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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 customer review :  19 September 2009 by Stuart Fountain   (UK)

Customer Rating :  3/5

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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 customer 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 customer 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 customer 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 customer 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 customer 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 customer 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 customer 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.