London Gatwick Airport

We used LGW on on BA European. It was quiet on our departure. There is substantial North Terminal refurbishment underway focused it seems on the car parks. I hope it is worth their while. Gatwick has probably suffered more then most over the years from the vagaries of the airline industry as Laker Dan-Air and Air Europe all disappeared and BA have had an increasingly fluid approach to their routes and operations there. Security was swift and painless and I think overall that the new owners are making an effort to improve the airport. Baggage handling on our return was quick but they still could advertise the carousel earlier. After all they must now which it is going to be.

I have not used it for over a year. In early January 2011 the place is more open and airier. BA check in took 2 minutes and for once the fast track security was just that taking all of 5 minutes. The BA lounge is being refurbished which is a bit of a shame as the old lounge was lovely. Coming back I was out of the airport within 40 minutes.

Early morning departure from North Terminal to Paphos and evening return a fortnight later. Checked in hold luggage the night before - worth doing (despite having to pay £2-50 for the short term car park to do so) as the airport was empty and tranquil. Next morning through security quickly and the only slight grumble was that the boarding gate indication wasn't displayed until well after the designated time. On return had to wait maybe ten minutes for the luggage carousel to be indicated otherwise painless. Not the airport's fault but the traffic from the airport to the M25 was horrid!

A midday departure to Tallin from the South terminal. No queue at check in security was quick and easy and the security staff were very friendly. A pleasant experience all round.

North Terminal - Returning yesterday we had booked a taxi pickup from the new Arrivals/Departure roadside zone-- what a big mistake! Working out how to get there from Arrivals was a challenge in itsself -up the lift to 1st floor then down another lift to the ground floor taxi pickup point - the signing was non existant and it was sheer luck we got through. Then waiting for the taxi we got soaked as the whole area is exposed to the drenching weather!

The development of Gatwick seems to involve endless additions of long often claustrophic corridors leading from one place to another. This now even includes the rebuilt first-floor (South Terminal) toilets which you need to plan for in advance rather than depend on an emergency rush! The airside facilities are not at all bad but the procedures in place for 'security' include incoming passengers having to carry bar-coded pieces of paper with them till they reach the exit and photography of people using domestic flights. Why do we have to be so persistently criminalized for travelling by air?

Nothing wrong with the new ownership and the money that is being spent on it but at 0500 onwards in the North Terminal Easyjets continuing announcements about what will happen if you are not at the gate in the next three minutes is enough to drive you to despair. How come no one else has to overuse the system so much - really ruins the experience.

Arrived LGW North Terminal lunchtime. Customs was a breeze. Baggage on carousel as we had cleared Customs. Had an evening flight to catch from South Terminal but check in for flight only open 2.5 hours prior to departure. Went up to Gatwick Village expecting shops restaurants etc as there used to be in the good old days. Only Cafe Nero and Boots! Had to sit on very hard seats outside Cafe Nero for nearly four hours! Why can't Gatwick authorities realise not everyone can go through airside.

Late arrival from Spain - no one to meet plane at gate so had to wait 10 minutes for airbridge to be deployed. 10 minute trek through airport to wait at immigration. Fairly quick through passport control and brought to grinding halt due to build up of people waiting for baggage belts to be announced. After 20 minutes we are asked to move to baggage hall due to overcrowding and another 20 minutes before any baggage arrives. All in all about 1 hour 20 from landing to leaving the airport.

South terminal to IOM and back. Longish queues at security caused partly by insufficient staff to remove empty containers from the xray belt thus holding everything up. Decent range of retail outlets although generally overpriced. Long queue stretching out of the ladies toilets! Seating at a premium due to lots of people laid out asleep. Straightforward arrival on return as you would expect for domestic arrival. Overall a pretty average experience this really is a bucket and spade type airport and the new owners have a lot of work to do.