Our Review of London Gatwick Airport

Table of contents: Our Review of London Gatwick Airport Pros and Cons of London Gatwick Airport Mini-Guide of the Airport (2' Guide) How we calculate On Time Performance Some Stats

Our Review of London Gatwick Airport

At Plan Your Trips, we have analyzed hundreds of airports around the world, gaining a clear understanding of what users expect when visiting an airport. With this know-how, we have created this guide, placing passengers at the forefront of everything, aiming to simplify and enhance the airport experience.

In this guide, our goal is to present information in a manner that is both quick and reliable. Recognizing that passengers often have limited time and may be in a hurry, we strive to ensure that they do not waste time unnecessarily.

Another key focus of our guide is to highlight the strengths of the airport and also the weaknesses, and in some cases, offer recommendations to travelers. In alignment with this approach, we provide users with aggregated information on delays and on-time performance, analyzing both airlines and individual flights.

Pros and Cons of London Gatwick Airport

PROS

Location: Gatwick Airport (LGW) is located in Crawley, West Sussex, 48 km (30 miles) south of London Central district. This airport is centrally located serving most of the travelers in and out of London.

Efficiency: The handling of baggage and security check among many other aspects reflect the smooth operations of the airport.

Connectivity: The Gatwick airport provides regular domestic as well as international flights and ensures that travelers can plan their trip to any part of the world easily. Some major airlines have their hubs here, which guarantees the availability of a great number of flight offers.

Hubs: LGW Airport is a hub for British Airways. And it is also a focus city for EasyJet, Norse Atlantic Airways, TUI Airways, Vueling and Wizz Air.

Transportation Options: It is served well by different means of transport such as rail, bus, and taxis to Central London other parts of the country. For direct connection to the city center the Gatwick Express rail service can be taken to London Victoria station.

Terminal Facilities: In terms of infrastructure and services offered, Gatwick Airport features well-equipped terminals that offer passengers all necessary amenities such as shops, cafes, bars, business and VIP lounges and other facilities. The terminals are conveniently styled for a comfortable stay for both the international and the business travelers.

CONS

Capacity Constraints: At certain peak hours, the airport can get too crowded. It might take much time for passengers to get through the terminal area – this can be quite stressful for some people.

Terminal Transfers: Gatwick airport has two terminals, the North and the South, which are not joined by a post-security airside connection but are linked by shuttle services instead. This may also increase the time it takes to travel by public transport and may be times inconvenient for the commuters.

Seasonal Overcrowding: It is not uncommon for any international airport around the world to be very busy, especially during some of the winter holidays or other seasons of high tourism rates, and Gatwick is no exception. This means it can sometimes get crowded, with longer lines for check-ins and other procedures.

Dining Options: There are some places in Gatwick Airport where there is a severe lack of eating places and there are some areas that can be criticized for charging very high prices on food.

Mini-Guide of the Airport (2' Guide)

Terminals: Gatwick Airport is an airport located in Gatwick in West Sussex, England; this airport has two terminals, the North terminal and the South terminal. One feature which should be mentioned is that the terminals cannot be accessed on foot like in several major airports, so it is better to check where your flight is going to depart from to avoid last-minute troubles. Passenger transfer between terminals can be made via a free transfer shuttle.

Transport to and from Gatwick: The availability of transport means to and from Gatwick is not a problem as there are many options such as trains, buses and taxis. For those passengers who need to get to London, they provide a fast and efficient connection to the Gatwick Express service to the London Victoria station.

Check-in: Both north terminal and south terminal check-in areas are located at level 20.

Facilities: Have buffet and shop in the large Sky Center - the shops and restaurants are air side. As one of the most convenient airport lounges, it is perfect for those who wish to take a nap before a flight.

Family-Friendly: Children’s play areas, child seats and lactation facilities are available at both the terminals. Separated fronts of the restaurants and family check in services make this less stressful for parents with their young children.

Lounges: Select from the various resting zones located all over the airport, which also provide small restaurant and WiFi services. They can be used as a perfect relaxation before any trip, adventure, or other activities.

How we calculate On Time Performance

On various pages of our website, you will encounter a metric widely utilized in aviation and other forms of transportation known as OTP (On Time Performance). We believe that providing this metric assists passengers in planning their trips and exploring alternatives before purchasing their flight tickets.

We calculate the On Time Performance for all flights and airlines, when we have enough data to do so. In certain instances, it may not be feasible to accurately compute the On-Time Performance for a specific flight or airline due to inadequate or non-representative data, which could result in misleading conclusions.

Our calculation of On Time Performance and delay information solely relies on arrival times. This approach is chosen over calculating departure delays, as we consider arrival punctuality to be of primary concern to passengers.

The On Time Performance displayed on our website is calculated as follows:

On Time: Flights that arrive within 15 minutes of their scheduled arrival time, or earlier. In the absence of data for a specific flight, we assume the flight arrives on time, to avoid penalizing airlines for data unavailability.
Moderate Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay of 15 to 30 minutes.
Significant Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay of 30 to 60 minutes.
Major Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay exceeding 60 minutes.
Average Delay: The average delay is calculated by considering flights that arrive early as having a delay of 0 minutes. Early arrivals do not contribute to reducing the average delay calculation