I'm in Spain, flying home to Canada tonight and tomorrow, connecting in London. We booked our flights online with British Airlines and when we checked in last night, realized we fly into Gatwick and out of Heathrow!!! We've already made arrangements for a taxi to transfer us - we have a 13 hour stopover - but but will our luggage be transferred for us? I'm assuming we'll need to retrieve our own luggage when arriving in Gatwick but I haven't been able to contact the airlines to confirm this.
Posted by
Oxford, United Kingdom
5466 posts
There is no transferral of bags between these airports. It will be your responsibility to pick up and check in. Still 13 hours should be enough ...
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33991 posts
No, you collect your bags and go through Border Control - the UK is not a member of the Schengen group - and Customs. Your bags go with you into the private hire taxi to Heathrow where you check in and drop your bags.
With 13 hours that is a somewhat inconvenient time.
Worst case figure an hour or so to get through the frosted glass doors and into the main part of Gatwick airport, and your driver should be there with a sign with your name on.
2 hours to get around the M25 to Heathrow ought to do it, and 3 hours before departure to check in at Heathrow.
hmmmm.... now you have spent around 6 hours and have around 7 left to vegetate.
Another alternative is to perhaps skip the private hire transfer and get the Gatwick Express train from Gatwick to London Victoria station - 30 minutes every 15 or 30 throughout the day, supplemented by frequent Southern Railway trains taking about 5 minutes longer and a bit cheaper - drop your bags at the Left Luggage counter at Victoria, see a bit of the town for 4 or 5 hours, and then a taxi, bus or if you don't mind the stairs at Victoria the Underground out to Heathrow.
maybe?