Our travel agent booked us a flight arriving at Heathrow at 2 PM, then leaving from Gatwick to Dublin 3 hours later. With only 3 hours in which to get through customs and travel, how can we economically and quickly get from Heathrow to Gatwick (we've never been to London before)?
Posted by
Portland, OR, USA
805 posts
It'll be tough. See if your agent can rebook you on a flight out of Heathrow. Although you may make it, you have to hope customs doesn't take long (which it can, mostly because of a line).
There is a bus though if you want to try or a cab, although the later is expensive.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
Here is the good news: There are 4-5 direct National Express coaches per hour betwen Heathrow and Gatwick. The fare is £19.
Here is the bad news: The M25 is the busiest motorway in Britain. While the scheduled travel time is 1hr5min, heavy traffic can double that.
Unless everything goes perfectly, you will NOT make this connection! If your plane is late, if there is a delay getting through immigration/passport control, or if the traffic is bad, you'll be out of luck. Your travel agent should never have suggested this!
Stay at Heathrow and save yourselves both money and anxiety. Fly either BMI or Aer Lingus from there to Dublin.
Posted by
Portlandia
3313 posts
And fire your travel agent. This is an irresponsible booking.
Posted by
Portland, OR, USA
805 posts
I agree with that last point. After having to deal with the idiot travel agent who booked my French cousin on a flight last summer that arrived in JFK and then required him to go to LGA for his next flight (he'd never traveled abroad by himself, or to the US at all to make it even worse), airport changes are almost never a good idea. Unless you literally can't get to city x without going to a second airport, don't.
Posted by
SF Bay Area, CA, USA
508 posts
Debbie - I agree with the other posters.. This is not at all reasonable connection. The last couple of times I have been at Heathrow, it has taken me about 2 1/2 hours to catch connecting flights there - not transferring to another airport.... Check with your travel agent, but if you are booked on one itinerary for both segments, the airline might accomodate you if you don't make it. If you are booked separately on each flight, then you are on your own to book another flight if you miss your connection. You should ask your travel agent to rebook you on another flight at no additional cost or refund your money so you can book with someone else.
Posted by
Freedonia
15112 posts
Are you flying BA? Then your flight, I believe, arrives at 2:30. Is your next flight also on BA leaving at 5:00 out of GAtwick? There's a 6:45 PM BA flight out of Gatwick that you could probably make. Ask your travel agent to rebook you. If she talks to the airline directly, they'll know you can't make the connection.
And this is why most of us don't use travel agents or if we did, we'd find one who is knowledgable about the places we are visiting.