Gatwick Airport

Gatwick airport was opened in 1920 as an aerodrome. It started operations as a commercial flight in 1933 and currently has 2 terminals, the North and South Terminals. Gatwick Airport, also referred to as London Gatwick (LGW or EGKK) is located in South-East England, 45km South of London. It is a major international airport surpassed only by London Heathrow Airport in terms of total passenger traffic. Gatwick Airport is the 2nd busiest airports by total passenger traffic in the United Kingdom. It is the 8th busiest airport in Europe. It serves over 35 million arrivals and departures annually from over 250 destinations in 74 countries. It operates as a single-use runway airport using the main runway with a length of 3316km. It is surpassed only by Mumbai?s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport as the busiest single-use runway airport in the world. LGW is the only single-runway airport to have handled 906 movements i.e. one aircraft taking off or landing every 63 seconds. Gatwick Terminals: The North Terminal has shops, restaurants, cafes, Bureaux de change, help desks and left-luggage facilities. It also has a free children?s entertainment zone, cash machines, internet Kiosks and mobile phone charging facilities. All rail services operate from the South Terminal. Departures and Arrivals in Gatwick Airport: The check-in desks for Gatwick flight departures are located on the 3rd floor of the North Terminal but on the 2nd floor of the South Terminal. All passengers must clear security control before entering the departure lounge that has shops, bars, cafes and currency exchange. Gatwick flight arrivals will pass through passport control after leaving the aircraft. Passengers should follow the signs for Baggage Reclaim to pick up their luggage before going through Customs. There are also shops, bars, restaurants and currency exchange in the arrivals hall.

Facilities available for travelers at the Gatwick Airport include:

? Restaurants, Cafes and bars: They are open at both terminals from 4:00am till 9:00pm. However, drinks and snacks are available round the clock. Restaurants in the airport include; armadillo, Caffe NERO, Costa, Garfunkel?s Restaurant, Grain Store, Jamie?s Italian, Nando?s, Starbucks, The Beehive, Wagamama etc. Shopping and Duty Free: Gatwick Airport houses a host of shops including Accessorize, Boots, Cath Kidson, Boss, Cloud Spa, Case, Lacoste, next and Harrods. World Duty Free store offers goods on sale without VAT. ? Bureaux de change: Gatwick Airport holds currencies for all the destinations it serves. Passengers can pick up ordered foreign currency, change money at the Bureaux de Change and withdraw cash from the cash machines at the terminals. ? WiFi and Internet: Free WiFi is available in both Terminals for 90 minutes per each registered device a day. ? Multi-faith prayer rooms: Open 24 hours a day to people of all faith is a multi-faith prayer room in both the North and South Terminal. The South Terminal chapel is on the 3rd floor, while the North Terminal has its chapel on the ground floor. ? Showers: There are free showers in the South Terminal opposite Beehive Bar and restaurant. Showers are in the No. 1 Lounge in the North Terminal, but lounge entrance fees apply. ? Toilets: Unisex toilets are provided on the main concourse and within the departures lounge. There are also free changing rooms in each of the terminals. ? Smoking Lounge: Gatwick is a smoke-free airport. Smoking is only permitted in designated areas outside the terminal building. Electronic cigarettes are also prohibited in the airport. ? Plug Stations and Charging: There are sockets compatible with UK and European plugs before and after the security. Lockers can also be used on charging devices. You can plug your phone and recharge for 30 to 90 minutes. ? Lounges: Lounges like Regus express has meeting rooms and lounge facilities located in the South terminal. The rooms cost about ?30 with complimentary tea and coffee. WiFi work-pods are also available for rent at ?10. Other lounges include Aspire, My Lounge and No. 1 Lounge Gatwick offering lounge access at varying rates. ? Playrooms: Free entertainment zones are located upstairs in the South Terminal departure lounge, while it is behind Boots in the North Terminal departure lounge. ? Help desks ? Counselling rooms

The following Airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights to and from Gatwick Airport:

? British Airways ? EasyJet ? WestJet ? Monarch Airlines ? Norwegian Air Shuttle ? Thomas Cook Airlines ? Thomas Airways ? Virgin Atlantic ? China Airlines ? Emirates Airlines ? Air Canada Rouge ? Air Arabia Maroc ? Air Transat ? Austrian Airlines ? Vueling ? Delta Airlines ? Mexicana ? Qatar Airways ? Royal Air Maroc ? Eurocypria Airlines? ? Cubana De aviacon ? Estonian Air ? Cimber Sterling ? Aurela Airlines ? Air Zimbabwe ? Ghana International Airlines ? US Airways ? Viking Airways ? Ukraine International Airlines ? Ryanair ? GB Airways ? Flybe ? American Airlines ? Continental Airlines ? Cathay Pacific ? Turkish Airlines Popular Routes ? London ? Dubai ? Dublin ? Amsterdam ? Tenerife ? Lagos ? Abuja ? Johannesburg ? Manchester ? New York ? Washington ? Qatar ? Mumbai ? Barcelona ? Geneva ? Malaga ? Hong Kong  

Popular Routes	Flight fare to Gatwick Airport	Flight time
Amsterdam	$66	1 hour 06 minutes
Lagos	$910	6 hours 55 minutes
Barcelona	$70	1 hour 52 minutes
Guangzhou	$570	12 hours 21 minutes
Dublin	$185	1 hour 06 minutes
Dubai	$476	7 hours 53 minutes
New York	$379	7 hours 27 minutes
Hong Kong	$859	12 hours 31 minutes
Washington	$634	10 hours 07 minutes
Qatar	$476	6 hours 18 minutes
Manchester	$120	52 minutes
Glasgow	$65	1 hour 14 minutes
Campbeltown	$240	1 hour 15 minutes
Aberdeen	$63	1 hour 21 minutes
Edinburgh	$59	1 hour 13 minutes

 

Other Airports Close to Gatwick Airport

• London Heathrow Airport (64km)
• London City Airport (85km)

Airports operating from Airports close to Gatwick Airport

• EasyJet
• Flybe
• Thomson Airways
• Trade Air
• KLM
• Emirates Airlines
• Turkish Airlines
• United Airlines
• China Eastern Airlines
• China Western Airlines
• Stobart Air
• Delta Airlines
• Kenya Airways
• Kuwait Airways
• Korean Air
• Lufthansa
• Cobalt Air
• Eurowings
• British Airways
• BH Air
• Ryanair
• Pegasus Airlines
• Titan Airways
• Air Canada
• American Airlines
• El Al
• Icelandair

?Moving from Airport to London

Gatwick airport is about 45km from London. It is accessible by all the major forms of Public Transport in London. 1.?Train: There are many different trains to London from Gatwick Airport. The Gatwick Express: It is the fastest and most direct route linking Gatwick Airport to London, with a non-stop service to London Victoria Station. It is a 30 minute trip to London Victoria station where passengers can get further connections via the London Underground. The trains run every 15 minutes between Gatwick?s South Terminal and London Victoria Station from 5:00am to 12:30am. The Gatwick Express? first service from London Victoria to Gatwick airport starts by 3:30am and lasts till 12:23am. Adult fare for a one-way trip by the Gatwick Express starts at ?19.90 from the ticket office at Gatwick or London Victoria. Southern train is another regular train service from Gatwick Airport offering trains during the day, 4 times an hour. Southern trains travel from Gatwick airport to London Victoria via East Croydon and Clapham Junction. The journey lasts about 35 minutes. Thameslink provides direct trains 4 times an hour from Gatwick to Blackfriars, City Thameslink, Farringdon and St. Pancras International. 2. Bus and Coach: Bus operators run 24 hour services to and from Gatwick Airport. National Bus 1 way adult ticket fares start from ?8 if booked in advance. It offers a 24 hour service, with more than 30 pick-up points across the UK. Its journey to London Victoria Coach Station without traffic jam takes 1 hour and 15 minutes. In addition, a coach service is operated by easyBus to Earl?s Court Station, London with advanced ticket booking starting from ?2. easyBus runs a service between the South Terminal and Waterloo rail station in Central London. The buses depart every 15 minutes and runs from 4:00am till 1:00am. Coaches to London Victoria station is available at both terminals from the lower level forecourt. 3. Uber: Uber calculates fares based on time and distance rates. Travellers from Gatwick airport can request Uber online. A traveller can expect to pay approximately ?74 for a journey of 75 minutes to London Victoria. 4. Taxis: The Gatwick Airport taxi service operates a 24 hour service. Passengers can request a taxi and determine fares with the online booking service. A standard cab ride to Victoria Station will cost about ?110. Parking Fees: There are large number of private parking lots for car owners to leave their car. The daily price starts from ?4-6 or a weekly ?36 that can increase to over ?72. Gatwick airport also has its own parking service and passengers can use the online tool to determine the parking fee. ?Cost of Living in London

Items	Cost (?)
Pack of Marlboro Cigarettes	12.17
Cheap meal	15
Coke/Pepsi	1.56
3-course meal for 2	55
Imported beer	4.01
Cappuccino	2.63
Meal at McDonalds	5.00
Pair of Nike shoes	65.57
Pair of Jeans	62.12
Pair of Men Leather Business shoes	78
Taxi-1km (Normal tariff)	4.00
One-way bus ticket	2.51

 

Different means of transportation in London

For a long term stay in London, it is better to purchase a Visitor Oyster Card in advance. The Oyster Card is the easiest and cheapest way of gettting around London. Oyster Card can be purchased at the concierege outlets in Gatwick North or South Terminal. Oyster Cards can also be purchased at the Gatwick Airport train station.?Buying a Travelcard or a visitor oyster card will save you money travelling within London. The London Underground (The Tube): The Underground or the Tube as it is popularly called by Londoners is the major source of public transport and the fastest way of covering large distance journey in London. With 12 lines covering an extensive network, you can quickly get to most places in the city centre. Service updates are available beyond the ticket barriers at the train stations or simply listen to the announcements on the platforms. The Trains and platforms are named based on the direction of line and the station; hence, there are Eastbound, Westbound, Northbound and Southbound trains. Also, ensure that the direction of the train coincides with your destination. It is helpful to pick up a free map at the train station ticket office. It is cheaper to buy an Oyster card than buying single train tickets. The oyster card is the most affordable way of riding the tube, as a single fare may be as low as ?2.30. Last trains leave Central London around 12:00 am during weekdays but 11:30pm on Sundays. First trains depart by 5:00am. Avoid travelling on the tube during the peak hours to save money and avoid overcrowding. The Bus System: Buses help to fill the gaps created by the tube stations that are farther apart outside Central London. Although, it is a slower journey, it is a cheaper alternative to the tube. To travel by bus, passengers need to have any of an Oystercard, a contactless card, a paper BusPass or Travelcard. A bus fare costs ?1.50 using an Oyster card or a contactless card. The bus offers more chances for sightseeing than a train. The bus stops have designated signposts with each stop giving information about the bus destinations, alternative stops and frequency of the bus. Buses are frequent on most routes during normal Monday to Friday daytime hours; they become less frequent in the early morning, late evening and weekends. Spider maps are especially useful when travelling by bus as they give complete details about each major bus stop. They can be printed at the nearest bus stop. Night buses cover the whole of London and run throughout the night at frequencies ranging from hourly to 4 buses per, 7 nights a week. River Services: River Thames is the most important River in London. The commuter services operate all day from Greenwich Pier to Embankment, and from Putney and Chelsea Harbour to Blackfriars during peak hours. These routes will pass interesting places like the Houses of Parliament and the London Bridge. The return fare from Putney to Blackfriars will cost ?12. There are also leisure cruises that serve as attractions and tourism to travellers. There are a large variety of birds and other wildlife that live on the banks of the River Thames, making the journey along the river outside the city to the Riverside towns interesting. Travelcards can get you a discount off the fares for River services if shown at the time of ticket purchase. The discount is 1/3 of the ticket for a trip by the river. National Rail: The National Rail is the best public transport option outside Central London or travelling Southwards of River Thames. Travelcards can be used for travel on the National Rail, except on Heathrow Express. The Buckingham Palace, the National Gallery, the Tower of London, and the London Aquarium are attractions within a short walk away from the National rail station.

Public Transport etiquette:

Allow passengers to exit before boarding. Move to the centre of a crowded train. Avoid loud conversation. Making eye contact with other passengers is an established British tradition. Check the indicator for the next train time before entering a crowded train, as an extra minute wait may bring an emptier train. Always stand to the right and walk on the left when riding the escalator.

Flights within the Various Airports in the United Kingdom:

Some of the most important domestic flights out of Gatwick Airport includes: Manchester Dublin Glasgow Edinburgh Bristol Newcastle Birmingham

International Flights to and from the?United Kingdom

Airlines operating international routes in the United Kingdom out of Gatwick Airport include: Emirates Airlines Etihad Airlines Qatar Airways American Airlines United Airlines US Airways Turkish Airlines British Airways Lufthansa EasyJet Thomson Airways Thomas Cook Airlines The most popular international routes flown from Gatwick airport are:

Most Popular Routes	Average fares	Flight time
Dublin	$185	1 hour 06 minutes
Malaga	$42	2 hours 32 minutes
Barcelona	$66	1 hour 06 minutes
Amsterdam	$70	1 hour 52 minutes
Geneva	$64	1 hour 24 minutes

 

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