Heathriow to Gatwick

Hi Guys - I need your advise please - Myself and the family travel to to Barbados on Monday morning from Dublin via Gatwick - The problem is when I booked I over looked BA had me going into Heathrow arrving at 8.05am from Dublin - I tried to change but BA wont change for me - so after many long conversations etc I have to stock to my orginal booking -

So we land at 8.05am - we have to collect our bags and get to Gatwick - Flight to Barbados is a 11.20am - I dont what I have to do to get there on time so should I get a taxi or what - need the most stress free way as possible please - thanks

I think there are several options if you google what you want , I know I used the National Bus service but I think a private transfer costs around £55. Your time of arrival is peak time around the M25 so I personally would get a private transfer which you can book online. hope all goes well

If I'm honest you will struggle to make your flight with the times mentioned.

Anything on the roads is a no go on a Monday morning. Quickest will probably be heathrow express then gatwick express trains. Once the cost is in, it will probably be more than the flight!

If you have no luck with BA, I'd re book direct to gatwick.

Take into account time to collect bags at LHR, then find transport, wait time for bus/train to depart etc. Not the best way to start a trip!

[Neil]

I have to agree with Luke. With an 8am arrival, you are talking about a 9am departure from the airport all going well, and at that time the M25 around Heathrow will be pure hell.

You then have a 45 mile drive to Gatwick, which could easily take anywhere from 1 to 2 hours, even with a 1 hour travel time, that is a 10am arrival at LGW at best.

I would look again at changing the DUB flight, even for a fee, or rebooking.

I think you have left very little time do this journey. You need to have dropped your bags at the VS desks 1 hr before departure so in effect you have 2 hrs to get from LHR to LGW and thats not taking into account the time to get off the plane at T1 and collect your bags etc and then find your pre-booked taxi (I don't think a black cab would take you but I could be wrong on that) and that dosent take into account any problems with the traffic.

When you say BA won't change your flights is that because there is no room on DUB-LGW flights or they won't do it for free?

I take it that you are on Aer Lingus and have booked these and the Virgin flights on separate tickets?

EI152 DUB 06:40 LHR 08:05
Y9 B9 H9 K9 M9 VS NC LC OC QC XC SC RC WC ZC TC G9
EI230 DUB 06:40 LGW 08:10
Y9 B9 H9 K9 M9 V9 N9 L9 OS QS X9 S9 RC WC ZC TC G9

There are more seats available on the Gatwick flight but probably not at the level you paid or the ticket you bought is non-changeable.

You are going to have to change your flights, you will not make that connection without a helicopter, let alone on a Monday morning.

Ed

I think the OP is flying Aer Lingus DUB-LHR, then BA LGW-BGI, because this is posted in the BA subforum.

From the original post, it reads like BA booked the connecting flight (" BA had me going into Heathrow...."). The BA booking engine regularly brings me back results arriving into LHR and returning LGW and vice versa.

If that's the case, they should make this good as there is no way this would be a minimum connection time between the 2 airports, especially connecting to a long haul flight.

If it's not the case, and the OP booked his own flights on a separate PNR, the advice to find an alternative way to get straight to Gatwick is good.

Can you clarify, Keith?

Regards
R3dV

[honey lamb]

I think the OP is flying Aer Lingus DUB-LHR, then BA LGW-BGI, because this is posted in the BA subforum.

I agree especially as the DUB-LHR flight is a codeshare with Aer Lingus as BA do not fly from Dublin to London. This suggests to me that the flight is on the same PNR so any chance of scrapping the DUB-LON leg and re-booking is zilch without voiding the whole ticket.

I am surprised though that BA won't move on this as (well as far as VS is concerned) Aer Lingus charge the fully flexible rate and that segment should in theory be moveable. Unless, that is that BA has negotiated a more favourable non-changeable fare with EI as former One World partners

Edited to add: I've just done a dummy booking with BA for next Monday and amazingly these flights into LHR and ex LGW come up as a bookable fare with no warning about connection times. It does seem odd that it is on offer especially as EI does have a departure to LGW at the same time as has been pointed out

guys i am locked into some kind f fare and if i do not arrive on the heathrow flight OUR WHOLE schudue is cancelled

I think the OP is flying Aer Lingus DUB-LHR, then BA LGW-BGI, because this is posted in the BA subforum.

I didn't look at what forum it had been posted in. I assumed that the DUB-LHR was on BA and the Barbados leg was on VS but doing a dummy booking on VS shows their flight leaves at 10.00 and it is the BA flight (again by doing a DUB-BGI dummy on BA.com) that leaves at 11.20.

Like HL I'm surprised that BA won't change - even when its their own flight from LGW-BGI.

Maybe a call to speak to another operator / supervisor might help?

## but I have just checked the BA site and it says allow 3 hrs to connect between LHR-LGW so whislt the OP has 3hrs 15mins it is a 'legal' connection it leaves no time to check-in and clear security at LGW let alone check-in an hour before !

Knowing porsche from old the Barbados flights will be in J - bussing it will not be required.

What's the on time performance of your DUB-LHR flight, what's the probability of on time arrival?

If you do, then you'll be out of the airport in 30 mins - not one hour, assuming you've got bags too.

You've then got until 10.20 to get to check-in (noting I do not know what the minimum is in J for BA, so guessing 1 hr). That gives you 1 hr 50 mins.

Cross your fingers and book a car to pick you up kerbside and drop you kerbside at Gatwick North (BA check in there is pretty easy).

OR

Call your agent or BA and plead madness with them that they booked this itinerary and they should change it - failing that accept the change fee (one way DUB-LGW is showing as Euro 258, so it has to be less than that per person!).

I think the OP is flying Aer Lingus DUB-LHR, then BA LGW-BGI, because this is posted in the BA subforum.

I didn't look at what forum it had been posted in. I assumed that the DUB-LHR was on BA and the Barbados leg was on VS but doing a dummy booking on VS shows their flight leaves at 10.00 and it is the BA flight (again by doing a DUB-BGI dummy on BA.com) that leaves at 11.20.

Like HL I'm surprised that BA won't change - even when its their own flight from LGW-BGI.

Maybe a call to speak to another operator / supervisor might help?

## but I have just checked the BA site and it says allow 3 hrs to connect between LHR-LGW so whislt the OP has 3hrs 15mins it is a 'legal' connection it leaves no time to check-in and clear security at LGW let alone check-in an hour before !

Yes but that connection time is based on the assumption that it's the same airport! As the OP is not arriving and departing from the same airport in the UK is this really a fair connection?

I really hope BA do something for you, I honestly don't think this will be possible as it's currently set up.

Luke - thats what it says on the BA website - the minimum connecting time is 3 hours hence 3.15 is 'legal' but in my view not fair.

Luke - thats what it says on the BA website -thee minimum connecting time is 3 hours hence 3.15 is 'legal' but in my view not fair.

Agree with you, doesn't seem fair though! I can only assume the policymakers don't drive on the m25! Lol

Hi guys - I have pleaded / begged done everything possible but ba have just said no -
I cannot understand why (with me offering to pay) won't oblige me in anyway to try make the trip easier - they won't listen to what makes sense - if we miss the flight ba are obliged tonged us to Barbados at their cost ( and I will insist in club world)

I cannot understand their attitude at all but the number I call just seems to be a call centre - does anybody have a number and a contact I could call and see if the logical thing can be done - all I want is to not go on the Monday am flight -I will even go Sunday and make our own way to gatwick -

Any help guys would be fantastic or any contacts within ba - email me at [email protected]

Cheers lads and gals
Keith

it might be worth joining the BA frequent flyer program (Executive Club) and then give them a call.
this worked for me when i had a problem with the schedule of my last BA flights

Oh dear, I do hope British Air see sense and amend for you. Although checkin at LGW closes 45minutes before the flight it would be that carpark aka M25 that would give me the colly wobbles.
I would continue to Email them just sorry I dont have a useful contact for you, good luck