Changes at LGW South Terminal

[buns]

Many who use LGW might want to take a look at

these changes to the forecourt at the South Terminal

I have beein using the lower level for drop off and pick up as upstairs has become such a nightmare


buns

Good info Buns - I have also forwarded it to the guy who drives us down to the airport as he goes there a lot!!

So £1 for 15 minutes parking if you're dropping off or picking up !

I was in New York last weekend where the local TV News station's lead story was The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey's announcement of FREE waiting areas called "Cell Phone Area's" being created at the area's 3 airports for people dropping off or collecting passengers !

BAA - It's not all about the money ! It's about service !!

They have had Cell Waiting areas at MCO for some time now - Seems like a good idea to me.

Paul

Originally posted by p17blo
They have had Cell Waiting areas at MCO for some time now - Seems like a good idea to me.

Yep. Seattle has the same. The cell-phone lot is a few minutes drive from the terminal area, pretty much off-airport.

The whole idea is that meeters and greeters don't take up car parking or pickup/setdown lane space waiting for people - they only drive up when the person they are meeting has called them to say they are almost ready.

Mike

[Scrooge]

Though to be honest 1 pound for 15 minutes is a heck of a lot less than it has been...or has my ride been parking in the wrong place ?

[buns]

Originally posted by Scrooge
Though to be honest 1 pound for 15 minutes is a heck of a lot less than it has been...or has my ride been parking in the wrong place ?

Currently, if you choose to use the carpark[:w] the minimum charge is over £2.40 for the first half hour or £3.90 for the hour

The downstairs area has been a good place to hang around (Traffic Wardens permitting) but i suspect that BAA have got wise to this so hence the new arrangements

buns

Cell phone waiting lots are getting into more and more US airports, but I have to admit I like the one at PHX a lot. It's across from Terminal 2, on the exit drive (not halfway to Vancouver like SEA's is - just returned from there[n]), but the one thing PHX did that few other airports thought of was to put an all-flights status board in the center of the lot! It's linked to the tower, and any flight crossing certain markers gets added/subtracted. When it gets added, you know it's in the local airspace. When it shows 'arrived' you know it's actually been at the gate for five minutes. When it shows 'ready for pickup' forget it - the person you're picking up has already called you from the curb!

If the flight is delayed, you're told that too. You're even told the terminal/gate number, so you know where to head on the pickup drives. The flight is deleted when the cleaning crew is finished and the flight number is changed to the next flight in the cycle.

Cell phone lots are wonderful. Now, if only more airports would spring for the status boards, it would be even more wonderful. [y]

[honey lamb]

The flight is deleted when the cleaning crew is finished

That's all well and good but last year when we arrived in SYD at 6:45 we were confronted with the most horrendous queues at customs; directed to Goods to Declare which was in fact "Quarantine" because of Aer John's golf shoes. The queue was poorly managed so that by the time we had gone through more than two hours had elapsed. There was no sign of our car and we had to buy a phone card to phone the hotel. We later learned that they had seen passengers exiting from VS200 and decided we were not on the flight. Not an experience I would wish to repeat.

[buns]

Just to let everyone know, the new arrangements have come into force.

I have just dropped off someone at the South Terminal and the upper drop off point is now closed to all but coaches and Gatwick Cars[n]

There was planty of confusion with both private cars and cabs unsure of where to go - quite a few were backing up from the car park entry[:0]

there seems plenty of space on the lower level, with both sides of the road now available for drop off, but I suspect it will be chaos tomorrow morning


buns