Drive Thru Check in at Gatwick

Never done this before, so a couple of questions. Is the check in by the airport car park and if so do you then have to get a bus to the terminal or does the chauffeur take you there? Also do you by-pass the main terminal?

Thanks.

[RichardMannion]

It is next to the car park, they will check you in and take the luggage. The driver will then drop you off at the terminal where you then have to fight your way through Fast Track.

Thanks,
Richard

Thanks Richard, doesn't seem too bad.

Sorry, just another quick question, do they have cars big enough to take five of us or will it be two cars?

[preiffer]

Not five of you, no. The MOST they'll take is 4 (and that would be quite a squeeze). Are you all on Upper tickets, or are you trying to get a few extra passengers in there?

If on D/J tickets, they'll organise more cars. Comfortably, I'd say 2 per car - 3 at a push with luggage (and an estate volvo)

We regularly use a CDC for the five of us (all J pax) - it is usually a Mercedes Viano although on the last occasion (when we were moved from to flight due to land @ LGW to one that went to LHR and the change had not got through to the appropriate VS ground staff in UK) so we got 2 x Volvo estates sorted out whilst we were in rivivals.

HG

All of us are UC Z out & J Return so planning on using miles for the car on the outward leg. 3 Adults 2 children

Originally posted by Gill Smith
All of us are UC Z out & J Return so planning on using miles for the car on the outward leg. 3 Adults 2 children

Unless the conditions have changed recently CDCs can only be booked with miles if you're on a G fare (ie reward booking)and can't be used with Z fares.
DL

The other advantage is that Tristar are the only people allowed to drive upto the departure level now at Gatwick. They have to collect a ticket and hand it in to the secuirty guy on the swing pole. So you arrive at the top deck with no one else there. Makes the access to fast track slightly quicker

hi all,

just a question...

can i use the UC drive through check in at LGW if i have opted not to have the CDC, but all 5 of us are flying upper class..?

i am staying at the hilton the night before we fly, and would save any hassle taking all the bags to the hotel, long term parking the car & back to the hotel, and then taking all the bags over to twilight check in....

thanks in advance...

regards

[honey lamb]

Originally posted by DragonLady

Originally posted by Gill Smith
All of us are UC Z out & J Return so planning on using miles for the car on the outward leg. 3 Adults 2 children

Unless the conditions have changed recently CDCs can only be booked with miles if you're on a G fare (ie reward booking)and can't be used with Z fares.
DL

Sorry to disappoint you but Dragon Lady is right. You are only eligible to use the CDC on your return journey and not your outbound as outlined here. It is quite clear that discounted UC fares (which is what a Z fare is) are not eligible for ground transfer options.

[Darren Wheeler]

Originally posted by ucs4me
hi all,

just a question...

can i use the UC drive through check in at LGW if i have opted not to have the CDC, but all 5 of us are flying upper class..?

i am staying at the hilton the night before we fly, and would save any hassle taking all the bags to the hotel, long term parking the car & back to the hotel, and then taking all the bags over to twilight check in....

thanks in advance...

regards

Sorry, the DTCI is only open to CDC's booked with a J, D or G with miles. No other vehicles are allowed in.

no probs...

thanks for your time...

regards

Hi

Someone has already answered your question, BUT... what type of booking do you have with the Hilton (room only, 'park and fly' package or paid with Hilton points)?

I am asking because I booked a 'park and fly' package with the Sofitel (direct through their website) for last October and, on a whim, emailed them to find out how much extra it would be to add 'Meet & Greet' (if that was possible). They replied and told me it would be an £7 (total) to turn the 'long term parking' into 'meet and greet'!!!!! Well, I didn't need long to consider that offer! [;)]

So for £7 extra we just left the car keys with reception when we checked into the Sofitel and the driver met us at arrivals when we got back. Simple [8D]

I am pretty sure that a similar option is available at the Hilton. So it might be worth you emailing/phoning the Hilton to ask what can be done... (assuming you have booked hotel and parking as a package...).

If you don't have a confirmed reservation at the Hilton, then the Sofitel is MILES better IMO (assuming similar cost etc).

Good luck,
Boo

Originally posted by ucs4me
hi all,

just a question...

can i use the UC drive through check in at LGW if i have opted not to have the CDC, but all 5 of us are flying upper class..?

i am staying at the hilton the night before we fly, and would save any hassle taking all the bags to the hotel, long term parking the car & back to the hotel, and then taking all the bags over to twilight check in....

thanks in advance...

regards

hi, i am booked on a park and fly deal with the hilton..yes...
i am going to call them about this...sounds like a good idea to me...!
thank you so much for the info...

regards

I really hope that they can do you a good deal on an upgrade to 'meet & greet' - makes life SOOOO much easier.

Good luck and post the outcome [:)]

Boo

Originally posted by ucs4me
hi, i am booked on a park and fly deal with the hilton..yes...
i am going to call them about this...sounds like a good idea to me...!
thank you so much for the info...

regards

The only problem with 'meet & greet' is where your car is parked while you are away.
There was a major scandal at LGWa while ago that received a lot of publicity - cars were being parked on local waste ground and in local trading estates.

May be advisable to check that the car is left in a secured compound...

hi all....
the last comment makes me feel a little uneasy about leaving my beloved bmw 7 series ' at a piece of waste ground ect...'

i think i will give it a miss to be fair....

i did call the hilton and the reservation lady was a bit unclear about any meet and greet service...

so i am going to settle on a 5-10 min bus journey back to the hotel and knowing that the car is secure in a locked compound....

again thanks for all your help in my question...

regards

Might be fair... we have never had a problem with 'Meet & Greet' (at the Gatwick Sofitel, generally at LGW or at LHR), BUT we tend to take my car (a Toyota) and not my husband's (an Audi A6).

I think that particular problem (with cars being store in unsecure compounds) was with a less than mainstream company: I believe that the mainstream comapnies (including those used by the major hotels) are a lot better.

There has been some cases of damage to cars that the 'Meet & Greet' comapnies are loathed to own up to, BUT even leaving your car in secured airport self-parking is risky (narrow spaces, people dragging big cases through the small gaps between them and, generally, people having little respect to other's property [ii] ).

If you choose not to use 'Meet & Greet', then just drop the majority (or all) of your companions at the Hilton (with all the luggage). Then take the car to the self-park car park whilst they check in. It wont be too bad [:)]

Have a great trip.

Boo

thanks for your reply boo boo....(great name... i have called my 2 yr old daughter boo boo...!)

i think thats what i will do...and i will make sure i park in the corner of the car park next to the fence....coz i know w hat you mean about the dents from cases,doors opening ect..

just looking forward to the whole experience....not long now...!

kind regards

So basically, Can I just not phone and book a CDC using my miles?

[honey lamb]

Originally posted by Gill Smith
So basically, Can I just not phone and book a CDC using my miles?

Well you can try but I think you'll find the answer is no

[preiffer]

Originally posted by Gill Smith
So basically, Can I just not phone and book a CDC using my miles?

No, because they need to link it to a reservation that's either a J, D or G booking (and they'll need your flight details to confirm this). The second they pull the details up, it'll show as ineligible for car transfers and you won't be able to make the booking.

Sorry. [:#]

OK can I do it another ay round. On our return journey we are entitled to a car to Orlando Airport, but we are not using this as we have a hire car. Can we not use this for our outbound journey to Gatwick?

[Neil]

Originally posted by Gill Smith
OK can I do it another ay round. On our return journey we are entitled to a car to Orlando Airport, but we are not using this as we have a hire car. Can we not use this for our outbound journey to Gatwick?

No that isn't allowed either. I asked the same question for our MCO trip, when one leg was on a D, the legs are none transferable . What you can do however is use the allowance for the MCO CDC towards car hire booked through VS, this saved us abt £65!