Heathrow - Gatwick transfer query

Lapin

I booked a flight from Mexico to Dublin last month. (Travelling in September).

The booking involved a change in Heathrow for the last leg to Dublin.

I have just recieved an email from the airline informing me that the last leg now leaves from Gatwick three hours after I Arrive in Heathrow.

My questions - Is the transfer from Heathrow to Gatwick covered by the airline (BA), and is luggage transfered?

Is three hours enough? I've travelled between both airports a zillion times but never for a long haul connection to a puddle hopper to Dublin.

Not worried about the cost from one airport to the other if I have to pay it. Just the hassle of arriving from Mexico at 14.00 in LHR and flying out from LGW at 17.00 wrecked?

steve-o

That sounds a bit odd. There are loads of flights from Heathrow, so to send you off to Gatwick is bad form. I'd give them a call and ask to be booked on a different Heathrow flight. They need you to say that you accept the change. Don't do so until you are happy.

If you do accept Gatwick, your bags won't be transferred. 3 hours is tight but doable as long as immigration isn't having a bad day (I don't know if T5 has the automatic immigration gates). Normally you'll pay for your own transfer, but given the circumstances, it's worth asking them will they pay. Otherwise, the National Express bus is probably your best bet.

Marcusm

BA has plenty of flights from LHR to DUB and these will shortly move to T5 which the Mexico flight uses. It's possible that your original flight was shifted and the wonderful computer matched you up with an ex LGW flight which would have to be an Aer Lingus code share. I would reject the change as onerous and inappropriate (given same airport options). This is on the assumption that you are dealing with a Mexico City (MEX) flight. If you are flying to/from Cancun (CUN), that flight uses LGW.

Both LGW and LHR have automated border control machines usable by holders of chip enabled Irish passports.

sleepingghost

I booked a similar connection myself last year in error last year. I had been tracking flights for serveral weeks, saw a good price and just booked. I did not realise my London arrive / departure terminals were different. In the end I booked another LHR based flight as it was not worth the hassle.

The connection between terminals is not covered by BA. Your luggage will need to be collected and checked in in Gatwick. Also I suggest that you confirm that luggage has been included in the Gatwick - Dublin portion of your ticket. There is usually an extra baggage charge when flying AerLingus (BA Codshare) unless the bags are checked through.

Three hours is a very tight connection between airports. Its about a 90 minute taxi (maybe an hour on a good day), when you allow for delays, traffic, baggage etc. If the booking was made on one ticket (single booking - not a dodgy sky-scanner site) you should be OK, whatever time you arrive, as you will be put on the next available flight.

Lapin

Yep, the flight from MEX gets into LHR at 14.00

It was booked with Booking.com.

The connecting flight leaves Gatwick at 17.00. (EI)

But there is a BA flight from Heathrow at 17.20.

I'm on the phone to BA at the moment to see if they can accommodate me on that, or even the later 19.00 flight.

It just seems like a lot of hassle to run from LHR to LGW in the space of three hours when there are other services available from LHR.

Still on hold.

jjbrien

Lapin wrote: »

It was booked with Booking.com.

booking.com only books hotels was it a different site? You might need to call the company you book with to change the legs to London as BA will prob refer you back to your travel agent.

Marcusm

Lapin wrote: »

Yep, the flight from MEX gets into LHR at 14.00

It was booked with Booking.com.

The connecting flight leaves Gatwick at 17.00. (EI)

But there is a BA flight from Heathrow at 17.20.

I'm on the phone to BA at the moment to see if they can accommodate me on that, or even the later 19.00 flight.

It just seems like a lot of hassle to run from LHR to LGW in the space of three hours when there are other services available from LHR.

Still on hold.

What flight were you originally on? Was your ticket allocated a BA code or an EI one on your ticket? Likewise with the revised ticket. If you booked with a third party agent, your first port of call should be them rather than the operating airline. This us especially the case if you had EI codes as your inquiry will not be in any way relevant to BA.

zagmund

The OP says the flight change was advised by the airline, so presumably they are relevant in this case. If it was the agent that advised then they would need to go back to the agent.

z

Marcusm

zagmund wrote: »

The OP says the flight change was advised by the airline, so presumably they are relevant in this case. If it was the agent that advised then they would need to go back to the agent.

z

At this time of the day on a Friday, I would expect a hold period of 45 mins followed by an auto message telling him to call back later. The travel agent has primary responsibility for dealing with changes to an itinerary until approx 48 hours before travel. Esp relevant here as there are two operating airlines.

Lapin

jjbrien wrote: »

booking.com only books hotels was it a different site? You might need to call the company you book with to change the legs to London as BA will prob refer you back to your travel agent.

You're right.

Got the hotels with Booking.com.
No problems there.

The flights were were booked with Travelgenio.

Just bumping this thread to ask if anyone has had any positive dealins with them.

From my own experience in dealing with this booking, I'd advise anyone never to book anything through this shower.