3rd world airport: London Gatwick

Just got back from making connections from Gatwick to Pisa via British
Air.
Spent only one night at Gatwick Hilton on each leg since I find London
as pleasant as Newark NJ and that might be an insult to Newark.

The Ryanair cues were unbelievable mob scenes at both Gatwick and Pisa
with hordes of excitable Brits pushing and shoving to get going on
"holiday" or returning.

It might be cheap but be prepared for long waits and really rude
people. In Gatwick and Pisa you are herded to very a overcrowded zoo
called a "departure lounge" after checking luggage and getting
boarding passes with hordes of Rynair and othertravelers all staring
at a monitor for an indication of gate numbers for their destinations.
Many times the gate number comes up allowing a few short minutes
before the gate closes as it could take 15 to 20 minutes to get to
some gates at Gatwick by foot sometimes for a bus to get to the plane.
When the gate # appears on the monitor for a flight a rush of the
hordes to get to their gates from this "departure lounge" follows.

Brits seem to take pleasure in creating mob scenes with long waits
followed by an unbelievable rush of the herds to get to their planes.
It is highly inefficient there.

I usually go to London only because it is the most convenient stopping
off place
with the shortest leg from the east coast of the US with convenient
flights to the continent after an overnight layover the next day but I
am going to carefully explore other alternatives in an attempt to
avoid these messes in London. My experiences at Heathrow were even
worse over the years.

"PJ O'Donovan" wrote in message
om...
Just got back from making connections from Gatwick to Pisa via British
Air.

I've never heard of this airline.

On Mon, 23 Aug 2004 12:09:28 +0100, "Mark Hewitt"
wrote:


"PJ O'Donovan" wrote in message
. com...
Just got back from making connections from Gatwick to Pisa via British
Air.

I've never heard of this airline.


And what were Ryanair using cues for at LGW?

The Ryanair cues were unbelievable

Free snooker lessons maybe?
--==++AJC++==--

"AJC" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 23 Aug 2004 12:09:28 +0100, "Mark Hewitt"
wrote:


"PJ O'Donovan" wrote in message
. com...
Just got back from making connections from Gatwick to Pisa via British
Air.

I've never heard of this airline.


And what were Ryanair using cues for at LGW?

The Ryanair cues were unbelievable

Free snooker lessons maybe?

Talking of Ryanair and 'free'

I know someone who knows someone who was on the first Ryanair flight to one
of their new East European destinations recently and it was free flowers and
champagne all round on-board.

"PJ O'Donovan" wrote in message
om...
Just got back from making connections from Gatwick to Pisa via British
Air.
Spent only one night at Gatwick Hilton on each leg since I find London
as pleasant as Newark NJ and that might be an insult to Newark.


Try an overnight in Brighton next time - If you don't like London.

The Ryanair cues were unbelievable mob scenes at both Gatwick and Pisa
with hordes of excitable Brits pushing and shoving to get going on
"holiday" or returning.


As you were (I guess) travelling British Airways which leave from the North
Terminal at Gatwick and Ryanair use the South Terminal how did you see any
Ryanair Lines ?

In article ,
says...
The Ryanair cues were unbelievable mob scenes at both Gatwick and Pisa
with hordes of excitable Brits pushing and shoving to get going on
"holiday" or returning.


As you were (I guess) travelling British Airways which leave from the North
Terminal at Gatwick and Ryanair use the South Terminal how did you see any
Ryanair Lines ?

I think there are still a couple of BA flights that use South Terminal,
but PSA isn't one of them.

Iain

"AJC" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 23 Aug 2004 14:08:03 +0100, Iain Bowen
wrote:

In article ,
says...
The Ryanair cues were unbelievable mob scenes at both Gatwick and
Pisa
with hordes of excitable Brits pushing and shoving to get going on
"holiday" or returning.


As you were (I guess) travelling British Airways which leave from the
North
Terminal at Gatwick and Ryanair use the South Terminal how did you see
any
Ryanair Lines ?

I think there are still a couple of BA flights that use South Terminal,
but PSA isn't one of them.

Iain

Think again. BA.com say:

Gatwick British Airways flights:
All British Airways flights operate to and from the North Terminal at
Gatwick airport.

There was recently a BA code share on another carrier to some obscure place
I had never heard of that operated a BA flight number out of the South
Terminal - maybe thats moved as well now.

On Mon, 23 Aug 2004 14:08:03 +0100, Iain Bowen
wrote:

In article ,
says...
The Ryanair cues were unbelievable mob scenes at both Gatwick and Pisa
with hordes of excitable Brits pushing and shoving to get going on
"holiday" or returning.


As you were (I guess) travelling British Airways which leave from the North
Terminal at Gatwick and Ryanair use the South Terminal how did you see any
Ryanair Lines ?

I think there are still a couple of BA flights that use South Terminal,
but PSA isn't one of them.

Iain

Think again. BA.com say:

Gatwick British Airways flights:
All British Airways flights operate to and from the North Terminal at
Gatwick airport.

--==++AJC++==--

On 23 Aug 2004 04:02:07 -0700, (PJ O'Donovan) wrote:

Just got back from making connections from Gatwick to Pisa via British
Air.
Spent only one night at Gatwick Hilton on each leg since I find London
as pleasant as Newark NJ and that might be an insult to Newark.

The Ryanair cues were unbelievable mob scenes at both Gatwick and Pisa
with hordes of excitable Brits pushing and shoving to get going on
"holiday" or returning.


Yes, it is Ryanair. What do you expect?



It might be cheap but be prepared for long waits and really rude
people. In Gatwick and Pisa you are herded to very a overcrowded zoo
called a "departure lounge" after checking luggage and getting
boarding passes with hordes of Rynair and othertravelers all staring
at a monitor for an indication of gate numbers for their destinations.
Many times the gate number comes up allowing a few short minutes
before the gate closes as it could take 15 to 20 minutes to get to
some gates at Gatwick by foot sometimes for a bus to get to the plane.
When the gate # appears on the monitor for a flight a rush of the
hordes to get to their gates from this "departure lounge" follows.

Brits seem to take pleasure in creating mob scenes with long waits
followed by an unbelievable rush of the herds to get to their planes.
It is highly inefficient there.

I usually go to London only because it is the most convenient stopping
off place
with the shortest leg from the east coast of the US with convenient
flights to the continent after an overnight layover the next day but I
am going to carefully explore other alternatives in an attempt to
avoid these messes in London. My experiences at Heathrow were even
worse over the years.




Yes, UK airports tend to be crap by European standards, that is hardly
news, it is fairly well reported. If you want to improve your chances
of a more pleasurable transfer you should pick somewhere such as AMS,
CPH, ZRH, VIE, FRA.
--==++AJC++==--

Following up to PJ O'Donovan

The Ryanair cues were unbelievable mob scenes at both Gatwick and Pisa
with hordes of excitable Brits pushing and shoving to get going on
"holiday" or returning.

If you fly with Ryan, what do you expect?

I usually go to London only because it is the most convenient stopping
off place
with the shortest leg from the east coast of the US with convenient
flights to the continent after an overnight layover the next day but I
am going to carefully explore other alternatives in an attempt to
avoid these messes in London. My experiences at Heathrow were even
worse over the years.

I think i'm right in remembering you're always moaning about
London, why don't you do us a favour and go somewhere else?
--
Mike Reid
If god wanted us to be vegetarians he wouldn't have made animals out of meat.
Wasdale-Lake district-Thames path-London "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" -- you can email us@ this site
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