Gatwick Airport - facilities, improvements and incidents - merged posts, ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[MVR S&T]

We do have an ongoing climate emergency remember, hints of a wet summer, in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom), with flooding perhaps.

If a journey accross water is required, use a cruise ship?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features/52504850

[Thatcham Crossing]

BA^» (British Airways - about) also ran a service of sorts from Heathrow to Newquay.

This has not happened, to my recollection, for decades, if ever. The last LHR-NQY^▸ (Newquay (Station)) service I can remember was by Brymon Airways, and I think that ended in the 90's (it moved to LGW when they became part of BRA = BA Regional Airlines). There was a BA service due to start this Summer (July I think) but it seems unlikely that it will now.

There was a BA Summer service from LGW back in the mid-late 00's (memory fades as to the exact years). This used to compete with Ryanair from Stansted, who ran a service for many years.

[GBM]

When Flybe went under, we looked at switching to the BA^» (British Airways - about) Heathrow to Newquay (year 2020) flights.
Unfortunately, they didn't do a Sunday service (our return day); and their Friday evening from Newquay was too late for our use.
The timetable was on both the BA site and the Newquay airport site.
From the airport site -
..With the Heathrow Express, you can be in central London within 15 minutes – so that’s less time travelling and more time to enjoy yourself!

Beyond the excitement of the capital, London Heathrow truly is the door to the world, allowing you to connect to your next escape, all the way from Cornwall.

Five flights per week between July and September with British Airways.

BOOK NOW WITH BRITISH AIRWAYS
DISCOVER MORE ABOUT LONDON

From BA booking site with an August date Newquay to London
CHANGE SEARCH
FRI 31

£59

SAT 1

£75

SUN 2

£113

MON 3 AUG

£68

TUE 4

Unavailable

WED 5

Unavailable

THU 6

Unavailable

Prices are per adult, including all taxes, fees and carrier charges
BOOK WITH CONFIDENCE
We’ve introduced a flexible change policy for all new flight and holiday bookings.

20:15NQY
21:25LHR
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Non-stop1h 10mFLIGHT DETAILS

Economy
3 left from
£68

Business
£163
As we were going in early July. Flybe would have been ideal timings. BA were a no-go with their flight days/times, so it was going to train both ways.

Apologies, but they are/were (still) flying that route. 

[4064ReadingAbbey]

Gatwick strikes me as easier to reach by train from the south, west (via direct train from Reading) and much of the north (via Thameslink) than Heathrow.

Heathrow is ... OK ... from Central London. From the West, you can double back at Paddington or struggle over a footbridge (or is there a lift in yet?) off a local train at Hayes and Harlington.   Come Crossrail it will be much better the with branches into Essex and Kent.

Which will be first - through opening of Crossrail or full recovery of air travel (assuming we want that latter rather tan more selective us with many UK^▸ (United Kingdom) and near Europe journeys by train).

The is also the long established and until Coronavirus quite frequent Railair (every 20 mins or half an hour depending on the time of day) coach service direct from Reading station to Terminal 5.
Very convenient even for those of us starting from Reading - almost as convenient as a taxi and ticket prices, especially with the Railcard discount, were very competitive.

[CyclingSid]

Simon Calder touches some of the topics raised https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/british-airways-gatwick-airport-heathrow-flights-staff-cuts-coronavirus-a9494266.html

[Thatcham Crossing]

Apologies, but they are/were (still) flying that route.

Indeed so, never said otherwise, my point is that I think there is a chance the route may well not operate this Summer now.

Or maybe it will, now that Flybe are gone?

Truth is we don't know, and I must admit I wouldn't want to be in the route planning, or yield management dept of any airline at the moment.

[grahame]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page)

Virgin Atlantic has announced it is to cut more than 3,000 jobs in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) and end its operation at Gatwick airport.

The shock announcement comes after rival British Airways said it could not rule out closing its Gatwick operation. Pilots' union Balpa described it as "devastating".

Many airlines have been struggling as the coronavirus pandemic has brought global travel to a virtual standstill.

The airline currently employs a total of about 10,000 people.

Virgin Atlantic, which is in the process of applying for emergency loans from the government, said that jobs will be lost across the board.

[Celestial]

And retiring its last four engine jets too, with 7 747-400's stood down today and 4 A330's due to leave as scheduled in the next year.  Another sign that the airlines think this is going to have an effect well into the medium term.

[Thatcham Crossing]

A sad day for me as an avgeek (more to be honest than I am a railgeek), having flown more longhaul with Virgin than anyone else, and 80-90% of it on the 744's. I know from following the industry and the airline that they were due to go next year (replaced by A350-1000's that are currently being delivered), but to see it happening so suddenly was telling of the current crisis in commercial aviation.

Also telling was the move out of Gatwick, where it all started for them. The bad news just keeps coming for that airport, although I actually don't think BA^» (British Airways - about) will surrender it completely - especially, and ironically, now that all those leisure destinations in the Carribean and US have been vacated at that airport by their main competitor.

[grahame]

A sad day for me as an avgeek (more to be honest than I am a railgeek), having flown more longhaul with Virgin than anyone else, and 80-90% of it on the 744's. ...

End of an era, indeed.  Flown on many Virgin Atlantic jumbos, destinations ... Miami, Orlando, Washington, Newark, San Francisco and Los Angeles.  Business, leisure, and very personal and family trips. Can't say I fancy any of those destinations in the foreseeable future, but for the absence of doubt, I can't foresee all that far ahead at present.  That's even though we have family in the USA.

[martyjon]

As much travelled that I am I have never flown with Virgin, my most air miles have been with Air New Zealand both International and Internal which was very pleasant and standards equitable to those of Virgin.

[Thatcham Crossing]

As much travelled that I am I have never flown with Virgin, my most air miles have been with Air New Zealand both International and Internal which was very pleasant and standards equitable to those of Virgin

I've flown quite a lot with Virgin over the last 25 years, and also been to NZ and back twice (with some internals between the islands) with Air New Zealand, the second trip being RTW when they used to fly from London to Auckland both ways around (stopping at LA westbound and Hong Kong eastbound). Probably they had the best economy class of anyone at the time (late noughties), having sat in it for around 26 hours each way on those trips!

Sadly, ANZ were due to withdraw from the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) in October this year, but have brought that forward and stopped already due to the current situation. The reason they gave for the withdrawal originally was too much competition (from the likes of BA^» (British Airways - about), Virgin, United) on the Heathrow to LA part of the journey. They had already stopped the eastbound route several years earlier, presumably due to competition from the MEB3 (Middle East Big 3) 

[grahame]

This is not good for the airlines, and I guess you would need to be in quarantine for the first 14 days of your week away in the visited country too.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52594023

I have started a new thread with this post at http://www.passenger.chat/23418 - a far wider subject than just a single airline or single airport.   Thank you MVR S&T for bringing this one to our attention.

[grahame]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page)

A couple arrested over the Gatwick Airport drone chaos that halted flights have received £200,000 in compensation.

Armed police stormed the home of Paul and Elaine Gait in December 2018, and held them for 36 hours after drones caused the airport to close repeatedly.

The couple were released without charge, and sued Sussex Police for wrongful arrest and false imprisonment.

On Sunday, their legal team announced the force had agreed to an out-of-court settlement package.

Sussex Police confirmed it has paid the couple the £55,000 owed in damages, and law firm Howard Kennedy said it has billed the force an additional £145,000 in legal costs.

...

No they haven't received 200k - they've received 55k. The lawyers have received nearly three times that.

[bobm]

I must admit when I read that on the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) my first thought was what was the size of the legal bill.