airport preferences, Heathrow or Gatwick?
 

Any pros or cons to either? flying from LAX and dont know which to choose. Thanks.

I prefer Gatwick because it is smaller than Heathrow and seems easier to deal with in general.

Easy enough to get into the city if you are willing to take one of the rail services

However, it can get to be a crowded zoo.

I prefer whichever one gets me the best airfare. Simple as that. Both have easy connections to London - LGW is smaller but can be pretty hectic too.

I prefer Heathrow because we always take the tube to Gloucester Rd. 40min. no changes and you're there.
However, as Janis pointed out whichever is the best fare is the one to go with. We flew into Gatwick this time because of the airfare and took the GEX. 30min. plus tube.

Agree with janis. From LAX, I believe there are more flights to LHR than LGW. It also depends on where in central London you're headed to.

Immigration queue at LHR can get quite messy, if you're doing red-eye arriving on T3 (call it the third-world queue).

LHR has better/classier duty-free shopping on departure side, though.

Flying from Philadelphia -- US Air goes to Gatwick, British Air to Heathrow. USAir is my frequent flyer plan, so I don't have much of a choice.

However, The Southern Railway train from Gatwick to Victoria only takes about 5 min. longer than the Gatwick Express, is cheaper, and they have 2-for-1 coupons to most of the popular sights (Tower, St. Paul, lots of others, etc.).

The last two times my wife and I went, we save approximately $100 each visit on cheaper train fare and 2-for-1 coupons.

http://www.southernrailway.com/

(Not sure if the coupons are available June-Aug because we went in May and in October).

SS

You can use the London 2-4-1 offers on www.2for1entry.co.uk if you have a London Travelcard sp ypu don't have to get a train ticket

As for which train from Gatwick to London - it depends on a) where your hotel is, b) time of day & c) quantity of luggage.

Without knowing them it's pointless saying that Southern / GEX / First Capital Connect (or a mixture) is best for you

Which terminal at Heathrow has a big impact on the decision, to me. T4 matches Gatwick for me: big, busy, but reasonably laid out, an acceptable range of food etc., and so on. T1-3 are just horrendous, and are a painful reminder of how the airport kinda happened by accident, growing cancer-like around an old airfield.

There aren't any flights from Los Angeles to Gatwick, so the argument's pretty academic.

Whatever people's views about Heathrow, Gatwick's not so good (or Heathrow so bad) it's worth changing planes in Charlotte or wherever just for that.

If price matters, take the cheapest, wherever you have to change and whichever London airport you end up at. If convenience, take a direct, non-stop, duplicitous codeshare-free, flight to Heathrow.

Are you going to London or transferring to the Continent?

Do you want frequent flyer miles, or is the cheapest the best?

On my first trip to Europe in 1985, I took a charter flight back from London. It was run by Aloha Airlines. Do you know how weird it was that all the flight attendants kept saying Mahalo?

I would be most influenced here by where your final destination is. For example if your final destination is Oxford, then LHR makes sense. Conversely if your final destination is, for example, Brighton, anywhere in Surrey or south London, then LGW would be more appropriate.
Nicky
www.hiddeneurope.co.uk

"There aren't any flights from Los Angeles to Gatwick, so the argument's pretty academic."

Someone said they were flying non-stop, Flanner?

When was that?

Other things being equal I prefer Heathrow because it is closer to central London and I can use the Tube for access. As has been well said other factors are more important. Using the code LON will search on all London airports on sites like Expedia.

This is just brilliant!!

I agree it depends a lot on where in London you are heading to.

But for someone flying from LAX!!

I was shocked SHOCKED!! to find on passing through there early December last year that it was so bereft of facilities. I walked from where the plane from Mexico City arrived to where my flight to Sydney would depart (both flights with United). I thought I'll get where I have to be and then have a cup of coffee and relax. But when I got there, no sign of a coffee shop; no sign of anything really. I set off back to whence I'd come - looking for that elusive cup of coffee, and, oh yes, that elusive ATM.

Half way back to where I'd begun I found an ATM. Dollars in hand, and just a little further on, I found a coffee stall. I got there just in time. It was only 9.00pm and they were closing.

I then made the mistake of asking if there were any shops - I didn't want to buy a Gucci bag just a cigarette lighter. Armed with instructions ("do you have plenty of time", she said) I set off again.

I was back to where I'd started and the shops were clearly further on. My coffee was going cold. I gave up.

Let us just say I was less than impressed.

You could never a story like that about either GTW or LHR.

And as for immigration at LAX - best not go there.

Happy flying, OP.
smile, smile, smile.

chimani- I know what you're talking about. We flew in from London to LAX and the customs lines are a nightmare. Spent 45 minutes in line and when we were finally thru customs I come to find out 2 more flights luggage had come thru #6 and I had to spend another 30 minutes hunting down my luggage...I'll take the endless walk out of Heathrow any day!

From LAX I prefer whatever flight is non-stop. I'd rather get on a plane and get to my destination - less chance of delays or lost luggage (in my opinion).

As for Heathrow and Gatwick - both airports are like paradise when compared to LAX.

Both airports are horrible. George Bernard Shaw once said that "Hell was like a railway station waiting room." He never lived long enough to see either Gatwick or Heathrow.

LHR

Gatwick is just a pain to get to
its facilities are older, its shopping worse

and my UK relos live 15 mins from Heathrow
in Sunbury :)