phlucas

I am flying into Gatwick and arrive at 9:00 a.m. on Delta. I have a flight a 10:45 a.m. on easyjet to Barcelona (check in closes at 10:15). I believe that easyjet is in the south terminal and delta in the north. I will not have the ability to check in online prior to getting to the airport. Will I have to go to the check-in counter or can I go straight to the gate? I'm trying to save time and not miss my flight! Any other tips? Do I have time to check my bags?

grsing

It'll be tight. easyJet doesn't do any connections with other airlines (or even with itself), so you have to get your bags from the Delta baggage claim, then go to the easyJet desk to check them in again. If you can carry on only, I'd strongly recommend that, it'll save a lot of time that you don't have much of. Plus, you'll have to go through immigration, which can take anywhere from 5 minutes to 45, so, yeah, save as much time as possible.

TimS

You will have to go to the easyJet check-in counter to get your boarding pass. Since you ask if you'll have time to check your bags, I assume you'll be packing light enough to carry your bags on the plane, if necessary. Be sure to read easyJet's policy on size and weight limitations for carry-on luggage. It is strictly enforced.

grsing

Luckily for you, easyJet recently ended any weight restrictions on carryon baggage (within reason), so, as long as you can fit all the stuff in the requisite size luggage, you're ok in that department.

phlucas

Thanks very much for the quick feedbacki. Since you've informed me that I have to go to the easyjet counter regardless, I'm not as worried about easyjet's weight limitation. I'll check bags with them if I have to. I'm just trying to pack light so I don't have to wait for my bags from Delta.

alanRow

Think what folk are saying is that you shouldn't have checked luggage on the Delta flight as it may take too long to collect.
Once you get to checkin for Easyjet it doesn't matter if you will check luggage or just have carryon

isplumm

Got to say I think you are cutting things very tight here ...1 hour 15 minutes is NOT very long to get luggage, get through customs, get to other terminal & check in with EasyJet. If you even 1 minute late at the Easyjet checkin, you will miss your flight - & likely to have to pay to transfer to the next one (both admin fee & cost of new ticket) - is there a later Easyjet flight you could go on??

Mark

isabel

Do you already have all these tickets? If not, I would find another flight to Barcelona. I think you probably have a 50-50 chance of making it with those times. You have 75 minutes to land, disembark, go through passport control and customs and change terminals. Would be much too close for my comfort level.

If you have to go with those flights I'd suggest definitly doing carry-on only on the Delta flight, getting a seat as close to the front of the aircraft as you can so you get off quickly, find a map of Gatwick so you'll know exactly where it is you are going, and have a back up plan if you miss that flight. You might try asking the flight attendant on the Delta flight if you can get off first due to a close connection, sometimes I have seen them assist people in this way.

By the way, even though checking your bag for the easyjet flight isn't your problem, they were making people check bags that met their size requirement for carry-on when I flew them (to Barcelona from Paris) this spring. Depends on the mood of your check-in agent, one line they were making people check 20" bags, the next line over were letting people on with 22" bags - go figure.

grsing

If you do miss the easyJet flight, you won't have to pay an admin fee, because your ticket will just be trash, you'll just have to buy a new ticket for the next available flight. Unfortunately, because you're not booking ahead, that won't be cheap.

janisj

And do realize - being in line at the EasyJet counter at 45 mins is <u>not</u> good enough. They close check in right at 45 mins so you must already be through the line and have your boarding pass.

You might make this connection but it is much more likely you will be standing at the end of a queue of other passengers who also won't make it. Book a later flight if you want to use EasyJet - because if you miss this one you are toast.

Mucky

What happens if your Delta flight takes any delay? Thats the end of the sports as far as I can see, I would really try to get either and earlier Delta flight or another one or a different one to Barcelona.

You will have enough stress without worrying whether your going to make the EJ flight. They strictly enforce the check in and I know people who were at check in on time but were still in line waiting to be checked in when they closed it at the right time.

Imagine the war that erupted there ! so I would reconsider the schedule if at all possible, or just minimise the risk with hand luggage and hope for the best.

Good Luck

Muck

Ricardo_215

Of course, you might have a good flight &amp; arrive at Gatwick early! It has been known...

allanc

Can't comment on how long to get your bags but our experience is that you should show up at the counter 2 hours prior to flight (or when they staff it) AND always try to go on a day when they have another flight scheduled later in the day. Once in a while they cancel a flight! I think you are too tight, can you sched. a later flight?

Ricardo_215

For EasyJet flights I have booked Luton to Krakow &amp; return (May/June) check in closes 30 mins before departure. Another few minutes for you maybe.

crazychick

Most easy jet flights open up 2 hours before but cose up about 30 mins before the flight. I always aim to cherck in an hour before, to allow for small delays. They are very strict about not letting you on once they have closed the check in. You will have to go to chec in you are pushing it for time.

rkkwan

If the fare is low enough on easyjet right now, you can consider buying your flight <b>AND</b> one that's later. Yes, you'll paying double, but you buy yourself an insurance - and the final cost may probably be cheaper than buying one last-minute, or other alternatives.

annabelle2

I only had one experience with Easyjet (good one!) so can't give much help on the timeline, but it sounds tight. Whatever you end up doing, once at the Easy jet counter area, make sure you get in the right line (the flight destinations are posted, as I recall, over the check-in counters) and pay attention to what's going on -- counters kept opening up and you may be able to get into a shorter line. It seemed a little chaotic at the check in area, but the flight, while delayed, was fine.

phlucas

Thanks to everyone for their feedback.
I just wanted everyone to know that I made my flight (with 5 minutes to spare), so it is doable! My flight was even 20 minutes late arriving! Here are some hints for you if it happens. Delta is in the North Terminal and Easyjet is in the South. You HAVE to go through through customs and go to a checkin counter and go back into the south terminal. I thought you could take the shuttle from North to the South since I wasn't staying in London, but they won't let you through since easyjet doesn't have a counter. Also, I did not check my bags. I would not recommend this as it was stressful. p.s. It turned out that the earlier Delta flight was cancelled so I was better off taking the risk anyways!

phlucas

To be more specific, when I said, &quot;I would not recommend this&quot; I meant that I would not recommend booking two flights this close together.

Mucky

Wow !! Well done. Do you think you were lucky or was it a skillfull planned transition to EJ?

Thanks for posting how you got on.

Muck