Connection time at Gatwick
 

My wife and I will be flying into London Gatwick on a Delta flight from Atlanta. We need to clear immigration and connect to a British Air flight to Glasgow. We arrive at 11:05am. The next flight to Glasgow is 12:15. Is that enough time to make the connection? The following flight doesn't leave until 2:50pm. That's almost 4 hours after a transatlantic flight. Anyone know if we can make the 12:15???

I would say it's possible IF:

1. You are in First/Business class and Delta has Fasttrack immigration cards for premium pax. You will be one of the first people off the plane and you will be allowed in a special line for immigration with the fasttrack card.

2. You don't have any checked luggage - VERY IMPORTANT in this case

With 1 and 2 working perfectly and your plane being on time, it's a possibility, although risky.

If you are in coach and have checked luggage - Forget it!!!

We will be in Business Elite on Delta and will only have carry-on luggage. Still risky though, huh? Maybe I should book the later flight and try to go standby on the earlier one? Does BA do that?

Ask Delta and BA. If you are travelling on one ticket and your connection is a legal one (with sufficient time between flights according to the airlines' rules), go for the earlier flight. In case you miss it, BA will re-book you at no cost to a later flight. I'd say 1 hour 10 minutes is sufficient at Gatwick.

This is from BA site:

International to UK, Republic of Ireland and Channel Islands Connection


On arrival, follow signs to Arrivals and Flight Connections



Go through immigration and customs



Once in the Arrivals Hall, follow signs to departures



If you do not have a boarding card, go to the check-in desks to obtain one



Go to the departure gates



Television monitors will display departure gate information one hour prior to departure



You need to be at your departure gate at least 40 minutes before departure time



If you are not on your aircraft 10 minutes before departure time, you may not be allowed to fly and your baggage will be taken off the plane


As sjoerd said: if it's on the same ticket go for it, if not it could be a costly mistake.

If the plane's on time, and goes straight to the gate, you'll do it easy. FastTrak passes, near-certainty of no customs checks and same-terminal connection see to that.

The real problem is you really can't be sure the plane will be on time or go straight to the gate. So:

- I've missed BA domestic flights depressingly often when on a more or less full fare, They've always put me on the next flight without batting an eyelid. If the connection's legal they'll ALWAYS do that, but actually I've never known them not.
- But if that worries you, you can book the later flight, and then go to the earlier flight gate on just your ticket (ie not having checked in) and try to get on the flight. Again, BA have done that for me lots of times without batting an eyelid. If, of course, there's room. And BA are pretty sharp at selling every seat.
If they have, just go back to the landside shopping mall till the next flight.

I have found Gatwick one of the most efficient and easiest airports to navigate in Europe. Not the most attractive airport by any means, but very accommodating in making connections. I don't think you will have any problems. I would do it.

If this was an early AM arrival I would say you could make it OK. But the later in the day the more likely your flight might be a little late. Not necessarily because your flight will have problems - but because the traffic is heavier, more gates are in use, more arrivals competing for gates, etc. So go ahead and book it but be prepared to have to catch the later flight north.