Gatwick or Heathrow from the US-shorter customs line?
 

Hello! The difference in fares is $1! Flying US Airways either to Heathrow from Philadelphia or Gatwick from Charlotte. I have flown into Heathrow at 8am when there were lots of international flights pouring in from all over, the world, and the "International (non-EU) Arrivals" line took forever! Aren't there a lot fewer flights from outside the EU into Gatwick, and therefore wouldn't moving through customs at Gatwick be a lot faster for U.S. nationals landing in London? Or does it just depend on the day?

Thanks in advance!

Well, while the time it takes to clear customs maybe something to consider. Remember, Gatwick is farther from central London than Heathrow. Where are you going to after you arrive in London, central London (which area), somewhere in the UK (by train maybe), connecting flight? Your final destination of the day and how to get there from Gatwickor Heathrow would be more important to me than immigration lines.

Fist of all you're not talking about Customes (luggage) you;re talking about Immigration (entry of people). And while there may be a lot of people landing at Heathrow they also hae alot of Immigration agents. If Gatwick has fewer international flights (I'm not sure this is the case) they would have fewer agents.

I have never found Immigraton lines at heathrow to be that long - perhaps 20 to 30 minutes (I've waited over an hour in Paris). I would chose based on cost and conveniene of flights - and convenience of airport to where you will be going - not a 10 minute differnt in an Immigration line.

Excuse my ignorance, I guess I am talking about immigration, not customs. As I said in my original post, the difference in fare is one US dollar, so therefore I was looking at other factors. The last time I traveled to London through Heathrow it took more than an hour to go through the international arrivals line. I am heading to London, specifically Chelsea/South Kensington area.

Gosh, I've never spent more than--maybe--thirty minutes at immigration in Heathrow. Because several flights come in during the early morning hours they generally have a lot of booths open. The longer wait comes when you go downstairs to baggage, so whether you spend that time in line there or to get your luggage, does it matter? (NOTE: I carry-on only).

Gatwick is smaller so the lines might be shorter, but, again, you'll need to wait for your luggage. Also, it will cost more (and take longer) to get into London from Gatwick so, IMHO, there is no time saving going to Gatwick.

If you are going to South Ken you can take the Piccadilly (blue) line of the tube directly from Heathrow. There's no tube stop in Chelsea proper so you'll need to exit at South Ken anyway.

All things being equal, I much prefer arriving into Heathrow for all of the above reasons.

Have a great trip!

"<i>And while there may be a lot of people landing at Heathrow they also hae alot of Immigration agents.</i>"

"<i>Gosh, I've never spent more than--maybe--thirty minutes at immigration in Heathrow. </i>"

Things are different now:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...emos-warn.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...ge-queues.html

It appears to be intermittent but serious enough that it is causing angst/grief in the cabinet and waits of 2 and 3 hours not the least bit unusual. But a couple of the articles I've read (it has been in the news for weeks) mentioned queues at LGW too.

One of the big current news items in the U.K. is immigration delays at Hesthrow.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17896216


I have no idea what the queues are like at Gatwick, or how the situation may change in the future. The problem seems to be that the staffing levels have been reduced, but the checking of arriving passengers is supposed to be more rigurous.

Expect the queues at Manchester to lengthen as they are importing staff from there to try and cope at LHR.
EVen EU citizens are queuing for hours at LHR at the moment. One suggested it would have been quicker to fly to Paris and get the Eurostar!

Most of the flights from North America are on bigger jets, overnight and arrive approximately all the same time in the AM. I was once in that position and waited close to 90 min at Gatwick. On other times there was hardly any lines ups at all (before 7am & late in the evening)

Wow, I stand corrected and I was last there about 15 months ago.

Personally if you are going to Kensington I would pick Heathrow and just hop the Piccadilly tube line in nonstop to that area.
It costs more to get into London from Gatwick, I believe?

I'd pick Heathrow as you are heading for central London.

I was in London earlier this year and the lines were very long (both EU and non EU lines), at Heathrow, I didn't know this was the new norm and as I'd taken a flight I usually do not take to London I just thought it had something to do this the time of day (early am) and the specific day I'd flown in. This was the first time I'd ever encountered such long lines at Heathrow. Had no problems on my many visits last year, sadly it by the sounds of it things have now changed.

The chances are that one of the short-term fixes for whatever is happening at Heathrow immigration will be to draft in people from other airports anyway, so I wouldn't try to game the system and guess where the queues will be shorter.

Part of the current problem is that processing times for EEA passengers have been extended much more than for non-EEA ones, and British airport design has very few desks for EEA passengers, who make up over 80% of arrivals, It's also difficult (especially if Border Agency staff are sulking over impending manpower cuts and their bosses are sulking over the way they're being treated by the politicians) to switch passport officers from one group to another.

Queues don't appear to be any shorter for us than for you, and though Gatwick's got less than Heathrow's number of international arrivals, it's got less than half Heathrow's passport desks.

Whatever you guess, you'll get it wrong. Use Heathrow (far quicker for where you want to be), and pack a folding chair in your carry on. Don't forget to refill your water bottle before getting off the plane.

....and if you are from North America, at least you are not subjected to humiliations wuch as being mug shot and fingerprinted like the Americans do, have to fill out information on the internet before boarding the plane, be subject to random searches at the gate and altogether be made to think why should you bother (and I know, I now, terrorists. But the British are supposedly our best friends. I heard GWB say that after 9/11). From what I read, haven't had the experience yet, Canadian immigration officials are no better.

The British officials, ask me the few questions they need to know, swipe my passport and I'm through as do most of the immigation officials in Schengen countries. Quite a difference.

Reading the UK media - and more importantly the comments by readers - it's AMAZING how many mentions of Miami, Los Angeles and JFK there are, generally with another comment about the shoe being on the other foot for once.

to summarise the above, sg, we don't know.

I would choose Gatwick, there are now very few US arrivals, every airline that could get a slot at Heathrow, did so and I find Gatwick much easier to progress through than Heathrow at the moment. If you are arriving during the Olympics then all bets are off as chaos is likely to exist at all airports.

Just last week I was speaking w/a British couple about our upcoming trip to UK. They were both talking about how few flights from the US go into Gatwick and how long the customs lines @ Heathrow have become. With such a small difference in fares, I'd consider where I'm headed & convenience of getting there. Good luck whichever you decide.

mirolex, the latest on Heathrow is that BAA's own checks have shown that the government's statistics have way misunderestimated the delays that people have had to endure [there's a surprise].

why it's acceptable for passengers to have to wait at all is a mystery - with all the pre-checking and electronic gear they've got now, they must know every thing about us, including our inside leg measurements. At CDG recently, we had our passports checked about 5 times, and our boarding cards no less than 9 times- on one occasion by people standing less than 6 feet from people they had just watched carry out the same check! and this for a flight from Paris to Exeter.

no guarantees, but I think I'd go for Gatwick. less frantic, nice trains, arrive at Victoria and straight on the district or circle to your destination. Simples!

I don't believe there's any way to know how long you'll wait at any airport until you get there. Amid all the shouting about lines at Heathrow I arrived in the morning on an overnight flight from N. America 6 days ago and my wait was literally about 15 seconds. No line, lots of staff, 2 parties in front of me. Make your decision based on more predictable criteria such as ease of transport to your destination.

I'm not sure that pre clearance information is transmitted to British and Schengen countries. I do know the eu was considering requesting such information from Americans in retaliation for the necessity of Europeans being pre cleared to enter the United States and the other nonsensical things the American government has instituted to make visitors feel so welcome in our country (mug shots, fingerprints and the like). Although I don't remember all the details, in a classic example of American arrogance, the Americans objected to it because it would only apply to Americans whereas their draconian madness applies to all visitors. I don't know where that stands right now.

As far as the checks and re-checks, again a lot of that is reprisal, I think, at the paranoia of the American authorities. Airports have had to set up special lounges and areas for flights to the United States at the insistance of the US government. A couple of years ago, I was at Terminal 3 at London Heathrow and there were two Virgin Atlantic flights at side by side gates. One was going to Tornto the other to JFK. Passengers leisurely walked into the lounge, the Toronto flight was called, passengers leisurely went to the door and boarded the plane.

For the JFK flight, you had to answer security questions, some heavy looked at your passport, boarding card and made a decision on the spot whether you needed secondary screening and be wanded down and had your hand bags checked. I know, I know we'll hear the usual well I feel ssafer that way.

I would go for Gatwick as it has relatively few non-EEA flights so it is unlikely you will be stuck behind several other plane loads of passengers

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