I have a choice of flights from Canada to London Gatwick or London Stansted airports - I've flown into LGW but never Stansted and would be most interested in your feedback about the London Stansted airport and connecting flights to Amsterdam. Any red flags that I should be aware of?

Many thanks, in advance, for your responses!

If you're not booked through to Amsterdam, then I suggest you fly into Gatwick and change there to EasyJet, a no-frills airline with direct service from Gatwick to Amsterdam. Buy your ticket ASAP. The longer you wait, the more it will cost. Visit www.easyjet.com for the details.

As TimS says, the best option is to avoid having to change airports. whichbudget.com, applefares.com and skyscanner.net are 3 websites that are search engines for multiple discount inter europe flights. It may be that easjet is the only option to Amsterdam. I don't know. But many of the discount airlines do fly out of Stansted. You can have a look.

bowen,

I didn't know that Stansted receives any overseas flights? What airline is that?

Either airport will get you a nice, easy connection to Amsterdam with a budget airline. The only concern you should have is luggage, as the budgets are usually very strict on the weight. You should also consider looking at British Airways. The R/T fares from Gatwick to Amsterdam are around $115 all in.

Zoom Airlines does seem to fly STN-YVR, though probably not every day of the week, with an all-coach 767-300ER.

The flight from YVR-STN comes in at an odd time in the morning I think - 5:30 AM or so. I'd take whatever works best for your schedule and I would try to avoid changing airports. You'd still have to leave plenty of time for the connection.

Thanks for the info rkkwan. These new upstarts are popping up like a wildflowers after rain. WOW!

Anyway, I checked their website, and the prices look good, but I would be little concerned. Their YVR-LGW service is ONLY once a week on Sundays and their YVR-STN service is ONLY once every 2 weeks on Saturdays. If something were to go wrong with the plane (mechanical, weather related), the passengers may be stuck at the destination a lot longer than they may want to.

I can't remember if Zoom offers travel insurance when you proceed to buy the ticket, but I think CanadianAffair.com does (another cheap option). Perhaps that insurance would cover such a contingency with such infrequent flights.

Does anyone have any opinion re buying a no frill ticket about arriving in Gatwick? This way, if the flight into Gatwick is delayed, you won't lose out on the intra Europe flight.