London Gatwick: North Terminal

Operated By:

Global Infrastructure Partners

Website:

www.gatwickairport.com

Terminals:

2 - North and South

This Review:

North Terminal

Rating:

4 star - Very good service with many plus points and very few negatives
  LGW
LONDON
TT0107 /221750

 
Review created: 26/10/2002;
Last updated 27/09/2010

General:

London's Second airport but the first with a dedicated transport link (train station was there before the airport was!)
   

Appearance:

The North Terminal is over 15 years old now and in places is starting to show a bit of age but in general it's a relatively pleasant airport.

Inbound

Domestic
Another airport where you land somewhere in the next county rather than where you should have. A long walk to baggage reclaim but then only a very short walk to the rest of the terminal and onto the monorail to the South Terminal and the train station

International
I have only ever flown domestic into North Terminal

Each time I have landed at the North Terminal it has been on Domestic Flights so there is no need to go past immigration.

For domestic flights there is a single baggage belt at the end of a very long walk from the plane. It is in a largish room but with more than one flight at a time crowded around it it can get quite cramped.

As each time I have flown out of the North Terminal it has been to the UK or Channel Islands I have not needed to pass through customs (thought the flights from Jersey you have to walk past an unmanned pillar marked HM Customs and Excise!

The North Terminal is linked to the South by a monorail which drops you off inside the South Terminal building just by the entrance to the railway station. Regular services (and hourly throughout the night) run into Central London and beyond. In the front of the South Terminal there is a large coach station with coaches running to many parts of Britain plus lots of local busses.

Outbound

Domestic
Recently refurbished the departures area is very large and airy. The usual selection of shops, cafes, restaurants and bars are around the sides leaving the centre very open. However there are not massive numbers of seats in the event of something happening. Flying with BA means that there is a separate gate area set aside for their flights, which are slightly cramped, but with plenty of seating.

International
I have only flown on domestic flights from the North Terminal

Couple of bars on the land-side and a large Wetherspoons on the air-side of the terminal.

Several cafe's on the land-side of the airport are matched by a couple on the air-side of the terminal. There is even a cafe bar at the BA gates.

Several restaurants on the land-side are supplemented by yet more on the air-side of the terminal.

On the land-side there are a large number of shops. In fact the whole middle floor between departures and arrivals is made up of shops and food court! Once through into air-side there are still more shops. There is even a small WHSmiths down by the BA gates.

The toilets are very clean and well maintained.