Can we make an 11:40 am Gatwick flight from Southampton?

[Ktwofish]

We live in Tampa FL and there is one nonstop flight daily to and from Gatwick. We disembark in Southampton on a Saturday (July 15). The flight leaves Gatwick at 11:40 am. Can we make this flight? I'm worried about such an early flight, but the other options extend our travel time many hours. Also, we are arriving early before the cruise, so we don't really want to stay another day. Thank you for any insight you may provide!

[EGG]

I have never done this but I will start by saying you if you do get this flight you should do a private transfer. Self debarkation also buys you some time.

 

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[navybankerteacher]

I think you will want to allow at least an hour travel time to Gatwick, meaning that to have just two hours to check in and clear security (which is cutting it close as three hours are recommended) you will have to be off the ship, through customs and immigration having located your luggage, by 8:30.

 

Yes, it can probably be done - but the stress and possible hassle if you do not make it means it is a gamble I would not make - give yourself a break, book a place to stay en route (Salisbury?) with things to see and do for a day.

[Vampire Parrot]

Southampton to Gatwick is between 80 and 90 miles by road depending on the route and will take about 1 hour 40 minutes if everything goes perfectly. The routes are all notorious for delays so allow two hours and hope that there are no major holdups.

 

So work backwards from that....

 

VP

[John Bull]

A bit risky, but do-able, the saving grace is that it's a Saturday so light traffic & no London commuters. :)

 

I think this will probably be the first weekend of the school summer holidays, so the airport is likely to be busy - but extra traffic on the roads will be mainly travelling in the opposite direction & not a big concern.

The only risk is a major accident on the route, either that morning or the motorway closed following a fatal accident in the wee small hours - the police in the UK take hours to investigate the scene of fatal accidents, and that's not uncommon late on Friday nights.

 

You'd need early unassisted disembarkation (haul your own luggage from your cabin), that's usually around 7am.

Formalities at the cruise terminal are very quick for those disembarking early - no lines - and you can expect to get from gangway to terminal entrance in under 15 minutes.

 

A private transfer booked for, say, 7.15am should get you the 95 miles to Gatwick in 2 hours or a little less - that's around 9.15am, 2 hours before your flight.

For most airlines check-in closes an hour before the flight, but that'd be cutting it fine because of potential lines at check-in and security.

Your theoretical two hours is ideal, but there's little wiggle-room.

 

There's no suitable bus on the current timetable

http://www.nationalexpress.com/home.aspx

 

There are suitable trains from Southampton central station, journey time also around 2 hours. The station is under ten minutes from any cruise terminal.

Some trains are direct but some involve a change of train.

On the current timetable

- you're very unlikely to make the direct train at 7.13,

- the 7.20 involves two changes of train,

- the 7.32 involves one simple same-platform change,

- the 8am involves a slightly more difficult change,

- the 8.13 is direct but gets you to Gatwick at 10.06, just an hour & a quarter ahead of your flight time.

The train station is in Gatwick South terminal. If your flight is from Gatwick North allow 10 - 15 mins for the transfer.

So plenty of trains, but it could be almost as expensive as a private transfer because of the over-complicated ticketing system. Cheapest tickets by far are those bought in advance & restricted to a particular train - but you're not going to know in advance which train you can make.

If you choose to take the train, mebbe book the 7.32 - it only costs £5 pp, so if you miss it you've only wasted a little money but will have to pay walk-up prices for the next train..

(there're currently serious summer-long disruption on the Gatwick route due to industrial action, but that surely will be resolved by next July).

http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/planjourney/search

(timetable only goes out a few months - choose a random up-coming Saturday, & double-check early in the new year)

 

The timing is tight enough to be uncomfortable and you may not want that worry for the next 9 months.

But if there's no same-day alternative & if you have transferable flight tickets I think it's worth taking the small risk.

If you miss the flight & have to pay for new air tickets, the risk is still small but the consequences pretty expensive.

 

Can I suggest you contact http://www.smithsforairports.com for a quote & for their advice on timing, they're very experienced at cruise transfers and they're far more expert than I.

 

JB :)

[Ktwofish]

Thanks to everyone for sharing your expertise. To complicate matters, I will be traveling with my mother who will be 81 years young. We would definitely book a private transfer. It looks like I'll need to think about this one!

 

 

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[LHT28]

book the flight for the next day

take your time getting off & spend the night near Gatwick

 

Your mother will thank you

[navybankerteacher]

Thanks to everyone for sharing your expertise. To complicate matters, I will be traveling with my mother who will be 81 years young. We would definitely book a private transfer. It looks like I'll need to think about this one!

 

 

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You cannot ask her to sprint when necessary - bite the bullet and book a room somewhere near a site convenient to both Southampton and Gatwick with something to see and do - I repeat: Salisbury - for the cathedral and Stonehenge .

[CELTICGIRLCRUISER]

It's not something I would risk at all, too many things can go wrong and you have no breathing space whatsoever. I lived in that neck of the woods for a few years and I would not risk it

 

In the same vein I now live about 4 1/2 hours from Miami but I am still travelling there the day before for our next sailing, leaving nothing to chance.

 

When you are spending $$$$$ what is one more day:D

[cruiseryyc]

It would be tough to make that flight on your own, never mind trying to get your 81 year old mother to rush!

 

Book a hotel and stay the night. Salisbury and Stonehenge are wonderful places to visit.

[donaldsc]

We live in Tampa FL and there is one nonstop flight daily to and from Gatwick. We disembark in Southampton on a Saturday (July 15). The flight leaves Gatwick at 11:40 am. Can we make this flight? I'm worried about such an early flight, but the other options extend our travel time many hours. Also, we are arriving early before the cruise, so we don't really want to stay another day. Thank you for any insight you may provide!

 

You have not said what time the ship is supposed to dock.

 

DON

[Ktwofish]

The ship is supposed to dock at 5:30 am. If we weren't arriving 5 days before the cruise, I wouldn't be trying to rush to the airport. Also, it would be nice to get home and have one day to do laundry and get over jet lag before work on Monday.

 

 

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[LHT28]

The ship is supposed to dock at 5:30 am. If we weren't arriving 5 days before the cruise, I wouldn't be trying to rush to the airport. Also, it would be nice to get home and have one day to do laundry and get over jet lag before work on Monday.

 

 

 

I am sure you already know this but just a reminder

just because the ship says it docks at 5:30am you may not get off until much later

 

You have to make the choice that works for you

if you decide to fly home the same day

be sure to be off in the first group 7:00 am or earlier would be ideal

have a private transfer waiting

do the online check in the day before for your flights

 

good luck

[jocap]

Docking depends on the port staff... I've often docked in the early hours at Southampton but sometimes the gangway isn't fixed until 7 or 7.30am.

Twice we've almost missed the 8.15am train because the mechanism didn't work properly- that's at two different docks, and the trains are only a 10 minute taxi ride away. :eek:. For us that means having to rework three connecting trains to reach our remote spot. I hate the stress of that... and I would be so much worse if I was aiming for a TA flight. :(

[Ktwofish]

Thank you to everyone for responding to my question about an early flight. I really want to make the Saturday late morning flight for many reasons, but I'm leaning towards biting the bullet and staying one more night or getting a connecting flight later in the day.

[SuiteTraveler]

I have actually done this and although we had a problem, (the night before there was a simultaneous helicopter med evac and unrelated man overboard (suicide) with a long sea search with the French Coast Guard (never found him)) we got into port an hour late and disembarkation was not until 7:30, but we were among the first off the ship. Unfortunately the luggage got mixed up due to the late arrival and we had to wait for our luggage which had priority tags and should have been first off. It took a while but we were in the vehicle (we had reserved private transfer) by 8:00 and at the airport by 9:30am easily made our 11:30am flight with 2 hours to spare at the airport.

 

To me your only wild card is your 81 year old mother - Can she walk? Can she manage her own luggage? If not, can you or your husband do it for her? If she must have a wheelchair can you manage all luggage and her to self disembark?

[Ktwofish]

SuiteTraveler--You are giving me hope! I'm not too concerned about my mother. She can walk short distances, and there will be several family members available to help with luggage. Sounds like we would need to ensure that we are able to get off the ship as early as possible.

[navybankerteacher]

SuiteTraveler--You are giving me hope! I'm not too concerned about my mother. She can walk short distances, and there will be several family members available to help with luggage. Sounds like we would need to ensure that we are able to get off the ship as early as possible.

 

Define "as early as possible" and "ensure" -- of course if the ship comes in as scheduled and there are no delays in debarking or in locating your luggage or in connecting with your ride or in hitting traffic tie-ups, you will have no problem in making your flight.

 

If, for some reason, the earliest you can get off the ship is, say, 9:00 AM -then you may very well have a problem. That is the sort of thing most of us have been talking about

[SPacificbound]

Definitely rethink this. It "should" take under two hours, but "could" take three hours or more. At least that has been our experience.

[FlyerTalker]

I would not do this myself, even as a very experienced air traveller. Too many chances for a delay at multiple points of failure.

 

If you decide to spend the night in the Gatwick area, I heartily recommend Ye Olde Six Bells as an excellent pub with some good solid food and drink. Plus delightful atmosphere as a centuries-old location.

[UtterCaro]

If we weren't arriving 5 days before the cruise, I wouldn't be trying to rush to the airport. Also, it would be nice to get home and have one day to do laundry and get over jet lag before work on Monday.

 

I wouldn't risk it. I'd either pick a new activity or re-book the favorite of the pre-cruise activities to catch the next day's direct flight, or choose the shortest of the non-direct (later) flights for disembarkation day. You can do laundry on the ship -- and jet lag is largely an avoidable matter of dehydration. Good luck with whatever decision you make!

 

Caro

Edited September 20, 2016 by UtterCaro

[capriccio]

Should you decide to keep with your original plan, make sure you have a Plan B if you miss the early flight. How much will that Plan B cost (change fees)? When is the next flight? Will there be available seats? Is there the possibility that you will have to overnight anyway? etc., etc.