GATWICK
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Pier 1
SKIPNESS
Regarding LGW I am really surprised your asking questions rather then giving full answers as your accustomed too.
The new Pier 1 will have 5 gates with airbridges, the LGW website has for a while now shown full details plus pictures showing the new pier.
Regarding LGW I am really surprised your asking questions rather then giving full answers as your accustomed too.
The new Pier 1 will have 5 gates with airbridges, the LGW website has for a while now shown full details plus pictures showing the new pier.
Join Date: May 2008
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New Pier 1 LGW
So fewer gates than the old pier, but all will be of a larger size suitable for 'International & Domestic', all with air-bridges.
Can't help reflecting that Flybes exit is well timed, as they seemed to mainly use the old pier 1, which had a number of small gates without air bridges.
I have used the old pier 1 and I think i am right in saying that the largest aircraft using it was A320/B737-800? not sure if the size constraints were just the Gate lounges or the actual ramp area?
i assume the 5 new gates can take wide-bodies?
Can't help reflecting that Flybes exit is well timed, as they seemed to mainly use the old pier 1, which had a number of small gates without air bridges.
I have used the old pier 1 and I think i am right in saying that the largest aircraft using it was A320/B737-800? not sure if the size constraints were just the Gate lounges or the actual ramp area?
i assume the 5 new gates can take wide-bodies?
Join Date: May 2008
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easyjet at one terminal
At the risk of opening up an old wound, what are the practicalities (or otherwise) of concentrating all of easyjets operation at one terminal?
Obviously this could only take place by moving some other airlines.
If Virgin were to move to the North terminal, could all of easyjets check-in be handled in the A check in zone?
The soon to be Flybe slots add another complication.
As SLF, I really dislike the split terminal set up, I believe the staff hate it too.
Obviously this could only take place by moving some other airlines.
If Virgin were to move to the North terminal, could all of easyjets check-in be handled in the A check in zone?
The soon to be Flybe slots add another complication.
As SLF, I really dislike the split terminal set up, I believe the staff hate it too.
Join Date: May 2009
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I would imagine the gates would all be narrowbody ones, there are plenty of large Widebody gates on the north side of Pier 2 and all of Pier 3, as well as some for 'smaller' ones on the south side of Pier 2 (767, A300, A310).
I guess EZY can move all of their domestics southwards once the Pier is ready, although in the pdf by LGW they stated that for EZY to fit into one terminal DY, ZB, TCX and EI would all have to move northwards. I assume VS are ok down South as by the time their A/C start to arrive their are normally a few gates free from departing aircraft.
I guess EZY can move all of their domestics southwards once the Pier is ready, although in the pdf by LGW they stated that for EZY to fit into one terminal DY, ZB, TCX and EI would all have to move northwards. I assume VS are ok down South as by the time their A/C start to arrive their are normally a few gates free from departing aircraft.
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But EasyJet has generally been shifting traffic away from the South Terminal. About 5 or 6 years ago it was all South Terminal but now the North Terminal I beleive handles the most EasyJet flights (perhaps since it's newer and more modern/better suits EZY's strategy nowadays? Or to muscle in on BA's territory?)
Could EZY eventually be all North Terminal? Either way, the way it seems to be going, there could be a chance for EZY to be the sole operator from one terminal and every other airline from the other! A bit like IAG at Terminal 5?Providing they take all 25 Flybe Gatwick slots, could they be basing close to 60 aircraft next summer and beyond?
Could EZY eventually be all North Terminal? Either way, the way it seems to be going, there could be a chance for EZY to be the sole operator from one terminal and every other airline from the other! A bit like IAG at Terminal 5?Providing they take all 25 Flybe Gatwick slots, could they be basing close to 60 aircraft next summer and beyond?
Join Date: May 2009
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The plan written by LGW seemed to suggest that if EZY were to move to one terminal then it would be the south, plus I don't think BA would let them move North at their expense, as they have fairly recently upgraded some of their facilities there (New check-in area etc).
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Easyjet at one terminal
Quote:
As SLF, I really dislike the split terminal set up
"Does it really matter to SLF providing they know which terminal to go to".
Most definitely, I have several times experienced an inbound flight due at North Terminal, going to South terminal and then having to be bussed back to North Terminal, due presumably, to the aircrafts next planned flight being from South.
My time to exit the airport having effectively been doubled, plus the horror of the transfer bus!
As SLF, I really dislike the split terminal set up
"Does it really matter to SLF providing they know which terminal to go to".
Most definitely, I have several times experienced an inbound flight due at North Terminal, going to South terminal and then having to be bussed back to North Terminal, due presumably, to the aircrafts next planned flight being from South.
My time to exit the airport having effectively been doubled, plus the horror of the transfer bus!
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It happened three times to myself during last year..
First time was bussed across ramp from North to South Terminal.
Second time we arrived, not a word said before disembarking. Quite a few confused passengers once in Terminal.
Third time, was advised by crew and was left to passengers to find their own way over to South Terminal. Appears they do not do bussing between terminals anymore.
Am getting used to it now, but irrated a lot of other passengers.
Agree, use of one Terminal would make life easier.
First time was bussed across ramp from North to South Terminal.
Second time we arrived, not a word said before disembarking. Quite a few confused passengers once in Terminal.
Third time, was advised by crew and was left to passengers to find their own way over to South Terminal. Appears they do not do bussing between terminals anymore.
Am getting used to it now, but irrated a lot of other passengers.
Agree, use of one Terminal would make life easier.
Join Date: Aug 2002
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Regarding LGW I am really surprised your asking questions rather then giving full answers as your accustomed too.
EZY have a subset of arrivals at each terminal which arrive at the opposite one so I assume not all are bussed and some are allowed to deplane at the "wrong" terminal. There's a FIDS screen especially in arrivals for meeters and greeters to let them know.
The original (rough) plan was long haul at North and (mainly) loco and charters at the South, with Virgin staying put due to the Clubhouse. The rather spectacular rise and rise of easyJet has meant that they are the exception. I suspect they'll remain split for the foreseeable future, the game changer might be BA getting a third runway at LHR but that's not still a mid term option.
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Ezy will move solely to the south in 2015 when the baggage system has Ben upgraded and the terminal is finished. The only reason they are in 2 terminals just now is that the baggage system is not good enough to cope with all the flights, and the loss of 10 or so gates at the south from the old pier.
As for not bussing anymore, This is correct.....the aircraft will arrive at whatever terminal of the next flight and the mono rail connects both terminals so there is no need for bussing. The bussing airside tool much much longer that the new system of deplaning at the different terminal, By up to 45 mins quicker!!!!!
As for not bussing anymore, This is correct.....the aircraft will arrive at whatever terminal of the next flight and the mono rail connects both terminals so there is no need for bussing. The bussing airside tool much much longer that the new system of deplaning at the different terminal, By up to 45 mins quicker!!!!!
What would Monarch, Norwegian and Thomas Cook gain from moving to the North terminal ? Is cash being waved at them in return for the disruption involved or are they just going to be forcibly evicted from South terminal ?
Incurring operational grief just to help a competitor doesn't seem a particularly good way of improving a firm's profits...
Incurring operational grief just to help a competitor doesn't seem a particularly good way of improving a firm's profits...
Last edited by davidjohnson6; 4th Jun 2013 at 18:17.
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Pier 1 @LGW
Sad to see Pier 1 at LGW being demolished. Many happy memories of BCAL, DAN, Air Europe etc operating from this pier.
The 'jetways' were a bit unique in that they only moved in and out and not from side to side. The 'stop' system was also a bit odd - a mirror allowed the Captain to see his nosewheel and to line it up with the appropriate line painted on the Tarmac.
I remember arriving there one very humid night - a few knots of 'breeze' would have allowed fog to form. The 'mirror' was obscured by 'dew' - something not apparent till the appropriate line had been crossed! Normally this would not have been much of a problem if the 'finger' had been able to have moved laterally but it wasn't and much embarrassment was caused awaiting a pushback crew (about 30 minutes) to push the aircraft back about a foot so the finger could be lined up with the door. Red faces all round!
The 'jetways' were a bit unique in that they only moved in and out and not from side to side. The 'stop' system was also a bit odd - a mirror allowed the Captain to see his nosewheel and to line it up with the appropriate line painted on the Tarmac.
I remember arriving there one very humid night - a few knots of 'breeze' would have allowed fog to form. The 'mirror' was obscured by 'dew' - something not apparent till the appropriate line had been crossed! Normally this would not have been much of a problem if the 'finger' had been able to have moved laterally but it wasn't and much embarrassment was caused awaiting a pushback crew (about 30 minutes) to push the aircraft back about a foot so the finger could be lined up with the door. Red faces all round!
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North Terminal is much nicer in my opinion. South is where the railway station is so that is good for EZY but I would have thought that is less of an importance to TCX and ZB since they only have leisure passengers who are much less likely to travel by rail or need to commute into central London.
I don't think it would take much to get TCX and ZB to move North along with Thomson (why did they move by the way?) Perhaps VS should go North anyway along with the majority of long haul traffic at Gatwick. I can definitely see EZY at just one terminal in the future, it certainly brings no benefit by splitting services between both!
I don't think it would take much to get TCX and ZB to move North along with Thomson (why did they move by the way?) Perhaps VS should go North anyway along with the majority of long haul traffic at Gatwick. I can definitely see EZY at just one terminal in the future, it certainly brings no benefit by splitting services between both!
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Are there enough gates to handle that many widebodys at roughly the same time though? I count something along the lines of 8/9 BA 777's, an EK 777, 2/3 TOM 767/787's, 1/2 TCX 332's, a MON 332 plus 1-3 of Air China, Vietnam and Caribbean Airlines. Adding VS to this (think its 5 744's and 1 333 currently) seems like a bit of an overload!
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Ezy will move solely to the south in 2015
Pier 1 - 5
Pier 2 - 20
Pier 3 (Sat) - 14
Giving 39 stands in all if EZY get them all. Isn't there 50 odd in the first wave?
Also given VS won't be moving that might be interesting.
I count something along the lines of 8/9 BA 777's, an EK 777, 2/3 TOM 767/787's, 1/2 TCX 332's, a MON 332 plus 1-3 of Air China, Vietnam and Caribbean Airlines. Adding VS to this (think its 5 744's and 1 333 currently) seems like a bit of an overload!
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It seems BA have recently moved one of the ex BMI A320's to LGW, apparently permanently. This is due to it being the only one which does not support the containerised baggage system used at T5. It is configured with 168 seats so it should come in handy on the busier routes especially during the peak months!
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Norwegian @ Lgw
Since the announcement by DY of their new base at Lgw, many have speculated that it would be the next EI, a failure. I have been keeping a watch on how they might be doing at Lgw and have come to an opinion that they might be handling things better than EI did. At this stage I must state I have no knowlege of their ops or most importantly, yields. My reasons are:
1. They already had a reasonably large operation at Lgw from Scandanavia. That will have been already driving a lot of traffic to their sites.
2. They increased frequency to Stockholm, Oslo and Helsinki. Many of those flights, especially to Stockholm, are regularly sold out. I would not be surprised if they increased Stockholm further in the future. This will be giving the Lgw base a foundation that EI was never able to do.
3. Looking at the new routes, on several of those routes, flights are often sold out. For this month, Malaga, Barcelona and Nice are very good examples of that. So pax travelling to those destinations are finding DY as an option. I fully understand that they may have offered very keen fares to drive traffic.
4. DY, unlike EI, has not gone for multiple daily flights to the new destinations. They have gone for 3/4 flights a week, which seems to be working. This will limit losses but allow them to build frequency in the future as brand awareness increases.
5. I wondered if the public would think of DY as an option when going to the med, but they seem to be doing so in good numbers. This would have been their biggest challenge.
6. In a capitalist economy, there will always be new entrants coming in at the bottom, starting small but growing and eventually posing a challenge to the bigger/older operators. For that reason, it might be best not to write them off too quick as at some point, both Lgw and a new entrant there may effect a change that will effect other airlines and us.
Does anyone have close knowledge of how they are doing?
TB
1. They already had a reasonably large operation at Lgw from Scandanavia. That will have been already driving a lot of traffic to their sites.
2. They increased frequency to Stockholm, Oslo and Helsinki. Many of those flights, especially to Stockholm, are regularly sold out. I would not be surprised if they increased Stockholm further in the future. This will be giving the Lgw base a foundation that EI was never able to do.
3. Looking at the new routes, on several of those routes, flights are often sold out. For this month, Malaga, Barcelona and Nice are very good examples of that. So pax travelling to those destinations are finding DY as an option. I fully understand that they may have offered very keen fares to drive traffic.
4. DY, unlike EI, has not gone for multiple daily flights to the new destinations. They have gone for 3/4 flights a week, which seems to be working. This will limit losses but allow them to build frequency in the future as brand awareness increases.
5. I wondered if the public would think of DY as an option when going to the med, but they seem to be doing so in good numbers. This would have been their biggest challenge.
6. In a capitalist economy, there will always be new entrants coming in at the bottom, starting small but growing and eventually posing a challenge to the bigger/older operators. For that reason, it might be best not to write them off too quick as at some point, both Lgw and a new entrant there may effect a change that will effect other airlines and us.
Does anyone have close knowledge of how they are doing?
TB
Last edited by True Blue; 16th Jun 2013 at 20:05.