Overview

Gatwick Airport is a large, busy London airport with flights all over the world. Usually I have had a very positive experience with Gatwick but on 27 December 2019 I didn't have a good experience. I've previously written very positively about the airport.

Transport & Parking

There is a train station but it stops by the South Terminal and those who want to travel to the North Terminal take a short ride on the shuttle which connects the two terminals.

Access

On the date I travelled I was due to fly from Nice Airport at 9.10pm with an arrival at Gatwick at 10.05pm. The flight was delayed and when we were mid flight the captain announced that the flight had been delayed due to delays in Gatwick's Special Assistance staff arriving on their previous flight. When we arrived in Gatwick we were already delayed. The entire flight then had to wait for ground crew to come to bring steps so everyone could disembark. When everyone else had left the plane myself and the other passengers requiring Special Assistance disembarked. The SA staff who aided us were very helpful and friendly. We were then taken into the main terminal. However there was no special assistance staff to take us through the airport terminal and we had to wait. Again when the staff arrived they were extremely helpful. However when we got to baggage reclaim we had to wait again as none of the luggage had been unloaded. It was now after midnight and the SA person took me by wheelchair through to the train station.

Toilets

I know they have them but I didn't use them on this occasion.

Staff

The staff especially the Special Assistance staff who were working were amazing, they were extremely professional, helpful and courteous. The problem was there was not enough staff working at the airport that day.

Anything else you wish to tell us?

As a solo female traveller I felt very vulnerable, as I didn't know when assistance was arriving and being on my own I can't manage the airport without it. For example there was another person requiring special assistance but she was with someone so when their luggage arrived they just walked out of the airport while I had to wait until staff collected my luggage and accompanied me. I don't have the option other to wait until assistance arrives. The delay which was down to Gatwick not employing enough staff to work that day had the knock on effect that I was later arriving at the train station. I was lucky that there were still trains running to my destination, but for others this wouldn't have been the case. When I arrived at Gatwick Airport train station I was told that the Special Assistance desk was closed and they had to radio for help and I just made it onto the 12.42am (I think). If I had missed that I would have had to wait a further hour for the next train. I didn't arrive back into central London until nearly 2am, which is much later than I had planned and it felt very unsafe. I am extremely disappointed in Gatwick Airport on this occasion as their delays due to staff shortages put me as a solo female disabled passenger in a vulnerable situation. it also had a knock on effect as it caused stress and fatigue which takes away from the relaxing time I had on holiday, thereby somewhat defeating the purpose. I trust this is a blip and I hope my next experience at Gatwick is as positive as previously.