I recently flew back from Chicago to Albania via London, thus completing 2 full trips aboard British Airways which required navigating the Gatwick-Heathrow (& vice-versa) connection.

While I’ve had positive experiences flying Lufthansa and other airlines, currently British is offering the best prices from Albania to the U.S. with a savings of around $300.

There are, however, a couple of snags along the way.

The main snag is having to transfer from Gatwick to Heathrow Airports on your own dime AND needing to pick up your bags and re-check them after you make the transfer.

This is highly inconvenient. In the past I’ve always checked my bags all the way through to my final destination. When TCLH and I first traveled with BA from Albania to Chicago 2 years ago, our bags didn’t make it to Chicago. Why, we wondered, as we called different airports trying to locate our bags? The main reason is that we were supposed to collect them at Gatwick where we arrived in London and personally haul them over to Heathrow for our outbound flight to Chicago. We wrongly assumed that BA would transfer them from one airport to another. (Lugging 3 suitcases and 2 carry-ons with us certainly would have dampered our traipse around the city to see London’s sights in our less-than-6-hour layover).

So this is definitely a consideration for those traveling with lots of luggage or kiddos in tow.

But, if you do have this type of connection: U.S. city to Heathrow, then Gatwick to final destination or vice-versa, please keep these tips in mind.

1. Make sure you have enough time to make the transfer.

3-4 hours between flights should be a safe amount of time to transfer, but no less than 3, so check with your travel agent about transfer times before buying your ticket.

2. Use “National Express” Coach to make your transfer.

There is no direct train to transfer you from one airport to another.  National Express Coach runs approximately every 10 to 15 minutes and the trip lasts a little more than an hour.

3. Buy your National Express ticket upon arrival at Gatwick or Heathrow airport.

I bought my online one day in advance, but discovered that it was unnecessary and locked me into a specific time slot, limiting my options. Also, had my flight been delayed en route to London, I could have missed my bus’ departure time and incurred a fee to change times. I ended up waiting an hour for my specific time/bus and could have left sooner had a I bought a ticket upon my arrival at the airport. The National Express ticket counter is easy to locate after you’ve picked up your bags at baggage claim. The current cost for a single, one-way coach ticket is 19.50 GBP or about $32 USD. A round-trip ticket costs 36 GBP, giving you a small savings.

4. Luggage Carts: have appropriate coins on hand.

At Heathrow Airport, Terminal 5 (the new, glitzy international airport): no coins are required to use the luggage carts which is a nice convenience.

At Gatwick, North Terminal: have a “1 euro” or “1 pound” coin ready to use the luggage carts.

5. Make sure you know which Terminal your flight arrives at and have an understanding of the airport layout before you arrive.

London Heathrow has 5 Terminals. (To view the Heathrow Airport Guide showing the breakdown of airlines at different terminals, click here.)

Gatwick has 2 Terminals: North and South. (Gatwick Airport Guide: click here.)

This is important to know when making your transfer with National Express Coach as well.

6. Be prepared to go through security after transferring airports.

It is almost like checking-in from the very beginning. You have to check your bags, finish that latte you’re drinking, make sure any liquids or creams are in clear, plastic bags and go through the security check. At Gatwick, there are two separate security checks– one for your bags and then one for your shoes.

Here are a few links to make traveling through London’s Heathrow & Gatwick Airports easier:
1. Heathrow-Gatwick Transfer Tips (London Tool Kit)
2. Heathrow Airport Official Website
3. Travels with Sheila.com- one gal’s experience connecting within Heathrow’s 5 terminals– the moral of her story: make sure you have enough transfer time!

Photo by: Nina Chantrasmi