Many passengers book flight connecting flights on different airlines or even on the same airline but if something goes wrong and they miss the connection then the connecting flight is lost.
Gatwick is attempting to help improve that by creating GatwickConnects.
What it means is that if passengers book the connecting flights in a single transaction on one of two flight comparison websites, Dohop and Skyscanner, then the airport will book them on the next available departure and provide hotel and food vouchers as appropriate.
There will be a charge for the service.
Ideally the service means that passengers can connect between low-cost and low-cost carriers, or between low-cost and full service carriers but so far only three have signed up – easyJet, Norwegian and WOW.
Passengers have to collect their bags at Gatwick and check in again in the arrivals hall, although fast-track security clearance is included as part of the deal.
Gawick is making a big effort to empasise that it can be a hub like Heathrow and says that GatwickConnects offers the opportunity for passengers from the UK regions to be better connected and save money.
Gatwick Airport has the UK’s largest route network, serving 11 UK regional points and 190 international destinations. Around 1 million passengers a year connect from low cost airlines to other low cost or full service airlines, but make separate bookings with no protection if a flight is re-scheduled or delayed.
Gatwick Airport already offers a GatwickConnects airside check-in service for connecting customers of participating airlines where passengers can drop their bags, to which is being added a range of services and hospitality benefits including:
- Premium security
- A complimentary glass of wine, or a soft drink at Caviar House
- A Trace Me Luggage Tracker
- £10 off No1. Lounge entry
- £6 off My Lounge entry
- 50% off Regus Lounge entry
- £10 off of a £75 spend in World Duty Free.
Stewart Wingate, CEO of Gatwick Airport said:
“Gatwick is a competitive and innovative airport that can respond quickly to the changing way people are choosing to fly. We are uniquely placed to offer a service like GatwickConnects, due to the breadth of our route network and our diverse short and long haul airline mix.
“This new service will provide outstanding choice for passengers, as well as genuine savings, and we will offer travellers a range of hassle free check-in, baggage handling and hospitality benefits while they are with us.
“GatwickConnects is the latest example of the better standards, choice and competition travellers have enjoyed since BAA’s monopoly of airports was broken up. Gatwick remains the best and most deliverable option to deliver the runway that UK consumers need.”
N.B. Image credit: gatwickairport.com
