Gatwick- The worst UK airport for baggage delays

jimmybog

Caz3121 wrote: »

there is a screen above the baggage belt (at least in North Terminal) that lists the airlines and the handling agents for baggage

Thanks Caz

Must admit I have never noticed this before!!

JohnWhite

Gatwick in my experience is by far the worst airport in the UK for long waits for your hold baggage. It is down to the Gatwick airport authorities to set the rules and make sure the Baggage handling company observes them. I can't see Gatwick authorities taken any action they are more interested in profit than customer services. My view is there should be a 45 minute maximum time from the time the aircraft docks at the landing gate and the luggage is put on the conveyor belt in arrivals.

LadyDee

Instead of claiming compensation or fining the company, there should be pressure put on the airport for the baggage handling company to be dismissed. How does getting a few £s from the company make it acceptable to wait for luggage? After all, fining the railways vast sums of money for delays doesn't seem to have improved their timekeeping.

All that fines and compensation do is to increase costs to passengers at the end of the day. If the company faced losing its contract it (hopefully) would be more inclined to improve its service.

TomLikesSausages

Quick delivery of our luggage in the baggage hall is of paramount importance to us. Any compensation should be a last resort but Gatwick Airport authories certainly need to take some action against the slow baggage handling companies like Swissport. If anyone connected with Gatwick airport authorities ,would like to comment on this point I am sure it would be most welcome by everyone contributing to this forum. Perhaps somehow giving this issue a higher profile might persuade the Baggage Handling companies and Gatwick airport a better customer service, or don't the passengers count!!!!.

NicksTheMan

Yes Gatwick Airport is terrible for the wait baggage delivery once the flight has landed. No one is prepared to held to account for delays. I agree 45 minutes should be more than adequate to unload the luggage and transfer it to baggage reclaim. I agree this issue needs a higher profile so perhaps the television programme Holiday Hit squad or Simon Calder might like to feature it. Some bad publicity might make the CEO (Stewart Wingate) at Gatwick Airport sit up and take notice, and perhaps we would then see some action to improve this service. At the moment Swissport, Serviceair and the other baggage handling companies just get away with it with no comeback..

BBQ141

I fly LGW - JER at least once a week, some weeks it can be as many as three times and I have only had an issue once and that was due to a breakdown with the machinery.

I find it quite good compared to most other airports.

BillLucas

It is nice to hear somebody constantly has had no delays at baggage reclaim at Gatwick Airport. we would be inreested to hear which baggage handling company were contracted on their flights We wish we had been so lucky. We would say 50% of our trips have been without any undue delays, (under 45 minute) waiting for our luggage to appear on the conveyor belt. This is type of service we should expect at least 90% of the time. However the other 50%of the time the luggage took between 50 minutes and 1 hour 25 minutes from the time we disembarked the aircraft. That is just not good enough and Gatwick Airport management should do something about it

Magic_Moments

Yes I agree the wait for your baggae at Gatwick is often unacceptable especially when yyour flight lands in the evenings. We have had quick pick ups but more often than not the wait for baggage is in excess of 45 minutes from landing. Gatwick airport management need to publish their ploicy on this issue. A feature on television or in the press about the delays would cetainly do no harm from the passengers point of view, and then the Gatwick authorities might sit up and take notice.

BobWells

First post I have every written on this forum but saw this post and felt the need to add my comments. I recently flew into Gatwick and from the time we disembarked the aircraft to the time our luggage arrived on the baggage reclaim conveyor belt was 75 minutes (give or take a couple of minutes). An utter disgrace and very little information was forthcoming about the delay. Baggage handling company was Swissport. We had absolutely no recourse and Swissport dismissed our complaint out of hand in an abrupt manner.

OnMyTodd

I agree more often than not the wait for your luggage in the baggage hall at Gatwick Airport is far too long.In variably its in excess of 45 minutes far more tham many other larger European airports No one seems to want to take responsibilty for a good and quick service. The airlines, baggage handling companies and Gatwick airport management just pass the buck backwards and forward each claiming you contact " Not Them" when you lodge a complaint. I am not aware of a published maximum acceptable time that luggage should be received on the conveyor belt once the aircraft has docked at its arrival gate.