Gatwick airport issue

m3psk

Hi all hope everyone is well.

Today there has been a slight issue which i am looking for advice on.

Today at around 11:00am my partners parents arrived at Gatwick to fly out with Thomas cook for a 7 days holiday in Turkey.

They arrived as you have to many hours before, checked in no problem and handed the bags over as you do.

They then went to departure lounge and got stopped by Border Force UK and told they had been selected for checks.

A long story short the checks lasted so long that by the time they had finished they went to their gate to be told they where 14mins late and the flight had left.

Both border force and Thomas cook would expect no risibility for this or offer them another flight so they had to come home.

So all in all because of these checks they have lost £800 on their holiday and £100 each way for taxi fee's.

Is there anything that can be done? They are atol protected but does this cover that?

I don't really think it s right that they where on time yet because of border force they lose out, i understand they have a job to do but it isn't on that they miss their holiday.

Caz3121

m3psk wrote: »

A long story short the checks lasted so long that by the time they had finished they went to their gate to be told they where 14mins late and the flight had left.

ow long were the checks? over an hour? I assume Border Force UK had advised the airline that they were detaining someone if they were able to have removed the baggage in advance

m3psk

Hi Caz, thank you for the reply.

I have just got some more info from them, their gate was due to close at 12.15 at they stood up from their chairs at about 11.30 and made there way to the gate and then got stopped and got let out at around 12.30.

visidigi

m3psk wrote: »

Hi Caz, thank you for the reply.

I have just got some more info from them, their gate was due to close at 12.15 at they stood up from their chairs at about 11.30 and made there way to the gate and then got stopped and got let out at around 12.30.

So they were there for a period of time before they decided to go through security?

From what you've said they were there the usual few hours early, but only wen through to departures 45mins before gate closed.

What happened between check in and departures?

bazzyb

m3psk wrote: »

They arrived as you have to many hours before, checked in no problem and handed the bags over as you do

m3psk wrote: »

their gate was due to close at 12.15 at they stood up from their chairs at about 11.30 and made there way to the gate and then got stopped and got let out at around 12.30.

Was it 'many hours' or 45 minutes? Your 2 posts seem to condradict each other.

I am assuming here that you mean they were stopped when going through security, rather than stopped elsewhere in the airport (airside).

If they only allowed 45 minutes to go through security etc and get to their gate, I'm sorry but that is their own fault.

powerful_Rogue

How long were they with Border Force?
How much money were they carrying/did they declare?

Caz3121

m3psk wrote: »

Today at around 11:00am my partners parents arrived at Gatwick to fly out with Thomas cook for a 7 days holiday in Turkey.

They arrived as you have to many hours before, checked in no problem and handed the bags over as you do.

m3psk wrote: »

I have just got some more info from them, their gate was due to close at 12.15 at they stood up from their chairs at about 11.30 and made there way to the gate and then got stopped and got let out at around 12.30.

so they arrived around 11:00am and the gate closed at 12:15, that does not sound like "many hours"
Did they not head through security and towards the gate straight from checkin? - it sounds like they sat down somewhere landside for half an hour first


Also looking at the departures from Gatwick today the departure time of the Antalya flight was 12:10 although the departure was delayed and it eventually left at 12:35 (possibly due to having to locate and offload baggage)
Could they have got their times wrong a 12:10 departure would have had the gate closing long before then so they may even have missed it if they had not been stopped if they did not head through till 11:30

soolin

I've just flown through Gatwick with Norwegian air and they expected us at the gate 50 minutes before departure both inwards and outwards. They boarded very early as well.

Gatwick was quite smooth at 5.30 am but it still took us about 30 minutes to check our bags and around 20 minutes through passport control and security plus about a 10 minute stroll to the gate.

Coming back out of Fuerteventura we arrived at the airport at 10.35 am for a 12.45 departure and barely had time to do anything before going to gate as everything was slow , checking in security etc.

I know I am a bit of a worrier getting places mega early , but having once nearly missed a flight at Malaga during a passport control strike where we waited well over an hour to go through security , and waited as long trying to get through Stansted 2 years ago I never risk it anymore.

keyser666

I agree with the rest they did not arrive the hours before that would be required. If my flight is departing at 12:15 I arrive at 09.15, check in as soon a sthe gate opens at approx 10.15 and go straight through.

It does state to give enough time to get through Border Control and for me 45 minutes is not enough and that is without being stopped as I have seen horrendous queues going out and coming in as UKBA are immensely understaffed at present.

I am surprised they did not advise the airline but as alluded to above seems they were told and were late removing the bags. I think you will find it difficult to claim back on this, assume your parents have insurance?.......

cookie365

My reading of the OP was that they got stopped after going through security, not before.

What did the airline actually say? Hard to believe that they cancelled the holiday because they missed the flight.

keyser666

cookie365 wrote: »

My reading of the OP was that they got stopped after going through security, not before.

Immaterial really as they never left enough time