London Gatwick Airport

The quickest way to check in is online, 24 hours before your flight departs.

• Check in online at Manage My Booking and print your boarding pass.
• Use the British Airways app to check in and download your boarding pass to your mobile device.

When you need to check in at the airport on the day of departure:

• If you are travelling in a group of more than nine people, please use a check-in kiosk or go to a check-in desk.
• If your child is travelling alone, or with you but on a separate booking, please go to a check-in desk.

Check the information screens to find out which check-in zone you can use for your flight.

There are dedicated check-in desks available if you are:

• Travelling in First, Club World or Club Europe
• British Airways Club Gold, Silver and Bronze members
• oneworld® Emerald, Sapphire and Ruby members
• AerClub Silver, Platinum and Concierge members

If you have baggage to check in, take your bags to a Bag Drop desk. These desks are open at the below times on the day of departure.

Overnight Bag Drop is available if you are travelling on a flight departing before 13:00. You can check in your bags between 18:00–21:00 the day before.

You can drop off bags for others travelling with you, but they must be on the same booking and you must bring their passports and all travel documents, including health tests, required for the journey.

Once your baggage has been checked in, we won't be able to retrieve it, so make sure you have everything you need before you check in.

If you are travelling with hand baggage only and you have already checked in, please go straight through security and to the gate. If your hand baggage exceeds your allowance, you may need to check it in, and charges may apply.

Opening times

• Club World, Club Europe, and Gold, Silver and Bronze members of The British Airways Club:
  From 04:00 on the day of departure (check-in opens from 03:00)
• World Traveller Plus, World Traveller, Euro Traveller:
  From 2 hours before your flight departure time, but not before the earliest opening time of 04:00 (check-in opens from 03:00)

Have your baggage collected from your doorstep, securely transported to the airport, and checked-in for your flight, allowing you to travel to the airport luggage-free and head straight to security when you get there. Available for flights departing from Heathrow, Gatwick, Geneva, Zurich and Vienna.

You must enter Security at least 35 minutes before your flight departs.

Premium Security is open daily 05:30-14:00 and 16:30-21:30, and is available when you are:

• Travelling in First, Club World and Club Europe
• British Airways Club Gold and Silver members, plus one guest
• oneworld Emerald and Sapphire members, plus one guest
• AerClub Platinum and Concierge members, plus one guest

After you clear security, please check the information screens at regular intervals and find out how long it will take you to get to the gate. 

If you use the British Airways app, you will receive gate notifications directly on your mobile.

You need to be at the gate no later than 20 minutes before the flight departs. If we have your contact details, we will try to contact you when it is about to close, but we can't delay the aircraft's departure to wait for late passengers.

You will notice a group number on your boarding pass, which shows your boarding priority. Please be ready to board the aircraft when your group is called.

If you want to take advantage of pre-boarding or priority boarding, please arrive at the gate early.

Pre-boarding is available when you are:

• Travelling with small children
• Requiring disability or mobility assistance

Priority boarding is available when you are:

• Travelling in First, Club World, Club Europe or World Traveller Plus
• British Airways Club Gold, Silver and Bronze members
• oneworld Emerald, Sapphire and Ruby members
• AerClub Silver, Platinum and Concierge members

If you arrive after your priority group has been called, you can use the priority lane to board at your leisure.

There are two British Airways lounges in the South Terminal, both located on the Upper Mezzanine level, between Dixons Travel and Inmotion (access via lift), after Security.

Lounge eligibility

British Airways Club Lounge South Terminal

• When travelling in Club World
• oneworld Sapphire members, plus one guest
• AerClub Platinum and Concierge members, plus one guest, when travelling on a transatlantic itinerary, excluding Caribbean

British Airways First Lounge South Terminal

• British Airways Club Gold members, plus one guest
• oneworld Emerald members, plus one guest

Once you have disembarked from the aircraft and are in the terminal building you will need to pass through Passport Control.

You can use the automatic ePassport gates if you have an eligible passport with a chip in it from one of the following countries: UK, EU, EEA countries (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein) and Switzerland, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and the United States of America.

Premium immigration is available to book online at Gatwick Airport.

After Passport Control, follow the yellow signs for 'Arrivals/Baggage Reclaim' and look for your flight on the information screens to see which carousel your bags will arrive on.

Once you have your baggage, you may need to pass through Customs. 

Gatwick railway station is directly accessible from the South Terminal.

Rail information and ticket desks can be found in the arrivals area of the South Terminal.

National Express operates a network of services each day to and from London Gatwick airport. Unlike other coach operators, National Express will take you to the heart of London Gatwick South Terminal from towns and cities throughout the UK, making getting to the airport hassle free.

Heathrow to Gatwick coach services run 80 times a day and the journey takes up to an hour.

Book your return tickets now to ensure a great fare or book an open ticket for more flexibility.

Taxi ranks are signposted once you are in the Arrivals hall, or you can pre-book privately run minicabs.

Gatwick is 28 miles (45km) south of London, linked directly to the M23 motorway at Junction 9 and to the A23 London-Brighton road. The M25 London orbital motorway is a ten minute drive away (Junction 7), via the M23, providing connections to the national road and motorway network.

Make your journey easier with our parking partners. Leave your car at a nearby car park with quick transfers, drop it off right outside the terminal with valet parking, or combine an overnight stay with parking and transfers at an airport hotel.

Plus, collect 5 Avios per £1 spent when you pre-book car parking.