London Gatwick South Airport

London’s Gatwick South Airport: I flew in from Entebbe to London for the first time through Gatwick South terminal, normally I use Heathrow airport.

Gatwick’s South Terminal is a cold and absolutely miserable place to wait for a flight. There isn’t enough chairs to wait and the seating is located in areas that do not allow you to see the arrival and departure monitors. There are no PA announcements for either arrivals or departures like many International airports have, so you find yourself having to get up, pull your luggage with you check the monitors and hope to find your seat not taken. You’ve got to love the British, with all the advancement in technology and commerce, they still have monitors that look like they were from the 60’s. The terminals feel as cool as the outside, if they would only do a better job of heating it. But the British people seem to love the cool, every one walks in and out as if there is nothing to be said or done. I guess that is why I never stayed too long in London.

The second time I flew through Gatwick I was returning home from the USA. I flew in from Atlanta to London Gatwick very pregnant ready to pop. My back hurt like crazy and my belly felt ripe. I had paid extra to have a nurse on the flight and assistance on arrival at each of the three airports I was stopping before arriving in Entebbe. On arrival the assistance I paid for was g to pick me up at the arrivals and looked more like it was too much to meet us. The nurse (American) cursed under her breath and uttered what a cold B***C. It would not have hurt to fake a smile now would it? Upstairs, there are inadequate catering facilities meaning long queues for ridiculously priced tasteless foods w (no one ever accused the British of being good cooks), but I needed a hot cup of tea and a shower. I paid a ridiculous 4 pounds for a cup of tea and a cake that tasted stale. But what I loved was when I went into the bathrooms, there was hot water to shower and the nurse was happy to wait by the door to make sure no one bothered me while I showered. I had a three hour lay over so I had time. Gatwick reminds me of Ethiopia’s airport and Entebbe in some ways - third world airport in a first world. My sister said it has not changed much but the North Terminal is supposedly good since it opened.