V-Flyer

Hi,

First time post, longtime reader! Thanks for all the useful advice I have gained from all your posts!

We are flying upper for the first time soon, I wanted to know how much time people would recommend for the Gatwick Clubhouse? I have seen people say give as much time as possible for the Heathrow clubhouse but with Gatwick being smaller is the experience worth as much time? We will be on Vs43 leaving at 11:20!

thanks in advance

Cannons!

Welcome to v-flyer , I personally haven't been to the lgw CH but with the time of your flight I think I would be there not long after they open , hope you enjoy it

We've flown on VS43 twice when using the Gatwick clubhouse and are flying again on 5th Feb. We usually get in there at about 7.30-8am. There isn't as much to entertain you there as there is at Heathrow, but I like to get a manicure before tucking into breakfast!

We've found the waitress service very good when we've been in there.

Hi Blacky,

Thanks for the reply and welcome. We were thinking the same, I just wasn't sure if we were being silly! I guess at the very least there will be the bar! I'm sure we will enjoy!

Cannons wrote:Hi Blacky,

Thanks for the reply and welcome. We were thinking the same, I just wasn't sure if we were being silly! I guess at the very least there will be the bar! I'm sure we will enjoy!

A nice breakfast and a few glasses of champers will send you on your way perfectly

LGW's Clubhouse is indeed a lot smaller than LHR's but it does get very busy after about 8.30/9am so if you want a spa treatment I'd get there before then.

There's not much to do apart from eat, drink and use the spa though, so I'd say 8am should be early enough.

The LGW CH is my favourite, I prefer it over the LHR CH, it has a smaller more intimate relaxing feel to it.

I'd say a couple of hours max, but then i'm not one to hang around. By the time you've allowed time for breakfast, perhaps a treatment (limited range) and time relaxing that should be sufficient.

Thanks for all the responses, much appreciated. Do they call the flights in the clubhouse or do you have to keep an eye on your watch?

As others have said the LGW clubhouse is much smaller and the treatments get booked pretty fast. It's a nice place. Lovely in fact, great service, good food and flowing drink. I reckon 3 hours for me in LGW is enough. LHR CH however...

Cannons wrote:Thanks for all the responses, much appreciated. Do they call the flights in the clubhouse or do you have to keep an eye on your watch?

They call the flights in the Clubhouse

Cannons

Hi and welcome to V Flyer

I would endorse what V Flyers have said above:

Get there early if you want to book a spa treatment
It does get busy around 8:30 - 9:30
Do not be afraid to ask for refills of drinks or more food during your stay
The staff in the Clubhouse are very adept at looking after first timers
They are in touch with the Gate Room so you only get called when it is time and quite often by the time you arrive, you can walk straight onto the aircraft

buns

It may sound silly but have a good walk around when you first get there. We had been there about half an hour before we found a very nice secluded seating area tucked away.
Oh yes there is a bar and food.
Because we stayed at the Hilton the night before travel we chose to have breakfast there and so probably didn't make the most of the food on offer. I think for our next trip we will skip the breakfast and eat at the clubhouse.
Dick D

We found the CH a lovely oasis of calm away from the hustle and bustle of the terminal. Travelling with an infant (2 next week) we were worried there wouldn't be much to keep him amused but there was a lovely play area with TV and plenty of toys that kept him amused while we had breakfast/drinks.

The spa staff were actually milling round asking if anyone wanted a treatment so I think we caught it on an unusually quiet day!

We found about 1.5hrs was fine, but I daresay if we didn't have a toddler with us we might have spent a bit longer there.

We've been in both LHR and LGW CH's, I do prefer the LHR one as it's a great buzz about it and it seems to go on endlessly. LGW is a great CH, quite a slim design and I don't find the chairs particularly well placed. We generally end up taking up two tables as we both want to sit facing the windows!

The spa doesn't offer anywhere near as much as LHR and it can get very busy. Last time we were there only 1 member of staff was on duty and she was almost full with bookings when we arrived at 6.35am (don't know how the select few managed to book in advance).

If you find you are tiring of sitting on your bottom, drinking champagne and being waited on with a delicious menu to tempt you, you can nip outside for a spot of retail therapy and see how the less fortunate are doing nabbing rock hard airport seats!

Get there early and enjoy it.

Cheers for all the reply's The general consensus seems to be make the most of it so that's what we are going to do!

Marshy, as I am normally one of the less fortunate I know how those seats are! Normally enough room in one of the pubs though!

Cannons wrote:Marshy, as I am normally one of the less fortunate I know how those seats are! Normally enough room in one of the pubs though!

My dear fellow, erase those thoughts from your mind. You've turned the corner, there's no going back.

And, where are you off to?

CH opens at 6.30 ish. I say ish because it's been 6.35-6.45 for us. There is at least one glass to be lost not being there as the shutters go up!