[Anonymous]

[VintageKrug]

London Gatwick Arrivals Lounge – Change to Access Route

Due to the construction work associated with the development of the North Terminal and the new North Terminal Interchange, the link bridge between the terminal and the Sofitel Hotel will be closed.

The part of the bridge nearest the terminal will be demolished, which will obviously impact customers using the Arrivals Lounge (which serves British Airways among other carriers) in the hotel.

The closure will take effect from week commencing July 13.

Alternative arrangements will be in place until the new North Terminal Interchange facility, which will brings together passenger pick up and drop off and the track transit stop, opens.

During this period customers will need to use the following route to access the Arrivals lounge:

Exit customs hall onto arrivals concourse
Proceed outside the terminal building and use the pedestrian crossings to access the car park
Follow the green walkway in the car park to the lifts
Take a lift to the 3rd floor
Exit away from the car park and use the remaining part of the original link bridge to reach the Sofitel.

Appropriate signage will be provided by the BAA. Any customers leaving the lounge to enter the terminal will need to take the same route in reverse.

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Haven’t heard anything about this interchange; when will it be open and allow proper access to the Sofitel once again?

It’s a nice hotel, but not inexpensive and worth significantly less without its direct link to the terminal.

[FrequentTraveller]

Do you happen to know if there will be any impact, either now or in the near future, to the rail shuttle link between the north and south terminals?

I use this frequently to get between the Gatwick Airport railway station and the North Terminal.

[Bunnahabhain]

You’re lucky that your flight uses the north terminal in the first place. Savour the chaos that is the south terminal domestic pier, which I’m surprised actually complies with health & safety and security regulations. Anyone with agoraphobia will be delighted, especially if they’re lucky enough to arrive at or depart from gate 10. Some hotel bedroom corridors are wider than the pier! – little or no segregation of departing and arriving passengers, the gate boarding queues spill out into the corridor, and you queue after disembarking the plane to get the arrive / depart reconciliation token – a bit like the old single line railways. Ok it’s probably one of the oldest facilities in the UK and I can only hope that the airport’s new owner will demolish the pier on day one – even bussing to remote stands from the international section of the terminal (which is ok, at least once through the equal chaos of security, the worst for any terminal in the UK by far) would be better.

[Ricjackal]

There s never going to be a good time to close the link bridge, but to close it on the week that All the British Schools break up for the summer holidays seems madness especally when LGW is expecting the busiest two weeks of the year !!!!
Maybe some forward planning may have been advisable ???
GOOD LUCK !!!!

[VintageKrug]

Anyone seen if this is closed yet?

I would like to use the Arrivals Lounge on Monday morning.

[Author]

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