Airport choice

[Old Maine guy]

We are on Royal Caribbean cruise that disembarks in Southampton on Sunday 5/22/22.

 

A quick search reveals that London is served by 6 international airports and that there is also an airport in Southampton.  Which would be the best choice for a flight to the east coast of the US.   Staying a night and catching a flight on Monday 5/23 is something we are open to.

 

 

[dog]

LHR is not he just be I use. Take Princess transfer at end of cruise to airport ( there are hotels there) or take transfer to Victoria Coach Station London, overnight and then taxi to LHR 

 

have also flown in / out of Gatwick to Ontario 

[2BACRUISER]

Southampton airport is a regional airport domestic and some European  flights but no flights to USA. Of the London airports Heathrow or Gatwick are your main options Heathrow being the nearest as @dog suggests above. 

Edited November 18, 2021 by 2BACRUISER
Spelling lol

[John Bull]

As per 2BA's post, no long-haul flights from Southampton. You can fly from Southampton to Amsterdam Schipol or Paris CDG & transfer to a trans-Atlantic flight there.

 

But it's cheaper, quicker & a whole lot simpler to fly direct from London Heathrow LHR or London Gatwick LGW, even after the time & cost to travel from Southampton to a London airport.

LHR is only marginally closer & quicker than LGW, so choose a flight which best suits your pocket, your airline preference, your most convenient US airport, and your timings, it doesn't matter whether its out of LHR or LGW. 

A flight around 2pm makes sense, but that depends on the day-of-the-week  and your transportation to the airport - private transfer, rail, service coach or ship's transfer coach (ships' coaches run to both LHR & LGW) . Post back with your flight-time options & we can advise more precisely.

 

I think there are a very few flights to the US from London City airport, but they're likely to be more expensive and London City is very inconvenient from Southampton.

 

JB 🙂

Edited November 19, 2021 by John Bull

[Huggsy]

In my experience Heathrow is easier and more straightforward to get to than Gatwick.

[john watson]

London Gatwick and London Heathrow are both likely contenders for cruise ship transfers to the airports.  If you stay overnight after the cruise pre-flight.  The nearest hotels (walk in to the airport) T2 Hilton Garden Inn, T4 Hilton T4,  T5 Sofitel  ( shuttle bus away) Renaissance Hotel book a club class room overlooking the runway.  Gatwick is close to a number of Premier Inn budget hotels very close.

 

Regards John

[navybankerteacher]

I think LHR will offer by far the greater number of flights (and, logically, the better prices). And, given the five  hour time difference, there should be a number of afternoon flights available to several major east coast airports, making an overnight stay pre-flight not necessary.

[John Bull]

13 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

I think LHR will offer by far the greater number of flights (and, logically, the better prices). And, given the five  hour time difference, there should be a number of afternoon flights available to several major east coast airports, making an overnight stay pre-flight not necessary.

 

Yes, undoubtedly LHR offers by far the widest choice of airlines & destinations..

But usually not the best prices - there's a premium on landing slots at LHR, the budget airlines use LGW.

And Virgin offer beter vaue from LGW

 

JB 🙂

[wowzz]

24 minutes ago, John Bull said:

 

Yes, undoubtedly LHR offers by far the widest choice of airlines & destinations..

But usually not the best prices - there's a premium on landing slots at LHR, the budget airlines use LGW.

And Virgin offer beter vaue from LGW

 

JB 🙂

I think you'll find that VS are not flying to the US from LGW at the moment. 

They may return in summer 22.

Edited November 24, 2021 by wowzz

[navybankerteacher]

1 hour ago, John Bull said:

 

Yes, undoubtedly LHR offers by far the widest choice of airlines & destinations..

But usually not the best prices - there's a premium on landing slots at LHR, the budget airlines use LGW.

And Virgin offer beter vaue from LGW

 

JB 🙂

Good to know - but wider selection of flights might enable avoidance of hotel stay, 

[john watson]

6 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

Good to know - but wider selection of flights might enable avoidance of hotel stay, 

 

Very true, however when you think about it you only need the one flight yourself.  If it's the best timing, airline and aircraft that the one you select.

 

Regards John

[John Bull]

19 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

Good to know - but wider selection of flights might enable avoidance of hotel stay, 

 

Yes, folk are much more likely to find a suitable flight out of super-size LHR than out of (comparatively) diminutive LGW. 

 

Same as, for instance, out of super-size SFO rather than on the opposite side of the Bay at (comparatively) diminutive OAK.

But we flew Norwegian out of OAK direct to London for massively lower fares than flights out of SFO - and that flight was to LGW. We'd flown Norwegian before, the timing was fine, the flight was fine, even the cattle-class seating was no more cramped than cattle-class on the major airlines.

 

All of which boils down to my original post - if you're headed for Southampton (or central London or Dover), select "London - any" as your destination, then choose a flight which offers the best combination of preferred home airport, preferred airline, preferred flight time, best value etc.

The London airport will be what it will be - the pros & cons of arriving at LHR or LGW are comparatively trivial. 

 

JB 🙂