Despite the fact that nearly 90% of Londoners plan to get to the airport at least 2 hours before their flight is due to depart, nearly one third admitted to having missed a flight and shockingly one in five in the South East confessed to missing flights at least three times. 

A recent survey by APH, providers of Gatwick parking, revealed that the most common reason for these missed flights is due to unreliable transport.  >From stories of taxis that never turned up, to not-so perfectly timed train strikes; holidays have hung in the balance with public transport having much to answer for.

Missing a connection can have a domino effect on travel plans, causing flights to be missed and resulting in costly flight and accommodation re-arrangements. To prepare for the possibility of unreliable public transport, holidaymakers can follow APH’s Top 5 Travel Tips for getting to the airport on time:

  1. Consider driving to the airport and use pre-booked airport parking facilities to ensure you have more control over your travel plans.  Those with early morning flights should consider also staying at an airport hotel the night before they fly.
  2. Whichever you choose, check public transport or check traffic reports before you leave the house and take an alternative route if there are any delays.  If you have to, it is possible to pre book parking on the day of travel, use SAT NAV, but always, always double check against the directions given
  3. Make sure you get a good night’s sleep to avoid oversleeping for a morning flight and make sure you set a back up alarm just in case your first alarm fails.
  4. If you are driving to the airport, make sure your car is fuelled, serviced and taxed in advance to ensure you do not have any nasty surprises on the day or when you return.
  5. De-stress by packing well in advance using a check list to ensure you remember all those vital items; passport, wallet, confirmations, toiletries (liquids in hold luggage, not hand baggage, of course).