Is it a Bus or is it a Taxi? (Gatwick Flyer)

Member Name: aefra

Product:	Gatwick Flyer
Date:	13/05/02 (5153 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Home to airport, Inexpensive

Disadvantages: None for me

My brother in law and his wife are "Snowbirds". Those lucky people who migrate to their house in Florida for the coldest 6 months of our year. So when one November they asked me to join them for a couple of weeks the following January I made plans for my first long haul flight. This was to be from Gatwick to Tampa and I decided to drive to the airport and leave the car. Before I had completed the carpark booking I noticed a small advertisement in my local newspaper for the Gatwick Flyer which promised door to airport travel at a fare less than my carparking fees.

I had to think longer and harder than many people about this, as coach travel is my least favourite method of transport and I had avoided it for more years than I could remember. It's not that I get travel sick or anything - just my build. I am not talking weight here as I am built for racing rather than carting. However, public transport does not cater for people of 6' and over. The restricted legroom is ok if I have a seat to myself and can swing sideways. Playing kneesy with a stranger beside me for a couple of hours is not my idea of comfort..... unless it's Liam Neeson and he wasn't going to be on the Gatwick Flyer. However, I decided that the fare and convenience were worth taking a chance for and telephoned them to make my booking.

The Gatwick Flyer covers three routes through South Essex to the airport, and mine was to be from Rayleigh with a further six stops including Wickford and Brentwood on the way. The other routes are from Southend via Basildon and Grays, also from Redbridge taking in Havering. The fare from Rayleigh is £39 return for an adult, £70 for two adults and a child is just £14. Children under three travel free. The other routes are less expensive.

The company like you to book five days in advance to be sure of a seat, need to know your flight times both outward and returning, and also wish you to be ready to
be picked up 30 minutes before they arrive. They also ask that you arrange the journey to arrive at the airport 2 hours before your flight. They appeared to be conversant with my flight from Gatwick and were able to advise on timing. They are anxious that you do not miss a flight while using their transport. The pick up from your door is "Subject to discretion". Since the schedule is every two hours from 12.30am to 10.30pm, then a break of 2 hours, it sounded pretty convenient to me.

I was travelling at a time which would have left me in the airport for a few hours as it took in the 2 hour break. Although I was asked to meet the bus at Rayleigh station, I rang them beforehand and asked if, since the bus would be more or less passing my door, they could pick me up from home. All vehicles have radio communication and, sure enough, the driver telephoned me to say that he would do so. How about that? A good start.

When he arrived I was pleasantly surprised to see a 22 seater minibus outside my door. This is their standard vehicle and I was the only passenger, with not another for some way. Because of the flexibility of this service we by-passed Rayleigh Station and started our journey. With so few passengers booked, scheduled stops were ignored and we travelled smoothly and quickly to our destination. The two and a half hours scheduled on the timetable took just over an hour and the journey was completed in comfort and quiet conversation. Arriving outside the terminal the driver took my luggage and escorted me in to the building, then went to look for a trolley for me. He was unsuccessful, but how could I fault such service?

The return journey was a boon. I was desperately tired, not to mention cold, having left a January temperature of 70+ degrees in Florida and once again it was during the night. I used the telephone number I had been given and was asked to wait at the bus shelter just outside the termina
l. Some 20 minutes later the minibus drew up to board myself and a few other passengers. This time for some reason we had to change buses halfway home. The new driver made a detour which took him through Pitsea on the outskirts of Basildon, then saw the elderly couple left sharing the minibus with me safely to their door. I arrived home again after nowhere near the time given on the schedule and with the same friendly courtesy that the elderly couple had received.

The logistics of taking a holiday abroad are too complicated for me to repeat the journey as I have elderly animals.
I have to admit that this was about four or five years ago, but can think of no reason why the service should have changed in the meantime. I would not consider taking my car, or any other transport other than the Flyer to Gatwick after this happy experience with them. When I telephoned their office to confirm minute details for this op, the receptionist could not have been more obliging.

If you are wondering......with so few passengers on board I could have chosen a single seat, and in any case the journey took so little time, possibly because I travelled at night. It seemed so much more like a taxi service, it's flexibility depending on the passengers booked for a particular journey. All in all very good value indeed.

For those interested in such details, the company was established in 1987 and all minibuses have inertia seat belts fitted. The transport, in common with most nowdays, is non-smoking. Booking may be made by telephone or at their Romford office, with most major credit cards taken.



Gatwick Flyer Ltd can be contacted at;
72 North Street,
Romford, Essex RM1 1DA

Phone; 01708 730555
Fax; 01708 725525
Email; enquiries@gatwickflyer.co.uk

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