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.
According to a recent survey by APH, providers of
Gatwick parking, 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; our holidays have hung in the balance with public transport having much to answer for.
Public transport delays are relatively common and according to Network Rail, one in ten trains in Britain suffered delays last year, a figure stranded passengers must find hard to swallow!
If you have ever missed a flight because of public transport delays, you will understand the frustration and feelings of powerlessness that worried holidaymakers have to deal with in that situation. What often makes it worse is that the announced delays often have no explanation of why they are delayed and when the issue will be resolved.
It is also inevitable that delays on the first leg of your trip will have a domino effect on the rest of your travel plans, causing subsequent flights to be missed and resulting in costly flight and accommodation re-arrangements to you.
So prepare for the possibility of unreliable public transport and ensure you have the best control over travel plans with these 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).
For further details on airport parking visit
www.aph.com
