If you have opted for Gatwick Meet and Greet, we recommend that you be at the agreed terminal 2.5-3.5 hours in advance depending if your flight is international of domestic/Ireland. The parking employee wants to check your car for any damage and prepare the necessary paperwork.

For departures from London Gatwick in 2026, the standard recommendation is to arrive at the terminal at least 3 hours before a long-haul international flight and 2 hours before a domestic or European short-haul flight. Gatwick can experience significant "departure waves," particularly in the early morning and during school holidays, which can cause security queues to spike unexpectedly. If you have bags to check, remember that most bag-drop desks close exactly 60 minutes before departure; missing this cutoff will result in being denied boarding regardless of security speeds. For those flying before 10:00 AM, Gatwick offers a "Twilight Bag Drop" service where you can check your luggage between 4:00 PM and 10:00 PM the night before, allowing you to arrive only 90 minutes before your flight the next day. Always check your airline’s app for real-time terminal updates, as Gatwick is split between the North and South Terminals, and arriving at the wrong one can cost you 20 minutes of transfer time.