# London city airport



## capall (15 May 2009)

Has anyone any experience using this airport, what are delays like compared to heathrow
thks


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## EvilDoctorK (15 May 2009)

capall said:


> Has anyone any experience using this airport, what are delays like compared to heathrow
> thks



It's tiny - great little airport - never any significant queues or delays and it's the cheapest airport to get into Central london from (as it's only in the Travelcard Zone 3) .. .Only downside is relatively small number of flights and they tend to be quite pricey

In terms of delays very occasionally it can suffer badly from Fog.


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## Smashbox (15 May 2009)

The airport is fine whenever I have used it. Delays for what exactly?


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## Mpsox (15 May 2009)

great little airport, most flights don't close check in until 40 minutes before hand, one of the most comfortable departure lounges I've found in any airport, it's size mean you don't have to go trapsing all over the place like at Stansted or Heathrow. Bulk of people flying through are business travellers so you don't tend to get as many screaming kids as you might at other airports

Only downside is that flights in and out tend to be dearer then other airports as none of the budget airlines service it


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## EvilDoctorK (15 May 2009)

Actually I think most flights don't close until at most 20 mins before for check in .. some even do 10 mins before  .. I've gotten away with 5 mins in the past there but that's not to be recommended


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## Gunship (15 May 2009)

capall said:


> Has anyone any experience using this airport, what are delays like compared to heathrow
> thks


 
Great airport, fast, comfortable and a new train station right outside


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## capall (15 May 2009)

Sounds like a consensus. Hate Heathrow,although it is a great airport to get out of and the Heathrow express is brilliant
Specially hate that area you hang out in waiting for the irish flights
Flights always delayed in my experience to heathrow


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## shesells (15 May 2009)

Heathrow is your Penneys on the day the sale starts and London City is a high end boutique! Not a great analagy but it's late!!

Honestly, London City is the only London airport I use now and I gladly pay the extra. It's an altogether more pleasant experience than any of the others, especially Heathrow. It's a totally different experience, calm and relatively sophisticated.


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## Brendan Burgess (2 Jul 2009)

I have just compared prices of Aer Lingus Heathrow vs City Jet to London City Airport for a day return on Monday and London City is €270 vs. €400 for Heathrow.

I don't fully understand the map. Does the DLR just hook up with most of the tube lines? I will getting the Picadilly Line.

It must be a lot quicker than Heathrow.

Brendan


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## zag (2 Jul 2009)

Brendan,

From London City airport the DLR (light rail, but basically all part of the integrated London transport system) interescts the tube at Canning Town (Jubilee line) or Bank (loads of lines).

If you are going to Central London I would suggest changing at Canning Town and getting the Jubilee line over towards Westminster, Green Park or Bond Street.

You say you will be getting the Picadilly line - where is your actual destination ?  If it is in West London (say west of Earls Court) then it would make more sense to fly to Heathrow and just get the Picadilly line from there.  Otherwise you would fly to London City, get the DLR, get the Jubilee Line to Green Park, and then get the Picadilly line further west.  If you are on a day return, this transfer in both directions will take a fair amount of your total time.

If you are going somewhere on the Northern part of the line they you would be better advised to get the DLR to Bank, Central to Holborn and then Picadilly to wherever you are going.

It all depends on where exactly in London you are going.

z

p.s. you probably have this, but here's the full map that you need for connectivity - http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/standard-tube-map.pdf

p.p.s. to answer your actual question - does the DLR just hook up with the tube - yes, it's all integrated so you just buy one ticket (well, a day pass works but I'm sure individual tickets are the same), get on the DLR, get off, change platform, get on the tube, leave station . . .


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## Brendan Burgess (2 Jul 2009)

Thanks Zag

I am going first to Green Park, so I can go there on the Jubilee line

And I will be returning to the airport from Southwark which is also on the Jubilee line

So it looks as if London City is the best option.

Brendan


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## krissovo (2 Jul 2009)

Only down side with the airport is the aircraft types.  These are the small jets/props but the seat layout is the same as the bigger standard plane.  The result is if you are big lad like me then its a very tight fit.  I flew to nice from the airport and we had to reshuffle the seats so a large people (both tall & weight) could fit in as if you are next to another large person then there is no chance of fitting together.


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## EvilDoctorK (2 Jul 2009)

Brendan,

For Green Park simplest thing to do is definitely as Zag says take the DLR as far as Canning Town .. then change to the Jubilee line there and take that all the way to Green Park - simple interchange at Canning Town.. it's all above ground and the DLR platforms are just above the Jubilee line ones - no walking involved at all.

The DLR ultimately runs into Bank Station where you can change to other tube lines.. but Bank Station is a mess at the moment with escalator works etc. and is best avoided.

DLR to Canning Town from LCY is about 10 mins
Canning Town to Green Park probably 20/25 mins on the tube 

Including waiting for the train you should do Green Park in 45 mins ... from Southwark probably 35 mins back to the airport


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## EvilDoctorK (2 Jul 2009)

krissovo said:


> Only down side with the airport is the aircraft types.  These are the small jets/props but the seat layout is the same as the bigger standard plane.  The result is if you are big lad like me then its a very tight fit.  I flew to nice from the airport and we had to reshuffle the seats so a large people (both tall & weight) could fit in as if you are next to another large person then there is no chance of fitting together.



This is a down side to CityJet .. they put 6 across in those aircraft whereas some other airlines only put 5 across in.

Always go for an aisle seat on cityjet


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## shesells (2 Jul 2009)

It's a short flight with free food and drink. I can cope with a small plane.

BUT shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! Don't go letting the secret out. London City is a gem, a slightly hidden one for now!


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## so-crates (3 Jul 2009)

have to agree with you there shesells - definitely my favourite London airport, just so relaxing. Quick in, quick out. Fastest I ever did it was five minutes after landing I was walking out the front door!!


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## Brendan Burgess (7 Jul 2009)

Thanks folks

That all went like clockwork. Some additional points: 

The seats are very cramped. But they have some rows of 5 seats at the back, so try to book one of them. As it happens, the front of the plane was jammed, while there were spare seats at the back, so I moved to the back.

For the children among us, there is no driver in the front of the DLR , so you can actually sit in the "driver's seat" and watch the train tracks unfold in front of you. 

The airport is very peaceful. Flights are not announced and there are no blaring televisions. 

My only criticism is that when the flight was boarded, they then notified us of a one hour delay. In fact, the announcement was not clear at all. It sounded like a one hour delay, but then the hostess described it as a "slight delay".  But it was one hour. 

Now maybe they were hoping for a slot to come free, but if they knew it was going to be an hour, they should have left us in the airport lounge area.


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## so-crates (7 Jul 2009)

Not unusual in any airport though Brendan to board you in the hope of getting an earlier take off. Always a bit of a drag.


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## Brendan Burgess (7 Jul 2009)

I know it's not unusual, but I assumed that the main reason for doing it was that the airports are usually jammed and you need people to leave to make way for others.

There would be no need to do this in London City Airport as it was not jammed. 

Brendan


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## so-crates (7 Jul 2009)

True, I take your point there. 

Meant to add on the 5 seat rows, make sure you check into the ABC seats as the DEF are as cramped as the other rows.


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## Brendan Burgess (7 Jul 2009)

I was going to let CityJet know about the good comments they are getting here, but their website does not provide any email addresses to send such emails. 

Brendan


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## Oso (8 Jul 2009)

I once heard it said on the radio (by a pilot) that London City is one of the most dangerous airports in the world. The runway is extremely short and the area is built up. I remember thinking that can't be right...this is Europe after all.

Not too long after my BA flight crash landed at London City. Passengers were evacuated through the inflateable chute, The short runway had something to do with it. Planes have to land very heavily causing the wheels to collapse. After that incident did a bit of searching and found that identical problem was experienced just 9 days before my flight crash landed. And there have been other near misses.

You can just feel very harsh take-off and heavy landing when compared to heathrow/gatwick.


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## EvilDoctorK (8 Jul 2009)

Brendan said:


> I know it's not unusual, but I assumed that the main reason for doing it was that the airports are usually jammed and you need people to leave to make way for others.
> 
> There would be no need to do this in London City Airport as it was not jammed.
> 
> Brendan



Annoying when this happens but it's not necessarily due to the depature airport .. slot restrictions can relate to en route restrictions or destination airports ... As far as I know there's a big computer at Eurocontrol in Brussels that spits out slots for all the flights and airlines have to go with what it says ... if they get a bad slot it's still better to board up as if so then they can advise that they're ready to go earlier than their slot and very often they'll get an improved slot


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## paddy26 (10 Jul 2009)

I have found that LCY gets a bit crowded on busy days (ie Thurs and Fridays).  I often find if working in the City is is easier to fly to Gatwick (LGW) with either Ryanair or Aer Lingus and get the train 30 mins to London Bridge or London Blackfriars.  For LCY you need to get the DLR which takes as long


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## paddy26 (13 Jul 2009)

Brendan. If you go to Gatwick the over ground train costing £9 each way will bring you to London Bridge in 30 mins (Thats 1 stop from Southwark and also brings you to Green Park on the Jubilee).  The train goes to Gatwick every 30 mins.  Gatwick does not have the queues it used to and I changed from LCY to LGW for this reason. Might be worth a try.


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## Ceist Beag (17 Nov 2014)

I'm looking at a weekend to London in February but any flights coming back from London City to Dublin on a Sunday seem to be late evening only (around 6pm). Are there no early flights on a Sunday?


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## dereko1969 (17 Nov 2014)

Ceist Beag said:


> I'm looking at a weekend to London in February but any flights coming back from London City to Dublin on a Sunday seem to be late evening only (around 6pm). Are there no early flights on a Sunday?


 
No there aren't which is a little strange given there are now 3 operators on the route. I suppose it's due to the fact that it's primarily a business airport. I'm not sure of any flight time restrictions there but that could also be an issue.

EDIT: The airport only opens at 11.00 am on Sundays so that obviously reduces options.


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## Ceist Beag (17 Nov 2014)

Thanks Derek, looks like Stansted, Gatwick or Heathrow for the return leg so.


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## EvilDoctorK (17 Nov 2014)

Yes as Derek says hours at LCY are restricted at the weekend -  In fact the airport is closed to flights until 12:30 on Sunday ( the airport may open at 11.00 for passengers but no flights are allowed to leave between 12:30 on Saturday afternoon and 12:30 on Sunday morning )

Hence generally quite limited schedules at the weekend to the airport


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