Destination sign at Gatwick

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Saethon
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Destination sign at Gatwick

Post by Saethon »

Hi all,

been to the island before but never flying with BA from Gatwick.

Upcoming trip is a birthday surprise for "her indoors" & - thus far! - she still doesn't know where we're going. My plan is to keep it a secret as long as possible so...question:

Since BA flies via Antigua, what am I going to see on the depature board &/or gate signs for the flight at Gatwick: "Antigua" - "Tobago" - or "Tobago via Antigua"?

Anyone who can remember & is in Castara around the end of March, there's a Carib waiting for you at The Boathouse!!

Cheers,
david
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Steve Wooler
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Re: Destination sign at Gatwick

Post by Steve Wooler »

Hello David

Welcome aboard! :D

Having taken that very flight last Friday morning, I am embarrassed to say that I can't quite remember what the board said. I am absolutely sure, however, that it mentioned both Antigua and Tobago. My best recollection is "BA2157 Tobago via Antigua". With so many flights on the boards, you should have no trouble keeping the destination secret right until you get to the departure gate though. Good luck and what a lovely surprise.

Must admit that this was the first time I've flown with BA for around 20 years. However, it was a comfortable flight with reasonable food and good service. Going via Antigua is a total pain in the backside though. Sitting on the ground for an hour is nobody's idea of fun. Around 75% of all the passengers got off at Antigua, which is such a crying shame, particularly given that flying in there reminds one how flat and arid an island it is compared to Tobago.
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Saethon
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Re: Destination sign at Gatwick

Post by Saethon »

Hi Steve,
Ok ...well, sorry no Carib waiting for you ;)

Good to know the flight was good. I have heard some say they only were on the ground at Antigua for 20 minutes??

Going back has got to be a pain though!
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Re: Destination sign at Gatwick

Post by Steve Wooler »

I no longer have my itinerary, but I have a vague recollection that the total time on-ground in Antigua is scheduled at 1hr 10mins.

Sorry, I'll pass on the Carib because the bubbles go up my nose. Now, if you had offered the man's beer, Stag, it would have been a different story. :lol: Only joking. Sounds like we shall miss by a few days.
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Ronald
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Re: Destination sign at Gatwick

Post by Ronald »

Both ticket and sign does show Tobago via Antigua, as there´s also might be a flight to Trinidad the same morning, but via an other island.

But now a days, as everything is in the computers, you can´t get on wrong flight. However, make sure you go to right airport at Gatwick, if it´s the same as when I´d go down in November last year, it´s Gatwick North.

And as Steve say, mostly get off i Antigua, it must be because of:
1-cheaper stay there and
2-shorter flight time, as Tobago has more to offer re nature.

Flight time Gatwick North - Antigua, 8 hours 45 min, the stop last about 1 hour
Flight time Antigua - Tobago, 1 hour 25 min

But when I return, the flight does not go directly to England, it also goes via Antigua!
But I have had a direct flifght some years, but not this year, so if you have same kind of ticket as me;
Flight time Tobago - Antigua, 1 hours 20 min, the stop last about 1 hour
Flight time Antigua - Gatwick North, 7 hours 50 min

Just as information, Tobago did get only 60% of the normally rain during the wet season, therefore many areas has BIG problem with the water supply.
But I believe it´s mostly in the south, as more peoples live here and mostly hotels are here too. Did read that some hotel was using buckets to take water from their pool to flush the toilets!! Many guests are leaving the hotels because of that, the hotels ge water by trucks but not regulary, and it´s costly too.

In some reason, I doesn´t see ANY hotel conserving the rain? I´m an engineer, as as such I simply can´t understand why they have such a POOR knowledge about conserving water, wich are free!
They only have to clean it a little bit in 2-3 steps, and the tecnique is aviable word wide. It mayby is the same old story "we do´t do like this here", I have heard myself many times when I suggest a better way to do things.

Myself stay into an apartment not far from the airport, but I´ve been into such problems before, so I have "my own water reserv" as pipe water is not aviable during the day, and not for so many hours during the night eigter.
The family I stay by is BIG, so they have many buffer tanks, but when all washing machines are in use, these tanks become empty quite quickly!
I have 5 litre buckets into the shower area with water for "shower" and a an extra 5 litres sealed for drinking/cooking.
In the fridge I have at least 20 bottles for soft drink filled with water, so I manage myself in a good way, but I feel sorry for these who are into this area with kids, they need more water than I need.
During night I fill all again and I often take my "evening or morning" shower in the night, when everyone is sleeping!

But the sun is shining and everything else is normal, and Cold Carib are still for sale!
Saethon
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Re: Destination sign at Gatwick

Post by Saethon »

Thanks Ronald.......I'm not at all worried about missing the flight ;)
Only *almost* happened once. Many moons ago I was taking a hop from Sint Maarten to a nearby island & believed it was with WinAir but, as I got on the plane I checked my boarding pass to see what seat and noticed it was for a LIAT flight!!!!
In those days all the planes parked within walking distance of the terminal and you were not "escorted".
Could have been interesting.....& expensive lol
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Re: Destination sign at Gatwick

Post by Steve Wooler »

Reminds me of my first visit to India, back in the mid-80s. Having cleared another passengers chickens off our lap, we got off the plane at Jodphur. We were supposed to be getting off at the next stop, Jaipur. (Might have been the other way around).

While waiting for our luggage, I tried to find the guide who was to meet us. Couldn't find him/her. Eventually I asked someone. They looked at our paperwork and pointed out the obvious. Fortunately, the plane had a minor problem and was still on the tarmac. I've never felt so silly as walking down the central aisle back to our seats. Everyone staring at us as if we were the reason for the delay. I would like to say the chickens kept our seats warm, but that might make you question a true story.

Actually, the story got weirder. Before dinner that evening, we headed to the cocktail bar in our magnificent palace hotel. I met this really lovely guy at the bar. We spent well over an hour chatting - the usual idle touristy stuff about travelling and sightseeing in India. Went back the next evening and he was there with some other people.He invited us to join his table. It soon became obvious that they were film and/or theatre related. It was only after we went to dinner that we discovered that he was Omar Sharif. They were there filming Far Pavilions. Invited us to the set in a fabulous fort next day. What an amazingly nice guy he was.

What's this got to do with destination signs I hear you asking?
Steve Wooler
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