Flights, Transit, all that jazz through Gatwick

[Prizm123 1,084]

The flight we are looking at takes her from Kyiv-Copenhagen (no visa requirement)-London Gatwick (which would require a VISA if she were to visit)-Austin where I will drive to meet her. Does anyone have any experience specifically at London Gatwick? Arrivals/departures both international, so I am pretty sure she won't need a transit visa since she will have her K1, I guess my concern is that the connection is 1:55 and I am wondering if this will be enough time. The arrival and departure are both on the same airline, and if there would be somewhere she could get assistance? I looked at the map and it looks pretty big and sort of confusing and I dont want her to miss the flight and I know she will have to go through security. Her English is still at a beginner level, we can have conversations in English, but she tends to get nervous and maybe overwhelmed.

[Eva_AJ 80]

Hi  I am planning to flight with this one too! (Prague-Gatwick-Austin). 1:55 should be enough, I had the same time in changing connection in Atlanta (while going through customs) and it was more than enough! Airports are usually dumb-proof and there is someone she can ask everywhere! Maybe have her writing down some sentences on the paper so she can just point on them while trying to get instruction? Like my flight is blah bla bla, my terminal is...where should I go? Something like that! Airport staff are used to dealing with non-English speakers and they can navigate her. London is very multicultural city, she will be fine. I always tend to finding "my own" people in places like that, she might meet someone on her flight who could help her as well!

 

I am not sure about the visa though...I know for example in US, even if you are just changing planes in USA, you have to have visa for it. Let's say you are flying London - Atlanta - Montreal, you have to have US tourist visa even if you are just staying at the airport. Her K1 is good for US but not UK. Luckily I am EU citizen so didnt have to deal with that. I would def look that up and I am sure on here would be someone from Ukraine to help you out! 

[GP1977 288]

8 hours ago, Prizm123 said:

The flight we are looking at takes her from Kyiv-Copenhagen (no visa requirement)-London Gatwick (which would require a VISA if she were to visit)-Austin where I will drive to meet her. Does anyone have any experience specifically at London Gatwick? Arrivals/departures both international, so I am pretty sure she won't need a transit visa since she will have her K1, I guess my concern is that the connection is 1:55 and I am wondering if this will be enough time. The arrival and departure are both on the same airline, and if there would be somewhere she could get assistance? I looked at the map and it looks pretty big and sort of confusing and I dont want her to miss the flight and I know she will have to go through security. Her English is still at a beginner level, we can have conversations in English, but she tends to get nervous and maybe overwhelmed.

2 hours should be more than enough time. i would check worst case scenario and lets say her departure out of kyiv or copenhagen is late.. are there other same day flights to get her back to austin.  It's more of being prepared in case the worst happens with 2 connecting flights.  The last thing you want to have happen is for her not to be able to leave the airport and be stuck inside the airport for 24 hours or more hours.

I would also check on the transit visa requirement.  I know that some countries say a transit visa is not required if you have a valid visa to the US (i know germany is this way) but each country has a completely different set of rules.

 

[DaveAndAnastasia 2,078]

6 hours ago, GP1977 said:

2 hours should be more than enough time. i would check worst case scenario and lets say her departure out of kyiv or copenhagen is late.. are there other same day flights to get her back to austin. 

Going by Rome2Rio, there's one two hours later from Heathrow (on a different airline), but generally connections from Europe to anywhere but the largest cities in the US from the largest cities in Europe are once a day at best, and often only a few days a week.

Edited May 10, 2019 by DaveAndAnastasia

[payxibka 10,044]

14 hours ago, Prizm123 said:

The flight we are looking at takes her from Kyiv-Copenhagen (no visa requirement)-London Gatwick (which would require a VISA if she were to visit)-Austin where I will drive to meet her. Does anyone have any experience specifically at London Gatwick? Arrivals/departures both international, so I am pretty sure she won't need a transit visa since she will have her K1, I guess my concern is that the connection is 1:55 and I am wondering if this will be enough time. The arrival and departure are both on the same airline, and if there would be somewhere she could get assistance? I looked at the map and it looks pretty big and sort of confusing and I dont want her to miss the flight and I know she will have to go through security. Her English is still at a beginner level, we can have conversations in English, but she tends to get nervous and maybe overwhelmed.

Your going to make her do 4 hops?  

[TBoneTX 43,021]

He wants a very, very hoppy fiancee, si man.

[WeGuyGal 1,052]

14 hours ago, Eva_AJ said:

 

I am not sure about the visa though...I know for example in US, even if you are just changing planes in USA, you have to have visa for it. Let's say you are flying London - Atlanta - Montreal, you have to have US tourist visa even if you are just staying at the airport. Her K1 is good for US but not UK. Luckily I am EU citizen so didnt have to deal with that. I would def look that up and I am sure on here would be someone from Ukraine to help you out! 

Transit 'C' visa

[Prizm123 1,084]

4 hours ago, payxibka said:

Your going to make her do 4 hops?  

yeah, we both want her to come to Austin as her Point of Entry so I can meet her at the airport, she did not want to go through Miami or Chicago  or New York or LAX or any of the others.

 

11 hours ago, GP1977 said:

I would also check on the transit visa requirement.  I know that some countries say a transit visa is not required if you have a valid visa to the US (i know germany is this way) but each country has a completely different set of rules. 

she would qualify for direct airside transit exemption because she has the US visa and will not be passing through passport control and will not be rechecking her luggage

 

Edited May 11, 2019 by Prizm123

[Prizm123 1,084]

18 hours ago, Eva_AJ said:

Hi  I am planning to flight with this one too! (Prague-Gatwick-Austin). 1:55 should be enough, I had the same time in changing connection in Atlanta (while going through customs) and it was more than enough! Airports are usually dumb-proof and there is someone she can ask everywhere! Maybe have her writing down some sentences on the paper so she can just point on them while trying to get instruction? Like my flight is blah bla bla, my terminal is...where should I go? Something like that! Airport staff are used to dealing with non-English speakers and they can navigate her. London is very multicultural city, she will be fine. I always tend to finding "my own" people in places like that, she might meet someone on her flight who could help her as well!

 

I am not sure about the visa though...I know for example in US, even if you are just changing planes in USA, you have to have visa for it. Let's say you are flying London - Atlanta - Montreal, you have to have US tourist visa even if you are just staying at the airport. Her K1 is good for US but not UK. Luckily I am EU citizen so didnt have to deal with that. I would def look that up and I am sure on here would be someone from Ukraine to help you out! 

when is your flight? if it is before June 10-11 you can tell your experience in gatwick!