2:15 transfer time in Gatwick with checked luggage enough?

Question

For the whole picture: I am looking for an option to get from Oslo to Aberdeen in time to catch the 17:00 ferry to Kirkwall without having to spend a night somewhere on the way. I will likely not be able to be early enough at Oslo Airport to catch the 6:00 flight with a feasible transfer in Bergen, onward to Aberdeen.

Another option would be to fly to London Gatwick with a scheduled arrival 10:00 and continue with the 12:15 EasyJet flight to Aberdeen. I will have checked luggage. Is it realistic to have time for passport control (arriving on an international flight), pickup luggage, probably change terminals, check-in for the EasyJet flight, go through security and be in time at the gate with just 2 hours and 15 minutes between arrival and departure?

Edit: I didn't really mean this to be a question about other ways to get from Oslo to Aberdeen, but since people have started to suggest other alternatives, if anyone has an idea, that would of course also solve my problem. I am however planning to travel on December 29th and LoganAir does not have a direct route from Oslo to Aberdeen that day.

Other options I have considered:

• Flying from Oslo to Aberdeen via Stavanger with arrival 15:25. Since the ferry check-in closes at 16:30, that does not seem feasible.

• Flying from Oslo to Edinburgh and go by train to Aberdeen. There is a flight from Oslo arriving in Edinburgh 12:25, but since I would have to catch the 13:35 train from Edinburgh Haymarket to be in time in Aberdeen, that does also not seem feasible.

• British Airways has a connection via London departing Oslo 07:00 and arriving in Aberdeen 12:40. Going by public transport, I am however not able to be at the airport before 6:17 and will not likely catch that flight.

• The only other earlier flights from Oslo to Aberdeen are with KLM via Amsterdam and quite expensive.

• The only earlier flight from Oslo to Edinburgh is via London with arrival 12:20, which is not much better than the direct flight arriving 12:25 and I would here also have to start with the 7:00 flight to London, which I will not likely be able to catch.

• Flying all the way to Kirkwall instead of taking the ferry from Aberdeen. I wanted to avoid this option, since the LoganAir flights from the mainland to Kirkwall are very expensive.

• Taking the ferry from Scrabster to Stromness instead of Aberdeen-Kirkwall, but I can also find no way to get to Scrabster in one day by 18:30 to catch the last ferry departing 19:00.

Answer 1

Is it realistic to have time for ...

I give it a 50/50 chance. If all things go well, you can probably make it. At the gate at 10:00am, through immigration and customs by 10:45am, transfer to North Terminal, arriving at 11:00am, at the EZjet check in counter by 11:15am. Bag drop closes 40 minutes before departure, so 11:35am.

However, any hiccup will throw you off. Flight delay, weather, long line at passport control, slow or lost bags, taking a wrong turn or bus, long check in line, etc.

My personal minimum connection time for self transfer is 4 hours and more if immigration, customs, or terminal changes are required.

Given the very real risk missing the ferry that does not sound like a good plan.

Answer 2

While it will not be impossible to make the connection but there are many ways it can go wrong.

Several people here tell they will not self connect with less than 4 hours. I will not even do it with that much time but I avoid risk.

If you are willing to take the risk consider the options if you do miss your flight. Likely a new ticket at last minute price and still having to overnight somewhere.

If you can get a direct flight, as indicated by the other answer(s) and comments you will have an easier travel and less risk for an unexpected financial spike.

Answer 3

I’m surprised a regular user like you even asks the question.

Can you make it? Sure, if all goes well and you believe in Santa Claus, it should be pretty straightforward.

Will you make it? I wouldn’t bet much on it.

In normal circumstances the odds are already pretty bad. Even a small delay will cause you to miss your connection.

But you are telling us you want to do it December 29th. No no no. No way.

• it’s holiday season. Flights are full, which means more chances for delays. Airports are full, which means more chances for lengthy queues.

• it’s holiday season. Somehow people manage to bring on board twice their allowance, and on top of that, it’s probably cold, so they all have huge parkas. Overhead bins are full, they have to gate check stuff, delays, blah.

• it’s prime season for snow and ice. A little runway closure here, a small de-icing delay there…

• we’re still in post-Covid recovery. Summer was a meltdown. Hopefully this winter will be better, but would you bet on that?

• It’s holiday season: flights are full and expensive. If you miss your connecting flight, it could take a while to find a new flight, and it will cost you an arm and a leg. Alternative routes may not be easy to find either.

• It’s holiday season, which is Network Rail’s favorite time to perform track works and shut down lots of services with extremely poor alternatives. Less trains, more people on flights, more delays, less alternatives.

Hey, December 29th is a Thursday, it’s probably not the worst of the worst days for this. But still, I personally wouldn’t dream of booking this.