Virgin Holidays tries out early check-in service at Gatwick

Gatwick twilight facility

Virgin Holidays tries out early check-in service at Gatwick

Report by LOUISELONGMAN

Report by LOUISELONGMAN

VIRGIN Holidays is testing an early check-in service at Gatwick in a bid to reduce queues at the airport.

The Twilight check-in service is designed for passengers living near Gatwick, allowing them to drop off luggage the night before, pick up their boarding passes and go straight through to the departure lounge on the day of their holiday.

Virgin Holidays will run the service for three months, after which it may become a permanent fixture at the airport.

Virgin Holidays director of sales and marketing Kathryn Street said: “It is very off-putting when you arrive at an airport to check in and there is a huge queue.

“If you live near Gatwick then you can drive to the airport, check your luggage in, and return the next day on public transport. It saves having to pay for parking and it also means people don’t have to queue.”

The service will be available at the dual-branded Virgin Atlantic/ Virgin Holidays check-in desk from 3.30pm to 9pm every day – hours when there are no Virgin Holidays flights.

Street said the service was primarily for leisure passengers who had booked with Virgin Holidays, but passengers flying with Virgin Atlantic wanting to use the service “would not be turned away”.

“It’s proved to be very popular so far, and judging by the number of our passengers who have already taken advantage of the scheme, we are confident it will become a permanent fixture,” said Street.

The operator has sent flyers to travel agents telling them about Twilight.