London City Airport - Worldwide Destinations
London City serves an ever increasing number of European destinations but what if you have to travel further afield? For many worldwide destinations the only direct option will be to fly from Heathrow, but as many people know flying from Heathrow can be a stressful experience. Very long queues for security and check-in are to be expected.
However, why not take advantage of the speed of check-in and security at London City and connect for your intercontinental flight at one of the better run major airports in Europe? Two popular options are flying to Amsterdam Schiphol (KLM) and Frankfurt (Lufthansa) and taking advantage of their international networks. SWISS also offer a number of connections via Zurich, it's not as convenient as the other options but sometimes they offer very competitive prices.
The benefits of starting at London City begin at check in. Smaller aircraft mean that there will be a lot less people to check in for your flight (e.g. most aircraft from London City seat 50 - 80 passengers, a Boeing 747 can seat over 400) this makes your check in experience quicker and more relaxed. Your luggage will be tagged for your onward journey so you won't have to wait in long queues at your connecting airport. After check in security usually takes less than 10 minutes so you can take it easy and relax with a beer or two before your flight.
My airport of choice for connections is Amsterdam Schiphol, it's the closest major airport served by London City and KLM has an extensive route network. Schiphol is also one of the easiest large airports to navigate; everything is contained in one terminal, all the gates are well signposted (in English), there's plenty of facilities to keep you occupied waiting for your flight and is generally less crowded than Heathrow.
Connecting at another airport such as Schiphol can seem an odd thing to do if you live in London considering Heathrow is just around the corner, but taking advantage of London City's quick check in and security can make your journey a lot less stressful. Less time in lines and more time relaxing or catching up on work.