10 ways to get into the festive spirit with Gatwick Airport

The festive offerings include giveaways, seasonal snacks and drinks, and family-friendly events.

The event coincides with the restart of easyJet flights from Gatwick to both Rovaniemi and Kittila in Lapland, Finland – the former particularly popular for visits to Santa Claus Village.

If you’re flying from Gatwick in December, or considering your next trip, here are 10 ways to get into the holiday spirit:

1. Tuck into festive food and drink

Many of the food and beverage outlets across Gatwick’s North Terminal have wasted no time in getting festive with their menu options.

Sit down with a festive cocktail (or mocktail) at premium restaurant and bar, Juniper and Co, or tuck into a festive feast pizza at Sonoma or choc-nut churros at Tortilla.

For a quick snack, there’s an excellent selection of mince pies and festive vegan hot chocolates at Pure, while Pret has its usual range of delicious festive sandwiches and you can pick up an eggnog latte from Starbucks too.

2. Give the gift of duty-free

One of the best things about spending time at an airport is the shopping experience!

With numerous brands under one roof – and those oh-so-tempting duty-free prices – it’s the perfect chance to pick up a gift for a loved one.

At Gatwick, renowned toy store Hamleys is offering £5 off when you spend £30, while if you buy a pair of shades from Sunglass Hut you can treat yourself to a second pair with 30% off.

World Duty Free is offering £5 a £75 spend and you can nab two complimentary Miniature Candles when you pre-order a Jo Malone London 100ml Cologne online and then collect in-store before you fly.

3.Win, win, win

‘Tis the season of giving – but if we’re honest, it’s nice to get a little something for ourselves too! Thanks to Gatwick’s fantastic shops and restaurants, there are some great giveaways at the airport this month.

Whether you’re visiting Gatwick or not, you can enter the prize draw to win one of three luxury hampers, with prizes including lounge passes, Ted Baker suitcases from Case Luggage, a signed copy of Richard Osman’s ‘The Thursday Murder Club’, Premium Security passes, a £70 Wagamama gift card and plenty more prizes to be won over the event.

In the airport itself, Hamleys will be running fun games and competitions to take part in, including ‘land the reins on the reindeer’ and a fun fishing game.

4.Once upon a time…

Keep the little ones entertained while you take advantage of the festive shopping offers by taking them to a book reading in the kids’ play area where, on select days in December.

They can enjoy a reading of Peppa’s Christmas Unicorn, The Dinosaur That Pooped Christmas, and We’re Going On A Present Hunt.

You’ll then be able to take advantage of a buy one get one half price offer on children’s books in-store.

5.Nab a freebie

If you’re visiting Gatwick with the family in December, you might be able to pick up some handy freebies to keep the kids busy while you wait to jet off.

On select days in December, colouring sheets, colouring pencils, stickers and hats will be handed out by staff – so there’s no stress if the iPad battery dies!

6.Snap a selfie

After you’ve finished your shopping and refuelled with Gatwick’s festive treats, be sure to stop by the new addition to the North Terminal departure lounge, the Happy Holidays Flower Wall.

Snap a selfie (or should we say ‘elfie’), share it on Instagram with #LGWFestiveFun and be in with a chance of winning a £50 shopping voucher to spend on your next visit to the airport.

7.Jet off on the ultimate festive adventure

Get into the festive spirit in style by catching a flight to the home of Santa Claus himself – Lapland!

As of the 1st of December, you and the family can jet off from Gatwick to Rovaniemi in Finland and visit Santa Claus Village, where you’ll find Santa Claus Office, Santa Claus Main Post Office, Christmas House, Mrs Santa Claus’ Christmas Cottage and enjoy reindeer rides.

From here, you can also see the spectacular Northern Lights and try husky sledding.

8.Bratwurst and beverages at Europe’s Christmas markets

Is it truly Christmas unless you’ve strolled around a selection of log cabins, perusing homemade wares, nibbling on a bratwurst, while warming your hands around a cup of hot chocolate?

Fortunately, from Gatwick you can jet off to a number of fantastic European destinations to visit their Christmas markets, including Berlin, Copenhagen, Tallinn, Basel, Barcelona and Florence.

9.Plan your 2022 getaway

The new year is just around the corner, so it’s a great time to start planning your next big adventure. And at Gatwick, there are some exciting new and returning destinations to choose from.

Flights to New York, Orlando and Tampa have recently restarted, while Bangkok becomes a new addition later this month, as well as the return of daily flights to Dubai. And from May, flights will operate from Gatwick to Quebec in Canada.

10.We’re going on a bear hunt…

As you wander round the airport, keep your eyes peeled to see if you can spot our elusive furry friend, Gary Gatwick.

The fun-loving bear is always posting his adventures on Instagram as he explores different parts of the airport.

And if you miss out on spotting Gary Gatwick, you might bump into the Hamleys bear instead, who will be making appearances throughout December.

If you snap any pictures of yourself enjoying the event, please send them to: [email protected]