£4 to Gatwick sounds great… but would you trust it before a 1pm flight?

For £4 each for 9 people, I totally get the temptation.

On paper, arriving 9:30am for a 1pm flight is loads of time. Even your 11am “latest arrival” target still gives you a decent cushion.

The only real risk is London traffic. Stratford to Gatwick can be smooth… or it can randomly not be. Even if it’s “direct,” it’s still at the mercy of the roads. FlixBus itself isn’t usually the issue, it’s traffic and knock on delays from earlier runs.

Personally, for an international flight with 9 people and luggage, I’d want a bit more margin just for peace of mind. If that 8:20 bus gets stuck and arrives 10:45 or 11, suddenly everyone’s stressed.

That said, 8:20am isn’t peak rush hour chaos and you do technically have buffer.

If it were just me with hand luggage, I’d risk it. With 9 people and checked bags, I’d at least have a backup plan in mind.