THE pre-flight pint is something of a tradition for British holidaymakers, no matter what time they're at the airport.
Wetherspoons is arguably the most visited of the airport boozers, with bars in most of the country's big travel hubs.
Included in that is Gatwick Airport, where there are no fewer than three Spoons pubs, spread out across its two terminals.
So I thought I'd pop along to the airport for a little Gatwick Wetherspoon pub crawl to find the best place to kill time with a pre-flight pint or two.
The first Spoons that can be accessed at Gatwick is The Beehive, which is actually at the arrivals section of the South Terminal.
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Therefore, passengers don't need to pass through security before they can have a drink there, so it seemed like the best place to start.
Its clientele is typically made up of people using it as a meeting point before going through the security gates together for their holidays, while drivers coming to pick up friends and relatives also make use of its facilities.
However, in the evenings, it also serves a purpose for those staying in the airport hotels, but don't fancy forking out the increased prices found at their bars and restaurants.
The bar is named after the original terminal building, which was the world’s first-ever circular airport terminal when it opened in 1936.
The art deco-style earned it the nickname "the beehive" and the Spoons pub has plenty of nods to it in its decor.
Honeycomb-shaped tiling and fixtures throughout the bar provide a playful reminder, while the bar itself is circular much like the original terminal building.
Around me, extended families and friends were gathering for a drink and a fry up breakfast before heading through security and on to their early summer breaks, filling me with envy.
I enjoyed my first pint of the day in their company, while plotting my route to the other two pubs.
Ordinarily, people wouldn't be able to take in all three in one go - the other two pubs are airside, meaning passengers need to pass through security gates to reach them.
However, Spoons arranged for me to try out all three in one day, something I happily made the most of.
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My next port of call was the Flying Horse, whose name is a nod to the old racecourse which used to be on site before it closed down in 1940. The airport expanded onto the land soon after.
This pub had a more relaxed atmosphere than the excitable energy of The Beehive and is typically the quieter of the three Spoons pubs found at Gatwick.
This is due to its location, airside in the South Terminal, with passengers heading to party destinations typically served by airlines that use the North Terminal.
However, it was still buzzing with groups of people looking forward to their trips away, filling up with food and drinks before making their way to their planes.
A recent refurbishment has given the pub an updated look, while there are also plenty of decorative nods at the racecourse from where it takes its name.
What's more its position in the terminal, upstairs, right at the back, takes you away from the frenetic stream of people running to catch their flights or searching for last minute duty-free bargains, providing a moment of calm for those who need it.
My beer went down nice and smoothly within its laid back atmosphere, before I moved on to my final of the three boozers.
The Red Lion in the North Terminal is the first of the three bars to have been added to Gatwick and the biggest of them all.
Yet during the summer holidays families, stag and hen parties, couples heading out for minibreaks and solo travellers all line up alongside one another through the terminal to get a table in the pub.
It's easily spotted with both a huge Red Lion sign and a Wetherspoon branded arch showing off its location.
Its tables and chairs spill out from the main section of the pub into subsequent seating areas, meaning those queueing often aren't waiting too long to get their pre-flight refreshments.
Here I had my third pint, coupled with an all day brunch of sausages, eggs, chips and beans - truly taking in the full pre-flight Spoons experience.
Of course the prices are a little higher at the airport Wetherspoon than you'd expect to find on the high street, but they're still more competitive than you'll find at other establishments in the terminal.
The price of a pint still starts below £5, with the cheapest starting at £4.95. The most expensive is £7.40.
What's more, they're pretty reliable with the quality of the service and food comparable to the typical Wetherspoons experience, so you know exactly what you're getting.
So, well fed and three beers deep, I headed for the exits, jealous of those around me fuelling up for their well-deserved holidays.
But, with a couple of flights from Gatwick planned for the not-too-distant future, I look forward to stopping by once again very soon.
My favourite of the three was the Flying Horse, with it's more chilled atmosphere and calmer location a winner for a pre-flight drink.
Meanwhile, this is how you can save money on airport food.
And this is why you should always buy airport food instead of bringing your own.
