LHR Terminal 5 passageways - a pictorial guide for departing passengers
Note: A similar guide exists for arriving passengers, to be found here:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...assengers.html
Overview
LHR Terminal 5 has 3 buildings, the main terminal often known as T5A plus 2 two smaller terminal buildings which are generally known as T5B and T5C. You can only enter airside from T5A, which is the home to check-in, arrivals, main Flight Connection and the main lounges. All domestic flights leave from T5A, as do many European shorthaul flights. Longhaul generally, but not consistently, leaves from T5B - which has a Galleries Club lounge - and T5C, which has no lounge.
The usual way to get between these building is with the transit, a tram like people carrier. This runs at regular intervals from T5A to T5B and then T5C for departing passengers, arriving passengers will travel in the reverse direction to the UK Border and Flight Connections. But there is an alternative, known as the Transit Walkway. To avoid confusion with the transit process, it is referred to here as the passageway.
There are 2 parallel sets of passageways that sit below the transit level, which allows passenger to travel on foot between T5A, T5B and T5C.
One southern passageway is allocated for departing passengers - which is the focus of this thread. There is a separate northern passageway for arriving passengers. Though there are similarities, this is not handled in this thread. [One minor exception: if you arrive into T5B or T5C with an onwards connection from T5, AND you clear Flight Connections in T5B or T5C, then after that stage this thread is relevant, or you can use the transit to go from T5B to T5C].
Why use the passageway?
- Unlike the transit, it allows you to get between T5A, T5B, T5C and back again with ease. The transit returns passengers to the UK border, and is not set up to allow you to stay airside. So if you are in the departure area of T5B or T5C and want to return to T5A departures, your best bet is to use the passageway.
- It's good exercise.
- It's a quiet and cool place to collect your thoughts away from crowds of people.
- It's generally quicker to T5B than the transit.
- You can hedge your bets: if you are on the transit platform and there appears to be delays / too many people, you can get to the passageway directly down some steps at the end of the platform (see next post).
- In some ways it is more reliable to time your stay in T5A more precisely, particularly if you have Flounge or CCR access and you want to maximise your time there. The transits occasionally have long gaps between services, particularly in the morning. Walking takes more or less the same time, every time.
- Though there is a lot of detail here, it isn't complicated. So long as you are in the right lift to get to the passageway everything else is more or less intuitive and clearly signed.
Arguments for not using the passageways
- If you have luggage you may find the distance uncomfortable, particularly to T5C.
- The transits can be quicker.
- The enclosed spaces, eariness and slightly subdued announcements may be offputting or even scary to some people, perhaps children too.
- It was never designed to be the main way of getting between buildings, it's not as user friendly as the transits
- You need to know how to use the lifts, particularly in T5B.
- There are 4 moving walkways between T5A and T5B, a further 2 between T5B and T5C. These cover about half the distance. I've never seen all of them working, for example on 20 May 2014, 3 were out of service. The walkways in the passageway only go outbound to T5C, returning to T5A you have to walk the whole way.
Timings
I have done a number of timed tests on this (the wide variation on transit times reflects the potential gaps in service). I am 40 something, possibly in better health than many people my age. I also carry my life on my back, not on wheels, I don't do checked luggage; there again I didn't have the spousal and filial units in tow. I also know Terminal 5 very well. So bearing in mind these factors you may need to adjust these timings accordingly:
From T5A South Lounges Complex, by exit to Flounge, using the lifts.
- To T5B by transit - minimum = 6 minutes, maximum = 21 minutes, reasonable average = 11 minutes.
- To T5B by passageway = 7mins 30 seconds
From T5A South Lounges
- To T5C by transit - minimum = 8 minutes, maximum 24 minutes, reasonable average = 14 minutes.
- To T5C by passageway = 10 minutes 30 seconds.
From T5B to T5C or vice versa
- by passageway = 4 minutes 30 seconds.
"Staff Only"
Some lift buttons for the passageway still say "Staff Only", even though the passageways internally are signed for general passengers. Furthermore they were recently fitted with moving walkways, relevant to the passenger direct of travel. In the other direction HAL is clearly trying to encourage people to use the walkways to relieve the pressure on the transits, nevertheless the lifts there still say "staff only". So I believe it is safe to ignore these outdated signs in the lift, not least because in other places such as the staircase there are clear signs pointing passengers to the passageway.