MarJon

Yesterday I flew MIA->LHR->TLV. The schedule showed a 90 minute connection time. We arrived with 1 hour to departure gate closing. Flying WTP on the starboard side on a 747-V1, we were first out the door ahead of FC. I rushed from what was probably the farthest gate in T3 to the Shuttle Bus with a line backed up forever.... I explained to the person working the express line, forgot what it was called, that I should get in the regular line.... after being in the regular line for about 5 minutes and realizing that I might make the 3rd bus which would not arrive for over 30 minutes, I went back and talked to another person who after seeing my ticket allowed me into the express line. I was on the next bus and waited by the front door to be the first out.

Arrived T5 and ran to security, showed them my ticket which allowed me into the Fast Lane... To my surprise the security lines were almost non-existent. made it though there in about 10 minutes or so.... I've learned to take just about everything electrical out of their cases and put it into the tray. Since I've started doing this, my bag has not been flagged, causing another 15-30 wait for a hand/visual inspection.

I ran to the elevators for the train to the B gates. Got off the elevator and the train was about to take off.... I ran and just made it..... Ran off the train to the elevator to go back up to the gate level. Ran pass the lounge and to the gate, right into line and boarded with a minute or 2 to spare.

Made it to TLV, however my suitcase did not make it.... even with a priority tag.

If someone was traveling CW or even worse WT... they never would have made it....

How can BA expect someone to make this type of connection? 90 minutes is simply not realistic for T3 to T5 especially when the door closes 10 minutes or more earlier.

rossmacd

It sure is. Thousands of people do this every day successfully. I for one would hate to see the MCT between T3/T5 increase as it would only increase journey times. If anything, I would advocate a decrease, but I wouldn't be as strong on this as I am for my desire to reduce the T5-T5 MCTs, particularly DOM-INT or DOM-DOM.

scottishpoet

if your flight arrives on time 90 minutes is achievable.

It normally takes me 45 minutes from T3 to T5 and vice versa

Physci

Agreed - OP's real problem was his late incoming flight leaving only an hour for the connection.

corporate-wage-slave

Yes, similar for me too, in fact 45 minutes is at the top end of my timings, I have done it in under 30 minutes. This is a trip I would take at least once a week and is the timing from leaving the aircraft in T3, and completing security at T5. You wouldn't have been allowed into T5 security if you had no chance of making the flight.

So if we take that 45 minutes, we need to add in 10 minutes from T5 security to the gate, and then the fact that the gate can close 20 minutes before departure time (but not before). Therefore any T3 to T5 connection over 1 hour 15 minutes is eminently do-able. If we assume you get to the gate in 5 minutes and they don't close until T-10 minutes, then 1 hour is still possible, however at that point you are getting close to not being allowed through Security. I suspect the OP just scraped through that allowed timing.

The OP is right to ensure all liquids, computer, devices larger than a Kindle and all bunches of wires are removed during security checks. Not all of that is strictly necessary, but you need to consider whether the person monitoring your case can make logical sense of all the liquids, wires and electrics jumbled in your case.

klmml

It's a miserable experience transferring between T3 and T5, even under ideal circumstances. The security staff have terrible attitudes, there are queues everywhere, there are usually long walks in each terminal, and you are at the mercy of landing into and departing from a heavily slot-constrained airport.

T5 DOM to T3 international feels particularly unjust, having to clear security again - unless you get that flashy car transfer.

Needless to say, unless Ms. Klmml is in tow and wants to visit the lounges, I go via AMS or Scandinavia when connecting within the UK nowadays.

The _Banking_Scot

Hi,

It also sounded like there was a huge line at T3 Flight connections waiting for a bus to T5.


Regards

TBS

LCY8737

Or maybe the problem was booking a flight through LHR in the first place. If an airport has a 90 minute MCT that is a clear sign to avoid that airport.

Ldnn1

Airports don't have one MCT; it depends on the connection.

LHR intra-T5 is one hour. Would you avoid that?

T3<>T5 is 90 mins and as stated above is usually quite doable. It's by no means a great connection experience, for sure, and I can understand why people would choose an alternative if available. However many factors come into play when choosing flights and blanket avoiding a whole airport is not necessarily a great strategy.

Incidentally your 90-min rule effectively rules out any INT-DOM connection in the US, which somewhat limits options for those whose destination isn't a major gateway.

corporate-wage-slave

Yes, I didn't really understand that. The three sensible connection choices for MIA to TLV are LHR, MAD (IB) and EWR (United/El Al). We can therefore rule out EWR since the MCT is 2 hours. MAD is typically 1 hour, the same as LHR T5, but some connections are 90 minutes including some TLV connections. If one wanted to be adventurous one can look at places like FRA, AMS, CDG or JFK, but I really doubt this is improving the experience or necessarily the MCT.

If booking a connection close to MCT one knows the downside is a risky/hassle-some connection, the upside is that generally it works, as it did here, and the journey is completed quickly. Moreover at LHR one can simply opt for a longer connection due to the frequency of services, something you can't necessarily do elsewhere given their service frequencies.

MarJon

Yes, there was a long line.... When I fly T5-T5 with 90 minutes there is almost never a problem, unless the security lines are long.... and slow... and can sometimes even jump into the shower at Elemis....

Of all the airports I travel, T5 Terminal A has by far the worse and slowest security, doubly so if one's bag needs to be rechecked.

I've also have had problems in T5 to T5 when deplaned on the tarmac and bused to the terminal.....

90 minutes, if plane is on time (though really 70 with door closing early) may be doable for those of us who travel frequently and can get into a Fast Lane, but for 95% of the traveling public, 90 minutes are nearly impossible.

Never had a problem with IB in MAD..... Being a OW Sapphire, I'm really pretty stuck with BA.... or IB now that AA stopped PHL-TLV. I choose BA because of WTP which at least for the moment is lacking at IB....

If you are tight, be sure to ask for an "Expedited Transfer" card when you get off the plane....

-Jon

UKtravelbear

Yet hundereds if not thousands of people make it day in day out. Week in week out.

if it was becoming a major issue for BA - lots of mis-connects so lots of EU261 duty of care / compensation - then they likely would extend it but I can imagine the howls of protest from many on here if they did - especially those who think it is already too long.

MarJon

True True True

corporate-wage-slave

It's about 14,000 passengers a day from T3 to T5, on average, and I'd guess about half are on connections below 2 hours. Some will miss their connections, but generally it works.

MarJon

Are there any published numbers on missed connections?