jhm

Is there a definitive guide somewhere as to whether it's possible to go from one terminal airside to another terminal airside at LHR without clearing immigration ?

In particular, I'm curious whether I can go from T4 to T3 tomorrow (to access a lounge) but it would be useful if this was summarised somewhere (not in the Ultimate BA Guide as far as I can see...)

Thanks in advance!

AJLondon

AFAIK the only possibility, without "official help" is T1 <-> T2.

number_6

All 4 terminals at LHR are connected airside (by bus), however you must have a boarding pass for a flight departing from the terminal that you are trying to access. This makes lounge hopping between terminals impossible, foiling your plan at lounge sampling (but they really are mostly the same, and the T4 lounges are better than any of the T3 lounges except for the VS Clubhouse).

Globaliser

Where is this checked? Surely there must be many pax who do not have onward BPs and need to get them from the transfer desks after security in the FCC, in the transfer desk area near Gate 1 in T3, or in the transfer area on the arrivals level of T4? IIRC, all of these are accessed after you've transferred from the terminal at which you arrived.

BAAZ

I don't think you need a BP at any part of the process. I've just connected MUC-LHR // LHR-EDI (now sitting in the domestic lounge at LHR), admittedly all in T1 although that doesn't save you from a surprising amount of walking. 2 out of 8 security scanners open in the FCC .

Off plane from MUC, walk almost as far as passport control, turn left for FCC, security check, walk around to corridor to domestic side of T1 and through passport control (presumably wouldn't be one if I were connecting internationally?), walked over to departures, never had to show BP at all right up to when I entered the BA lounge.

Unless they check your BP on the airside buses you should be OK. And IIRC there was someone on here who had parked his car at T4, landed at T1 and used the FCC and airside transfer bus to save the schlep to and from the HEX, successfully and without an onward BP.

The Saint

They don't check BPs on the buses.

I can confirm that you can happily use the transfer buses like this. I have done it before going from T4 to T3. Was intending to go through FCC, but the queue was so horrendous when I arrived in T3 I went landside and then went through the main security. I did not have a BP as transferring to VS and picked one up from the main check-in desks.

Globaliser

That's correct. You only cross the immigration border if you're connecting from international to a domestic or Ireland flight.

jhm

Even if I can get from T4 (where I am at the moment) to T3, I understand from JPB that BAA's policy of lounge access at LHR only to those lounges in the terminal from which your flight departs probably overrides individual airlines' access anytime policies, e.g. LH Senator/SQ PPS access to LH/SQ lounges respectively ?

Globaliser

That's right. And the airline lounges are expected to enforce this themselves.

Terminal hopping is useful only for shopping or meeting people, really.

And showering in the FCC, if that's your only option.