TomorMatt

I am flying into LHR from Germany a few hours before my daughter arrives LHR from the USA. I am arriving in T2 and she is arriving in T3. I have been and through LHR many times, but never had to think about the logistics of getting into terminals unrelated to my travel. It seems like passengers arriving are kept separate from departures between terminals. She has not been to LHR and I would really like to meet her at the gate or at least before customs.

My question is how / where can we meet. I can buy a refundable ticket for a flight in T3, but I am not sure that actually helps if the arrivals are kept separately until customs. If you arrive in T3 and have a connecting flight in T3 do you have to go through passport controls? Do you get routed to the same exit if you want to leave T3 after checking in? I may not be explaining this very well, but please let me know any suggestions. If meeting in T3 is not possible, where are good places to meet beyond customs?

Swanhunter

I can't think of any easy way of doing that. Buying a ticket for T3 and using flight connections with get you into the departures area not arrivals, so that would then require you to self land which is a further pain.

Really much easier to meet landside.

stut

Landside at T3, there's a Caffe Nero on the right as you come out, just the other side of the ramp down to the Tube. It's a decent place to meet. T2 to T3 is an easy, multi-travelatored, underground walk.

http://maps.heathrow.com/index.php?z...nce_restaurant

As Swanhunter says, there's no easy way to do this. Departures and arrivals are strictly segregated so, although you could go to the gate, your daughter would be funnelled away directly to immigration. To leave T3, you'd have to ask for an escort, and I'm not sure you would be allowed to wait on the airside of immigration.

If you did end up going through immigration together, and you showed up on a flight record into a different terminal, they could give you a hard time, too (if you're non-EEA).

David-A

Customs or immigration? - I assume you actually mean before immigration as customs is a totally trivial matter. But not that it makes any difference, as you will not be able to get there either.

She is clearly old enough to fly by herself, so she is old enough to manage in an airport. Airports are safe places, with lots of signs and staff who are conscious there may be people who are concerned, etc.

(If she is younger, and being escorted by the airline, someone will be with her until she is signed over to you landside at the airlines desk).

Meet landslide in T3 arrivals area.

Arriving passengers are kept separate from departing passengers full stop. The only people who get back into a departure lounge without going landslide are people who are connecting, but:

Yes, if it is a domestic. No if it is international. But you will go through security again.

It needs to be manually arranged, it is not just a question of following signs.

It is impossible. (Well, the only way it could work would be if you BOTH got onward tickets out of the same terminal. Say T3, but it doesn't matter. Then you would both end up airside in the same terminal departure lounge. If international, neither of you would go through immigration - but you would both have gone through another security check.

But this would be a terrible idea. Far more opportunity to get lost, far more complicated procedures. What about both your luggage, sitting on the belt. And if yours is in T2 you would not be able to go back and get it. More requests to staff.

In fact, this oddness would be far more likely to attract attention when you do eventually hit the border - which would be escorted by a staff member.


I've no idea how old she is, but it will be fine. If there are grounds for concern, inform the airline vulnerable person etc - just make sure they don't insist upon a carer if that is the problem.

does she have a phone? do you have one? text her when you land. She can turn her phone on when she lands. Text her when you get to T3 arrivals too.

If there is any problem at immigration, someone will come to see you landslide, or phone you, etc.

TomorMatt

Thanks for the information. My daughter is 17 and is well traveled, but was a bit apprehensive about a 10 hour flight alone followed by navigating immigration. That said, if meeting was not possible I had told her that she could just call me when she landed and I could walk her through getting landside. I fly to and through LHR often and always on American so I can talk her through just about every turn by memory. I am pretty sure she could navigate by following the signage, but she is a bit reserved and does not like to ask for help so I was trying to guard against her getting overwhelmed.

I am going to take the suggestion of setting a meeting point at Caffe Nero in case we get disconnected after she lands, but am pretty sure everything will be fine. Thanks again fro the helpful suggestions.

rollingdeep

Just tell her to follow the people getting off the plant - 98% of them will be heading out of the airport. If she doesnt like to ask she can just follow.

BearX220

I see no way for OP to reach his daughter between the aircraft and immigration -- arriving passengers are sterile -- and I see no point in making a ruckus to try to join her in the baggage hall, post-immigration; in fact that request could raise unwanted security scrutiny. And anyway if she walks another few seconds through the green lane she'll find you in the T3 landside arrivals hall.

The whole experience is designed for people like her -- even those who can't read English.

Typically those genuinely too young to sort the process for themselves get an airline minder as unaccompanied minors, and others are -- safely -- on their own.

Best thing is to hover at T3 baggage hall exit point, as you won't be able to miss her.

Swanhunter

At T3 in the morning? A lot lower than 98% but the signage is very clear for arriving passengers,

BearX220

Sure -- all she needs to know is to avoid the purple "Flight Connections" signs and she can't help but end up in the proper place.

rwoman

To add, ensure your daughter has the address for where you're staying in London. Assuming she has a non-EU/EEA passport, this information will be required for the Landing Card she'll need to fill out for coming into the UK.

rollingdeep

Depends exactly what time - but if it is when a lot of the US and South African planes land probably will be about right. However I never really pay that close attention - safe to say there will be a lot of people going out through immigration to make it easy enough.

NewbieRunner

Signs to follow are "Arrivals" and "Baggage reclaim". She can't go wrong.