pandazzz

I'm attending a wedding right near the British Museum at 14:00. Due to some flight issues I'm considering flying into LHR from the US earlier that day. It looks like the Heathrow Express will get me to the venue from LHR in 1 hour. Does anyone know how long it will take to clear customs? I don't plan to travel with more than a small bag for the short trip.

UAPremExecflyer

Your question is unanswerable.
And you don't seem to have your facts straight.
You don't say what time your "earlier" flight arrives into LHR.
You don't say what day of the week you are arriving?
You don't say if you are flying premium (business or first) and therefore could take advantage of Fast Track immigration.
You don't say what passport you are carrying (though if from NY, should one assume US)?
The longest potential wait will be at immigration - not customs.
Also, the Heathrow Express (HEX) will take 15 mins to Paddington Station.
The Tube (underground) could take an hour.
Depending on the day of the week, the time of day, the class of service you are flying, the passport you are carrying, you could be waiting an hour, or you could be through in ten mins.

Gagravarr

If you don't look dodgy, and aren't needing to declare anything, you will walk through customs at Heathrow (or pretty much any UK or EU airport) without stopping. Time from baggage claim to exiting customs is normally under 2 minutes, quicker if you walk fast!

The things you should probably consider are the times for immigration (passport control), and the times for checked baggage claim. Without knowing your nationality and your flight times, not a lot we can do to help advise you on those...

Analise

Customs isn't your issue; immigration is. They are not the same.

No one can predict how long immigration will take; that depends upon how many people are in front of you and how many officers are working at the day & time you are there. As was said already, you also don't say if you can take advantage of Fast Track.

As for taking the Tube from Paddington, if it's a weekend, there could be diversions that add to your trip to the British Museum.

UKtravelbear

The Picadilly line will get you from LHR to Holborn station - closest to the BM - in less than an hour.

The HEX isn't always quicker and add often unnecessary complications to many trips to central London.

pandazzz

Sorry, as many posters have pointed out, I omitted some important information. This would be Monday July 3, landing from USA in J with a US passport with no checked bags, and attempting to get to the British Museum at 14:00.

I have not booked yet, but am considering MSP-LHR on DL landing at 12:15; do you think I'd be able to make it? (I was leaning no previously, but was not aware of Fast Track, which looks promising.)

UKtravelbear

I honestly don't think you would make it.

You would have only 1 hr 45 mins from scheduled landing until you have to be at the BM. It would take very little to derail you off that schedule. Yes you could land early and get some extra time but you could also land late and then miss the wedding.

If at all possibe try and get flight that arrives earlier to give you a better cushion. Assuming you stay in J on DL/VS it would mean that you'd be able to freshen up at revivals before heading to the wedding and have a bigger cushion

Calchas

I think this would be unwise.

On a good day for a person with an EU passport who knows his way intimately through the system and through London, this will work smoothly.

But a small delay anywhere will really eat into your timing.

You probably don't want to be late to a wedding (it's quite awkward, particularly if you arrive as the bride is about to enter).

Weddings in the UK usually require either morning dress or if you are not part of the wedding party, at least a formal business suit/pretty dress: either is probably not the best thing to sleep in on a plane. So you'll probably want a few minutes to get changed, assuming that is the dress code. Even if this is a very relaxed ceremony, personally, I would only turn up to a wedding in the clothes I'd slept in as a calculated sign of disrespect.

[On the flip side, if your option is either be possibly late, or not turn up at all, then I am sure most people would prefer to have you late. ]

flatlander

You're very unlikely to make that. You have 1h45m from your proposed scheduled arrival time to get to the wedding.

What will scupper your idea is the size of T3 and the variable immigration time: At T3, there are some long piers; you can easily spend over 10 minutes simply walking from the door of the aircraft to the back of the immigration queue, and that's if you walk fast. The immigration queue, while it will probably not be too long at that time of day is likely to take you 20 minutes or so if immigration has nothing against you. It will take a further 10 minutes to walk to the Tube. You will have to wait 1-10 minutes for the next Tube. The Tube will take 50 minutes, and then it will take you some minutes to even get near the British Museum. This all assumes you can walk rapidly for 20 minutes continuously.

If the flight is late, you're crispy ducked.

Now, if it is a choice of this schedule or not attending, then go for it and we can give advice on how to fine tune it, and prepare to be a few minutes late (warn the wedding organiser). If you can possibly travel on an earlier flight, do so.

Note: if you can use the passport e-gates (you are a Registered Traveller), you are in a much more plausible position and then I give you a 75% chance of getting there on time if the flight arrives on time and the Tube is working to schedule. In the non-EU channel, nope.

Premier Owl

1 hour 45..... why the rush.............come the night before...

Calchas

OP is taking the Heathrow Express

UAPremExecflyer

OP may have limited options in terms of flight choice http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/infor...on-points.html
That said, the current proposed landing at 1215 for wedding at 1400 should - as others correctly suggest - be considered a non-starter if arriving that day.
Arrive earlier to be sure of making ceremony or better still get in the day before.

Analise

pandazz, since your info says you're from New York, assuming you're downstate, DL's 3 flights from JFK all arrive at LHR before 10:40am.

DTW has 2 flights arriving at 6:25 and 11:10 respectively. That second one could be cutting it closely too if you want to shower and change before the wedding.

ATL has 3 flights arriving at 7:25, 10:00 and 11:05.

If you really want MSP, leave a day earlier.

pandazzz

Thanks for the advice. Sadly I'm in SLC for work for the week before and after the wedding, so have been trying pretty hard to find reasonable routings (can always go in Y direct, but it's going to be a very short TATL trip, so would really prefer J). I'll have to shift my search to earlier flights, then.

stc

Given you are in J, IF YOU GET A FAST TRACK INVITATION, AND THE FLIGHT IS ON TIME, I think this is possible. But, that is a lot of IFs and ANDs. It would help if you were familiar with LHR and T3. If you don't get a Fast Track Invitation, I would say No Way. I went through LHR last week and I'd estimate the non-UK Passport line was at least an hour if not two. July 3rd is likely to be as bad if not worse. (I have UK Registered Traveler so I as through in less time than it took me to type this.)