Stgermainparis

16 year old son is attending a program in Oxford and will be taken/escorted by staff to LHR, where I will be waiting. We have an 11:30 AM flight to ATL on VS. I will be in Paris the preceding days but planned to take Chunnel in the night before flight and check in at LHR hotel.

Can anyone suggest best way/place for us to hook up that morning? We will both have phones. I was thinking I should get hotel room in terminal of departing flight or near VS checkin so son could head to hotel and find me there.

He is competent and confident but of course LHR will be busy and so I'd like to minimize the chaos for him. I think his shuttle from Oxford leaves 5 hours before flight (6AM). So it is conceivable that he will get to LHR 3.5 hours ahead of flight. Might be nice to still have hotel room for that.

Alternatively, we both have DL Sky Club and Priority Pass lounge access (via Amex Plat). Tickets were booked (Y) on DL website but flight on VS. So if all else fails we could meet at lounge. Not sure if there is Skyclub in LHR. Need to check that. And not sure if PP lounges are in VS terminal for VS115 to ATL.

Non-NonRev

VS flies out of LHR Terminal 3. Unfortunately there are no hotels physically attached to T3. There are many hotels nearby, just off the airport property.

Terminals T4 and T5 (separate buildings a distance apart from each other and from T3) do have hotels connected to tnem - a Hilton at T4 and a Sofitel at T5.

Here is one scenario that might simplify the meet-up:

1. Father takes Eurostar to London (arrive at St. Pancras station - like Paris, London has multiple major rail stations).

2. Father makes his way to LHR, checks in at selected hotel (let's say the T4 Hilton for the sake of the example).

3. In the morning, father and son coordinate son's approximate arrival time.

4. Father checks out of hotel, then he takes the free rail shuttle from the T4 station to the T3 station (short ride, about 6 minutes).

5. Father walks from the station to the front entrance door of T3 (wait at door closest to VS).

6. Son's shuttle arrives and unloads his luggage.

7. Enter terminal together and check in.

This scenario eliminates any neeed for the son to deal with moving about the different terminals, or any off-airport hotel. The whole idea is to simplify for the son.

Downside is that the Hilton is rather expensive relative to the off-airport hotels. But not outrageously expensive.

Nottingham Nick

If son is up to checking in on his own, why not meet in the Number 1 lounge in T3 ? https://no1lounges.com/service/airpo...row/terminal-3

The downside to this plan is that it is airside, so in the event of problems for one party, it will be difficult to meet up.

It is a PP lounge but does get quite busy - they do not guarantee PP members entry unless you pre-book - at a cost of Ł5 - http://www.no1traveller.com/cardholders

Nick

Stgermainparis

I think you both are right. Meeting son pre-check-in/landside is ideal. That hooks us up before any chaos airside or going through security, etc. Would ideal hotel be that Hilton or Sofitel? Or any hotel near airport? Ergo is there one that has a shuttle to T3 to minimize traipsing around?

Thanks for the tip re PP lounge pre-book. I think I will probably do that so no anxiety once there.

Non-NonRev

The great advantage to the Hilton or Sofitel is that, since you are already on the airport property, you use the free Heathrow Express/Connect shuttle trains to get to T3. The trains run every 15 minutes and the actual journey is only 6 minutes. Access from hotel to train is via a short coveted walkway.

The off-airport hotels (most located on or near Bath Road) are not too far away. But Heathrow forbids these hotels from running their own shuttles - instead, they must use paid, shared shuttle busses called the Hotel Hoppa. Fare is about Ł4.50. I don't know how often they run. Because a single Hoppa bus route services several hotels, they can get crowded. You could always take a taxi, of course.

Summary is that the two onsite hotels greatly simplify the movements. You pay more for the room, but to me, the convenience is well worth it.

Nottingham Nick

You don't have to use the expensive Hotel Hoppa's. Remember that ALL the service buses to and from the Heathrow Central Bus Station. to the Bath Road area are free.

This map has a green shaded area showing the limits of the free bus area.
heathrow.pdf

The downside is that, if you have a lot of luggage, the buses can be crowded at busy times.

Nick

Non-NonRev

Other downside to the free bus scheme is that reaching the bus stops may require a walk from the hotel (Hoppa, for all its faults, comes to the hotel entrance).

And with either free bus or Hoppa you must adhere to their schedule.

Stgermainparis

Yeah. I agree that the $ is worth the convenience. I'll do Hilton or Sofitel though I just saw a Yotelair when searching for the Hilton. Anyone try that? It's not that much cheaper but somewhat. Maybe $65 less. Although I'd get breakfast at Hilton with gold status, I presume.

Thanks for all the advice. It's going to be a busy few days of travel for me and having this worked out and easy helps.

Non-NonRev

Yotel is landside in T4 arrivals level - literally at the threshold to the shuttle train. Pricing for the tiny standard pod is about Ł9 per hour with a 8 hour minimum - each additional hour is extra. If you're ok with the tiny pods, it gets the job done but i would neve spend the night unless I got a larger premium cabin. Still very small but less claustrophobic than the standard.

With HH gold i'd do the Hilton in a heartbeat. They usually upgrade diamonds and golds to exec floor with lounge access and breakfast. Again it is more expensive than Yotel but as an elite you get a lot of value for your money.

Stgermainparis

One last question. Given that I am not interested in stopping in central London and want to head straight to LHR and check in to Hilton T4, would you just fly PAR-LHR? I'd thought I'd do Eurostar, but seems more of a hassle if going to LHR ultimately. Flight would be a bit cheaper.

Non-NonRev

At this time of year, with less chance of weather related IRROPS, I'd be inclined to fly. You will be at the airport and will only need to get to the hotel, rather than dealing with the transfer from St. Pancras.

Do let us how it goes in the end - your experience could likely help others making thesd kinds of transfers later this summer.

MSPeconomist

In what sense will son be escorted to LHR? OP mentions an escort, which to me means a responsible person that will be with him to the agreed upon handoff spot, but later refers to a shuttle. I'd start by getting the details of this service from the Oxford program.

It could be a shuttle with one and only one stop at LHR, expecting the kids then to make their own ways to the correct terminal. Or it could have an assigned nanny-person who will stay with the kid until you arrive at some designated place for the handover. Or it could be somewhat between the two extremes. For example, if the shuttle is willing to drop the kid off at some LHR hotel from a list, problem solved: you stay in that hotel and meet there in the morning, proceeding together to the airport. Otherwise, you will need to get to the airport very early and be prepared for a long wait in the designated area.

Stgermainparis

Good point. I believe they are making sure kid gets to correct check in, but this might mean dropping kid at Terminal 3 curbside for VS flight. My kid is 16, though, and drives on his own etc and so I think he will be fine finding his way (he's very independent and I'd even feel fine with him flying home to US on his own, but since I'm there I want to meet him and minimize any issues). Plus we will have our iphones. I love the Find my iPhone feature where I can see my own phone getting closer to his. LOL.

My plan, with all the advice here, is to arrive night before, stay at the T4 Hilton, and plan to meet son at check in for T3 VS. We will have a back up meeting place like the No1 lounge. Main issue/question now is whether or not I fly PAR-LHR or Eurostar plus tube. Cost is about the same. Flying seems to make the most sense, but if flight canceled and I can't get on later flight, my anxiety level will be high. Eurostar seems to offer more security in that sense (meaning can almost always get later train and there are many).

DrHalxx

Get the flight to LHR, it's a no-brainer.

rapariga

I would recommend the Yotel in Heathrow Terminal 4. You can book it by the hour - I believe there is a minimum, though. Aside from the convenience of the location, the Yotel cabins are just plain fun! Take a look:

http://www.yotel.com/en/hotels/london-heathrow-airport