BearX220

A quick look at the OP's post history suggests he/she is arriving via US Airways, which means Terminal 3, and this is their first overseas trip. So they may be under the misapprehension that international arrivals at LHR work as domestic ones do in the US, e.g. they would be able to store their luggage, go back upstairs and roam the airport until their kids' flight comes in, then go meet them at the gate.

In case OP reads this -- the model is different at Heathrow. When you arrive you are segregated from other passengers and most airport amenities save restrooms and a duty-free. You are piped separately down to the immigration queue to have your passport stamped, then into the baggage hall where you must reclaim your checked bags then and there, then through the Customs lane and out into the (sparsely equipped) arrivals area. There, as others here have noted, the main amenities are ways to get away from LHR quickly.

There is no way for you to go back in and use the lounges, shops, restaurants, etc. provided for departing passengers, and you cannot wait in the departure terminal or meet your kids at the gate. (Even if you were a legitimate departing passenger you couldn't meet them, as departures and arrivals are insulated from each other.) If you remain at Terminal 3 for six hours, which would be hellish if you ask me, you would meet them at the Customs exit barrier after they've gone through the immigration-baggage-customs process separately from you. You could not help them through the process if they were minors, but as they're adults I don't think that will be an issue.

Be aware that Heathrow terminals are arrayed in three "clumps" that are remote from one another -- Terms 1/2/3, Term 4, and Term 5. But if the kids are arriving on a different airline at another LHR terminal, the same issues apply. You would meet them in the public arrivals hall, post-Customs, not anytime sooner.

It really is best for you to press on into the city, which with a 700a arrival you should reach by 900a, and have your kids follow separately, arriving around 300p. (A day room at a Heathrow hotel for a few hours will be poor value and afford you not much rest time after you get to and from the place. There is no on-site hotel AFAIK in the Term 1/2/3 complex.) They might enjoy learning to use the Piccadilly Line on their own to get into London. You can use online Underground maps and hotel advice in advance to see where the closest stop is. You can even order Oyster cards by mail from TfL in advance and have them mailed to your US address, if the comfort factor there appeals, so you/they can hop on the Underground immediately.

Hope that helps.

Edit to clarify for OP: An Oyster card is a reloadable electronic fare pass for London Transport buses and trains, which you may ilke to arm yourselves with if you are in town for any length of time. More about them here:

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-paym...er?intcmp=1683

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/travel-informa...or-oyster-card