Arriving from the UK - Connections and Arrivals
This post covers in detail all the possible connections you can do when arriving on a UK domestic flight in to T5, and provides information on all the possible routes you can take to do those connections. The post also covers when you are simply arriving on a domestic flight and not connecting onwards. Please see the diagrams above which are referenced as well.
If you have a bag which is already checked through to your next flight you do not need to pick up your checked bag on any of the types of connections listed in this post. If you do have a checked bag but it is only checked to LHR you will have to follow the UK arrivals route (see ‘Arrivals from UK’), collect your bag from the baggage hall, exit landside, and re-check your bag for your next flight. There is some more information on checked bags
in this post here.
- Arrivals from UK
- UK-UK connections
- UK-DUB connections
- UK-INT connections
- UK-T2/3/4 connections
Domestic arrivals come in to gates A1-A3, or A5-A8. The escalators, stairs, and lift are near A1 for heading to the ground floor whether the domestic baggage hall and exit landside. When you go down to the ground floor you pass through some one way glass gates, and turn left if you need to collect a bag or right if you have no checked bags and just want to exit.
Domestic arrivals to remote stands enter the building at an entrance on the ground floor under the jet bridge for A2. This feeds in to domestic arrivals stream just next to the stairs and escalators and before those glass one way gates.
The landside exit for arrivals from the UK is on the ground floor of T5A at the far northern end of the building.
Domestic arrivals come in to gates A1-A3, or A5-A8. When connecting on to another UK domestic flight at T5 you do not need to pass through security, so the only step involved is a boarding pass check and a photo which takes place at a checkpoint opposite gate A5. The photo is taken and later on when you board it is checked against you using biometric facial recognition equipment to match against the earlier photo. No ID/passport is required at the gate for domestic or DUB departures.
If you arrive from a remote stand once you enter T5A you will need to go upstairs via the lifts or stairs which will bring you to near A1, and then walk down the corridor to the boarding pass check point opposite A5. Do not go through the one way glass gates on the ground floor after entering the building.
UK-UK connections are not very common so the agent can potentially forget to take the photo, and this error would become apparent at the gate upon boarding. If the agent doing boarding pass check forgets to take a photo do remind them you are on a UK connection. Once your boarding pass is scanned you proceed up the escalators or lift and enter the departures hall at the northern end of T5A.
If you do not have your onward boarding pass there are some BA customer service desks just left of the checkpoint, and you can obtain your boarding pass there.
It is possible that you could go landside via the UK arrivals route, up to departures, and through the first wing or north/south security to go back airside. However, unless there is a specific reason why you need to go landside this it is not recommended as you will have to walk a lot further and go through security – whereas the airside route is a much shorter walk and does not involve going through security.
As Ireland and the UK are part of the Common Travel Area departures from T5 to DUB are treated in the same way as departures to the UK. Rather than repeat all the details, please see under UK-UK Connections for information.
As noted, domestic arrivals come in to gates A1-A3, or A5-A8. When connecting from a UK domestic to an international flight at T5 you do not need to pass through security, so the only step involved is a boarding pass check. This takes place at the same checkpoint as noted for UK-UK connections, and it opposite gate A5.
If you arrive from a remote stand once you enter T5A you will need to go upstairs via the lifts or stairs which will bring you to near A1, and then walk down the corridor to the boarding pass check point opposite A5. Do not go through the one way glass gates on the ground floor after entering the building.
Once your boarding pass is scanned you proceed up the escalators or lift and enter the departures hall at the northern end of T5A.
If you do not have your onward boarding pass there are some BA customer service desks just left of the checkpoint, and you can obtain your boarding pass there.
It is possible that you could go landside via the UK arrivals route, up to departures, and through the first wing or north/south security to go back airside. However, unless there is a specific reason why you need to go landside this it is not recommended as you will have to walk a lot further and go through security – whereas the airside route is a much shorter walk and does not involve going through security.
There are two possible routes you can take to do a UK to T2/3/4 connection.
- Stay airside and use the airside transfer bus from T5 to T2/3/4.
- Go landside and take either the tube or Heathrow Express (HEX) to T2/3/4.
The airside route will almost always be faster than going landside. Taking the landside route is not recommended normally since the tube service interval is between 8-12 minutes and HEX is every 15 minutes (dropping to every 30 minutes late in the evening). Particularly when going to T4 the landside route is not quick and involves a connection as there is no direct tube/HEX. In comparison the airside buses are every 5 minutes and take 10-15 minutes to get to T2/3/4.
Airside Route
As noted, domestic arrivals come in to gates A1-A3, or A5-A8. Proceed along corridor to the glass door near gate A7/A8 where a Heathrow staff member will check your onward boarding pass and allow you to proceed towards the FCC. If you do not have your bp yet you should mention this to the Heathrow staff member and show your itinerary, and they will let you proceed on to the airside buses - bps can be collected at the airline transfer desks in each of T2/3/4 when you get there. Also if connecting to an AA flight departing from T3 see the notes
in this post.
The airside transfer buses are accessed by going down the signed escalators to your left which are around 100m along from the boarding pass check. There are lifts also off to the right. Buses leave regularly for each of T2, T3, and T4, and the information boards at the doors should tell you when the next bus for your terminal is due.
If you arrive from a remote stand once you enter T5A you will need to go upstairs via the lifts or stairs which will bring you to near A1, and then walk down the corridor to the boarding pass check point near the jet bridge for A7/A8, on towards the FCC, and down to the buses. Do not go through the one way glass gates on the ground floor after entering the building.
As UK arriving passengers connecting to T2/3/4 are not segregated from international arriving passengers going to T2/3/4, you will have to go through security on arrival at the other terminal.
Landside Route
An alternative route is go landside and take the tube or HEX to the other terminals. To do this follow the signs for UK arrivals (see section above on ‘Arrivals from UK’). Once landside just proceed to your choice of tube or HEX.
The tube trains are every 8-12 minutes. If going to T2/3 take the tube for one stop to the central tube station ‘Heathrow T123’. For T4 you will need to go two stops to Hatton Cross, cross to the opposite platform, and catch a T4 bound tube. The tube requires a card to check in and out and this can be either an oyster card or contactless credit/debit card. Should you need to buy an Oyster card for other travel in London they can be purchased from the tube ticket machines either on the ground floor of T5A or at platform level. Even though you check in and out for inter-terminal transfers you will not be charged as they are free. For T4 transfers (via Hatton Cross) as long as you remain tube side at Hatton Cross you will not be charged.
The HEX trains are every 15 minutes and it is one stop to T2/3. To get to T4 you need to change at the T2/3 station where you wait for a separate train to T4. As of May 2018 the HEX requires either an oyster/contactless cards to use (like the tube it is is also free between terminals), or you can get one of the free transfer tickets. See
this post 360 for more details.