New FCC in LHR T3 (July 2018)

This post covers the new flight connections centre (FCC) in T3. When connecting from a T3->T3 flight, or when connecting from a T2/4/5->T3 flight and arriving in to T3 on the airside inter terminal buses, you will arrive in to this new FCC. The post covers:

• General Comments
• Arriving on the airside bus from T2/4/5
• Arriving in to T3 and connecting to T2/4/5
• Arriving in to T3 from T2/4/5 and exiting through immigration to landside

General Comments

The new FCC is open in T3. It is in a different place to the old FCC which was always temporary (and felt like it) whilst work was done to create this new bigger permanent FCC.



Arriving on the airside bus from T2/4/5

Once you get off the bus you go up two sets of stairs/escalators towards the security hall.



Area immediately at the top of the escalators/stairs:



Just before security on the left are airline service desks for BA and AA.



Also if you arrive at T3 but want to exit to immigration (i.e. joining over T3 arriving passengers) turn left in to that BA/AA service desk area, then left again down the side of the glass partitions, it is signed as "Arrivals, Baggage reclaim, Flight Connections Terminals 2,4,5". See below in the "Arriving in to T3 and connecting to T2/4/5" section with photos coming from the arrivals stream.



Fast track is to the left and normal track occupies most of the hall to the middle and right.

Beyond the security channels there is a signed one way door to the left of the security hall which is signed for "Arrivals, Baggage Claim, Flight Connections T2/4/5" - so taking that door will lead you to the arrivals stream and down to the new airside bus waiting area for T2,4,5. In the middle of the security hall past the security channels is an escalator marked down to "All Departure Gates", and to the right are lifts similarly marked.

At the bottom of the escalator is a signed path straight ahead to Departure Gates which goes through some new shops:



To the left are lifts back up and signed Arrivals, Baggage Claim, Flight Connections T2/4/5:



To the right are more airline service desks, it seems for all airlines:



Also in this airline service area to the right is a signed "Short Connect" route, this leads you down a corridor directly in to the start of the corridor for gates 23-42. This bypasses the longer route (i.e. the one signed "All Departure Gates") and is a much quicker way to the gates or lounges.









Looking back at the exit from the Short Connect corridor, this is signed to "Arrivals" and "Airline service desks" so can be taken as a route our of the airside departures area in T3 to landside via immigration.





If you choose to follow the "All departure gates" route via the shops you follow a longer route to the main waiting area of T3. Once through the shops there is a corridor which leads to the airside departures ares:



If you turn around you can see going the other way the corridor is signed as Arrivals, Baggage Claim, Airline Service Desks:



You now come out in T3 in to the main waiting area rather than on the lounge corridor:



In the figure below A is where you emerged from the old FCC (the old one way door to the arrivals stream was down the corridor towards the FCC), B is where you now emerge in to the departures area if following the "All departure gates" route via the shops, and C is where you emerge if following the "Short connect" route:



So if you are in the airside departures area of T3 and wish to exit landside you can either go via B or C following the signs to arrivals, this will lead you to immigration and landside.

Note that the old door which was just after the old FCC which let you out in to arrivals is no longer available, the first photo shows the place where the old FCC used to emerge in to the T3 airside depatures area - now all boarded up - and the second photo (curtesy of mwp1) shows that old door:





Arriving in to T3 and connecting to T2/4/5

As the FCC has now moved, so has the bus waiting area for the airside transfers to T2/4/5. Access from the arrivals stream is now on the opposite side of the corridor from the old access point:



and the old access point to the FCC on the opposite side - now closed and as of August this is also now boarded up



You head down a corridor and in to an area with an information screen and signed paths to T3 connections and T2/4/5 connections





If you head down the T3 connections route you emerge next to the BA/AA service desks which is just before security



If you head down the T2/4/5 channel you come to an escalator. stairs, and lifts to the bus waiting area





The new bus waiting area is much nicer than the old one in the temporary FCC



Arriving in to T3 from T2/4/5 and exiting through immigration to landside

If you get the airside buses to T3 but want to exit landside on arrival at T3 then you go up the escalators/stairs, left in to the BA/AA airline service desk area, left down the path next to the glass partition (signed as "Arrivals, Baggage reclaim, Flight Connections Terminals 2,4,5"), and then down the corridor which will lead you to the main airside arrivals stream. You then follow the signs to arrivals which will take you through immigration.



Area immediately at the top of the escalators/stairs:



Just before security on the left are airline service desks for BA and AA.



Follow the signs to arrivals.



This diagram should also help you understand the layout: