Originally Posted by
sdix
Preaching to the choir but NEVER book separate tickets ESPECIALLY thru LHR.
Have done it many times, including LHR. Have left several hours betweeen flights, and usually connecting onwards on a short hop on BA. Worst case is I'm out a few thousand Avios, although I haven't missed one yet.
Originally Posted by
sdix
Where at LHR is the ticket scanned? As a connecting itinerary my passport is scanned in FastTrak and there are ticket scanners pre X-ray check but I have never scanned there. People do, I just didn't
The scan just before the x-ray is apparently to gauge security wait times. Reportedly, HAL staff occasionally turn them off or discourage people to use them during long wait times in order to pad their stats.
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brit...-security.html
Originally Posted by
UKtravelbear
It is possible to exit every terminal though it may not be obvious on the route to follow.
At T5 BA and HAL staff escort people wanting / needing to leave departures once per hour so the proper procedudes can be undertaken and a record of you leaving airside is made.
As you mentioned, at LHR, you have to be escorted, you can't simply just exit of your own free will.
At T5, riding the train out to T5C and just staying on it for the return journey via the arrivals corridor is another method that I've seen discussed on the BA forum.