AArlington

AA EXP landing on AA at T3 and connecting out on BA from T5. Doing a search leads me to believe transiting terminals and grabbing a shower should be easy in the BA T5 lounges.

I plan to take my "1 carry on and personal item" on AA -- laptop bag and rollaboard. Makes changing to a clean pair of clothes easy.

Will BA let me take both of these on their plane (to France)? Anybody know of the lines are long for the BA lounge showers?

I'd post this on the BA forum; but I suspect most BA flyers would be more O&D and less likely to use the showers at their home airport...

Nick90274

I've never had a problem bringing a laptop bag and fairly large sized duffel bag on board a BA flight whether connecting at LHR or not so you should be fine. As far as showers go, it's very easy to grab a shower at the BA First Lounge in T5. Both times I've wanted a shower there was no wait; however, this was between 7 and 9 am so other times may be different.

chanp

I did the same (carry on and laptop bag) last month, so shouldnt be a problem.

carlitos

At this moment, I am at LHR T5 First Class Galleries South and travelling with my back pack and my laptop case to JNB. No problem, even the girls at check in (First, of course) told me no problem. Lounge is amazing and food and drinks also... Well, looks like some sleep for me during the 10 hour flight.

Hope this helps, as I would shower here and not in the American Airlines arrival lounge at T3.

AArlington

Awesome thank you folks.

As an AA EXP, even though flying in coach, I should be able to use the BA First lounge with my EXP card, correct? THanks

JY1024

Correct. (Sometimes the lounge dragons want to see the card; recently, I've been having luck just giving them a BP to scan.)

gemac

Definitely take your EXP card just to be sure. You will like the BA First lounge, it is what a lounge at an airline's home airport should be.

Tries

Enjoy some UK bloodwurst served in First Lounge in T5.

Never expected to see them there, but indeed they serve bloodwurst.
Furthermore- they do have even fresh garlic in the lounge

ajane

We are using AA miles to fly business class from Milan to Dallas. AA has one non-stop flight from Milan to JFK with a 3 hour layover before our connecting flight to Dallas. We can also go non-stop from LHR.This flight leaves Linate at 8:00 a.m & gets to LHR at 9:05. Can we make the 10:25 AA flight since we will be changing terminals from T5 to T3? Will we have to claim our luggage at LHR and re-check or is it ticketed through. What about going thru security again. Realistictly how long does it take to get from T5 to T3? I am a slow walker and could ask for assistance.

videomaker

Search is your friend. This is discussed in great detail here:

BA Terminal T5 <-> AA T3 connection at LHR / Heathrow (reports, etc. - consolidated)

Hyperacusis

As far as the LHR connection goes, if your first flight is on time, you will be good to go. Any delay of over ten minutes and you'll be cutting it very, very close. That being said, depending on the day of travel there are two additional AA flights at 12:30pm and 2:30 pm, and AA would put you on one of those.

Connecting through LHR does give you more time on the international J sector, and your bags are checked all the way through, instead of having to collect and re-check them at JFK. You will go through security again while changing terminals to T3, but you have the option of going landside as well - you will have access to Fast Track based on J travel on BA. Immigration and customs at DFW also tends to be a much more pleasant experience than at JFK IME.

I would go with the LHR connection.

ajane

Thanks for your suggestion. I'm new to the forum and don't know what you mean by landside. Also Fast Track based on J travel? Appreciate your help.

Hyperacusis

There are two ways to connect from T5 to T3.

Airside: You don't clear immigration. Follow the signs to Flight Connections, and you will take a shuttle bus to T3. I have actually never used this route so I'm not sure if there is a Fast Track line at FC, but if there is, you should be able to use it based on the J boarding pass from BA.

Landside: Instead of going to flight connections, go to the arrivals area and clear immigration. Clearing immigration takes you "landside". I always do this, but only because I typically have enough time to meet a few friends near the airport. This is a longer process as you will clear immigration (there is a Fast Track line which is usually very quick), need to take an underground train (shared with the Heathrow Express) to transfer to T3, and reclear security at T3.

The landside method CAN be faster, depending on how bad the lines at FC are.

FYI "J" refers to business class, which you indicated you will be travelling on, in your original post.

dstan

Arrived T5 on a BA flight and connected to T3 on an AA flight last Friday via FCC as follows:

12:18p Landed runway 27R
12:27p Parked at T5 remote stand (12:40p scheduled)
12:37p Boarded 2nd bus
12:40p Arrived T5
12:44p Back downstairs to queue for T3 FCC bus (escalators closed, was directed to lifts)
1:00p Arrived T3 (passed EK A380 on the bus ride!)
1:13p Cleared fairly short line at T3 FCC security (shoes on, laptops out)
1:20p Checked into T3 Admirals Club

billgrates3

Thanks for the calibration, and not a bad time from a remote stand. I've done a similar transit several times, but starting at a gate at T5B, and usually around 5am or 6am. That early, it usually only takes 40-45mins to make the whole trip to T3 AC/FL or T3 BA Galleries.

Next week I am going the other direction on AA104 JFK-LHR, so I'll post my times T3>T5 starting at ~8:30am (assuming AA104 is on time).