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ARCHIVE: BA T5 <-> AA T3 transfer /connection at LHR / Heathrow

ARCHIVE: BA T5 <-> AA T3 transfer /connection at LHR / Heathrow

 
Old Jun 17, 2015, 11:13 am
  #811  
 
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I can see the advice here is to avoid 90-minute T5-T3 connections. That said...

In early September, I'll be flying CPT-LHR-ORD. I have the choice of a 90-minute connection to AA's maybe more-lightly-loaded 7:45 am LHR-ORD, or a 6-hour connection to the 12:15 pm departure (coming from J on the CPT-LHR flight to Y on LHR-ORD on a mileage ticket). Right now, I took the longer connection, figure I'll give myself a lounge tour, get some tea at the Harrod's store, read the British tabloids, etc.

Would you roll the dice on a 90-minute early-morning T5-T3 transfer?
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Old Jun 17, 2015, 11:15 am
  #812  
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Originally Posted by Hayden
I can see the advice here is to avoid 90-minute T5-T3 connections. That said...

In early September, I'll be flying CPT-LHR-ORD. I have the choice of a 90-minute connection to AA's maybe more-lightly-loaded 7:45 am LHR-ORD, or a 6-hour connection to the 12:15 pm departure (coming from J on the CPT-LHR flight to Y on LHR-ORD on a mileage ticket). Right now, I took the longer connection, figure I'll give myself a lounge tour, get some tea at the Harrod's store, read the British tabloids, etc.

Would you roll the dice on a 90-minute early-morning T5-T3 transfer?
Absolutely. A 90-minute connection is easy if the initial leg is on time, and at that hour the odds of the initial leg being on time is very good.
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Old Jun 17, 2015, 11:22 am
  #813  
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Originally Posted by Hayden
I can see the advice here is to avoid 90-minute T5-T3 connections. That said...

In early September, I'll be flying CPT-LHR-ORD. I have the choice of a 90-minute connection to AA's maybe more-lightly-loaded 7:45 am LHR-ORD, or a 6-hour connection to the 12:15 pm departure (coming from J on the CPT-LHR flight to Y on LHR-ORD on a mileage ticket). Right now, I took the longer connection, figure I'll give myself a lounge tour, get some tea at the Harrod's store, read the British tabloids, etc.

Would you roll the dice on a 90-minute early-morning T5-T3 transfer?
This is a different question, really, because it's a legal connection on a through ticket. If you miss the connection the airline will re-book you on a later flight free of charge. So, the downsides of a tight connection are:

a) stress if the process is very tight - only you will know your attitude to or tolerance of this,

b) uncertainty of when the next available flight will be - there are lots of OW flights to ORD and early September is not particularly peak so it's probably ok, and

c) you making it but your bag not - this is possible but unlikely. The most likely scenario is that both make it with some comfort, the next most likely scenario is that the inbound is late so you both miss it with comfort...
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Old Jul 3, 2015, 5:24 am
  #814  
 
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Going BA domestic-AA international, T5 -> T3, all on BA ticket

LBA-LHR, LHR-LAX, 3 hr layover

I presume all boarding passes are issued at LBA by BA staff, and bags checked through.
AT LHR, do I need to stay airside and follow signs for Flight Connections?
Or just get the bus to T3 and either check-in with AA as normal, or go straight to security if I have a boarding pass for AA.
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Old Jul 4, 2015, 2:18 pm
  #815  
 
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Originally Posted by mikem004
Going BA domestic-AA international, T5 -> T3, all on BA ticket

LBA-LHR, LHR-LAX, 3 hr layover

I presume all boarding passes are issued at LBA by BA staff, and bags checked through.
AT LHR, do I need to stay airside and follow signs for Flight Connections?
Or just get the bus to T3 and either check-in with AA as normal, or go straight to security if I have a boarding pass for AA.
Assuming it's all on one ticket, your bags should be checked through from LBA to LAX , and you have the choice of staying airside or going landside at LHR. However, the bus is airside vi a Flight Connections, the terminal transfer landside is by public train (Heathrow Express, it's free between terminals). Either way, you will have to clear security again at T3. There are a couple of recent threads on the BA forum on this very subject, have a look, they are not too long. Generally the best advice on these is that given by corporate-wage-slave.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...-how-long.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...nnections.html
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Old Jul 25, 2015, 5:52 am
  #816  
 
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T3 to T5

Looking into flying BA from Marseilles to LHR to JFK. Flight from Marseilles arrives at T3. Flight to JFK departs from T5. It will be my wife and I, and our two young children (3 and 5). We will be in either business or first.

Is this going to be a pain in the *ss to accomplish? Should we look into other european cities for connections? Problem is award availability.

This is not until next june. Any chance that BA moves that Marseille flight to terminal 5?
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Old Jul 25, 2015, 7:10 am
  #817  
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Originally Posted by ekartash
Looking into flying BA from Marseilles to LHR to JFK. Flight from Marseilles arrives at T3. Flight to JFK departs from T5. It will be my wife and I, and our two young children (3 and 5). We will be in either business or first.

Is this going to be a pain in the *ss to accomplish? Should we look into other european cities for connections? Problem is award availability.

This is not until next june. Any chance that BA moves that Marseille flight to terminal 5?
The wiki contains the information and links to step-by-step guidance. It's just following lines and taking an airside bus, no huge deal.
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Old Jul 27, 2015, 5:02 pm
  #818  
 
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Originally Posted by Hayden
I can see the advice here is to avoid 90-minute T5-T3 connections. That said...

In early September, I'll be flying CPT-LHR-ORD. I have the choice of a 90-minute connection to AA's maybe more-lightly-loaded 7:45 am LHR-ORD, or a 6-hour connection to the 12:15 pm departure (coming from J on the CPT-LHR flight to Y on LHR-ORD on a mileage ticket). Right now, I took the longer connection, figure I'll give myself a lounge tour, get some tea at the Harrod's store, read the British tabloids, etc.

Would you roll the dice on a 90-minute early-morning T5-T3 transfer?
That is more plausible than most of the LHR short connections being discussed here. I'm assuming these are separate tickets - if they are the same ticket, just go for it as you'll automatically be protected if you misconnect. AA's generous OW connection protection might kick in (especially with a helpful agent) even if they aren't. The inbounds from South Africa are rarely late.

You will clear security in T3 which will be quiet at that time in the morning.

Note that you do NOT need to go T5A to catch the bus to T3. You can get it from T5B. See here (despite the somewhat mistitled thread there).

If you do choose to hang out in T3 for a few hours, it's quite alright. The AA lounge mostly sucks, but the BA and CX lounges are better. The main terminal area is OK as well.
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Old Jul 27, 2015, 7:17 pm
  #819  
 
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Originally Posted by ekartash
Looking into flying BA from Marseilles to LHR to JFK. Flight from Marseilles arrives at T3. Flight to JFK departs from T5. It will be my wife and I, and our two young children (3 and 5). We will be in either business or first.

Is this going to be a pain in the *ss to accomplish? Should we look into other european cities for connections? Problem is award availability.

This is not until next june. Any chance that BA moves that Marseille flight to terminal 5?
Agree it isnt that hard. LHR has a reputation from many years past that it was an impenetrable rabbit warren, but they've done a pretty good job of color coding things and very easy to interpret signs. I definitely helps that the brits speak English too.



Just watch connecting times- dont cut it so close to the MCTs, and it will be easy. Odds are you'll have plenty of time in the lounges too.
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Old Aug 24, 2015, 2:27 pm
  #820  
 
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I am planning on making a landside transit during a 12 hour layover at LHR.

I would like to ask if anyone can recall whether the flight connections center in T3 can be accessed from the border control posts?
In T5, they are right next to each other. In other words if the border agent wants a boarding pass before allowing entry, you can get it right there in case you did not get it at the Port of departure

Thanks
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Old Aug 24, 2015, 2:51 pm
  #821  
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Originally Posted by LonghornDXB
I am planning on making a landside transit during a 12 hour layover at LHR.

I would like to ask if anyone can recall whether the flight connections center in T3 can be accessed from the border control posts?
In T5, they are right next to each other. In other words if the border agent wants a boarding pass before allowing entry, you can get it right there in case you did not get it at the Port of departure
I'm afraid the customer service desks of the airlines are the other side of Flight Connections. So you best use the App or Online Check-in methods, or collect the boarding passes at the departure airport. However the UK Border Force will be happy with a printed itinerary rather than boarding passes, which would be the norm in any case.

It's a different set up to T5, T3 doesn't have Ready To Fly, which is a cast iron system which regulates the whole flying and baggage process of T5, instead T3 uses Positive Boarding, with a much lighter touch. You can go through Flight Connection security without a boarding pass and then collect it in the main hall area, though I can see with that timeframe you are not going to be doing that.
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Old Aug 24, 2015, 3:02 pm
  #822  
 
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Originally Posted by LonghornDXB
I am planning on making a landside transit during a 12 hour layover at LHR.

I would like to ask if anyone can recall whether the flight connections center in T3 can be accessed from the border control posts?
In T5, they are right next to each other. In other words if the border agent wants a boarding pass before allowing entry, you can get it right there in case you did not get it at the Port of departure

Thanks
An FYI-

Year ago I was dumb enough- when asked by a UK border agent, "so what are you plans for the UK?" - to say, "just want to check it out, grab a shower and breakfast at the arrivals lounge before heading to Germany...to which he said 'you will not be entering the UK today' and directed me to turn around and head to flight connections.
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Old Aug 24, 2015, 10:25 pm
  #823  
 
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Originally Posted by Exec_Plat
An FYI-

Year ago I was dumb enough- when asked by a UK border agent, "so what are you plans for the UK?" - to say, "just want to check it out, grab a shower and breakfast at the arrivals lounge before heading to Germany...to which he said 'you will not be entering the UK today' and directed me to turn around and head to flight connections.
You probably would have been safe had you left the bit about "check it "
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Old Aug 24, 2015, 11:52 pm
  #824  
 
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Originally Posted by Exec_Plat
Year ago I was dumb enough- when asked by a UK border agent, "so what are you plans for the UK?" - to say, "just want to check it out, grab a shower and breakfast at the arrivals lounge before heading to Germany...to which he said 'you will not be entering the UK today' and directed me to turn around and head to flight connections.
What??!!
What possible grounds would he have to deny you entry? Was there something else, maybe you looked especially scruffy or were traveling on a passport from Sudan or Syria?
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Old Aug 25, 2015, 1:08 am
  #825  
 
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Originally Posted by anabolism
What??!!
What possible grounds would he have to deny you entry? Was there something else, maybe you looked especially scruffy or were traveling on a passport from Sudan or Syria?
One is not supposed to do a landside transit without visa for sightseeing, shopping etc., the "reason" has to be something related to the actual transit process such as rechecking bags, sleeping at a hotel overnight etc.
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