Exec_Plat

I was there Sept 22. I posted a warning somewhere but it is lost now.

A lot of folks were irate, I decided to play nice cop. When I stopped in after brekkie, I was #9. She was apologetic. I said "hey none of this is your fault, dont worry". Before I got another cappuccino the beeper went off.

Id like to think in three weeks they are done....

UKtravelbear

You can use the Hex for free.

The tube is also free if you have oyster or a contactless credit / debit card - you still have to touch in and out but the TFL system won't charge you.

travel between terminals

ignore the fact the LHR webpage says only oyster can be used. The TFL fare finder says contactless can.

JDiver

IMO, that's a bit close, particularly given some very lengthy immigration queues I've experienced at Heathrow.

As to HEX, after within the airport's confines. See http://www.heathrow.com/airport-guid...ween-terminals.

T8191

The connections between LHR's Terminals is magnificently archaic, inconvenient, and ponderously slow.

Heaven help the elderly, those with luggage, and non-English speakers

remedy

Just did the T5 -> T3 transfer yesterday. It was the first day and they had cheerleaders, three basketball players doing basketball tricks, and gave BA hats to the passengers. Very festive.

It's a long bus ride and hike, but the security seemed much less onerous than the intra T5 transfers.

Also, the AA lounge seemed newer and less crowded that the BA lounge in T3.

jinglish

I just booked a flight into Heathrow on AA (as a codeshare on BA metal) for May, and it looks like I'll be arriving in T3 on a Saturday at 1:25 in the afternoon. At some point I'm going to make a separate BA reservation to continue on to Aberdeen flying out of T5. The connection tool on the Heathrow web site seems to be saying that I'll be able to do this is an airside transfer and not even have to recheck my bags if I get them interlined to ABZ. First, is that correct? And second, given that this will be on two separate PNRs and I won't have any recourse if there are any delays, would a 4:15 departure be cutting it close, even if I'm using an immigration line dedicated to connections?

MarkedMan

Three hours should be fine, barring disasters, and AA protects you in a delay when connecting to a OW partner even if you're on separate PNRs. Should that happen, you can clear security at T3, have the AA agents help out just past security, then cross over to the connections center at T3 (you can do that now from the departure lounge) and head to T5.

The main issues are likely to be that the connections queues at T5 can sometimes be longer than the lines to just exit the terminal and re-clear security at departures; if you have an EU passport many on the BA forum would advise this if it looks especially bad and you have status to get into the fast lanes, a concept that is pretty much irredeemably broken on the connections side these days. Plus, if you have problems checking in for your BA flight the help desk at T5 before you go through the security area can be painfully busy, so exiting and going to proper check-in desks can be helpful.

What I do when on time with three hours to spare (having a few passports at my disposal): arrive at T3, get on the bus, at T5 clear immigration, exit the arrivals area and head up to security, stopping by the check-in desks if necessary. Helps pass some time.

wrp96

When you check in with BA for your first flight, they should check your bags through to ABZ. Thus you will use flight connections and not have to go through immigration.

Also are you sure your BA flight into LHR goes into T3?

jinglish

Thanks, that's great to hear--especially the part about missed connection help. I take it that exiting the airside area and reentering at T5 is a bit more time-consuming without an EU passport?Do you mean that I won't have to go through customs if my bag is interlined? And I'm fairly certain that it'll be in T3; it's a PHX-LHR flight that was part of the moves from T5 this past week.

wrp96

Correct, if your bag is interlined, there would be no need to exit through immigration and customs. Instead you could just use flight connections, where you would only have to go through security.

The one thing as said above is that sometimes it is faster to exit through immigration and reenter security that way. Unfortunately you usually don't know until you've committed to one option or the other. The one advantage to using flight connections instead of transiting landside, is that transmitting landside you must enter security no later than 35 minutes before your flight. Transitting using flight connections that time can be even less.

corporate-wage-slave

In this case the OP appears to be going to ABZ. So immigration and customs is built into Flight Connections. You won't notice Customs however, it's a small red telephone on the wall. You bags should end up in ABZ airport without any further intervention.

If you are an adult with an EEA or Swiss citizen biometric passport (or a member of the Frequent Traveller Scheme) it is best to go via the UK Border e-gates in T5. So Flight Connection bus from T3 to T5, UK Border, landside, up in the Orange Lift to departures and through to South Security. If you can't use the e-gates - again Flight Connection bus from T3 to T5, Flight Connections UK and Ireland in the middle of the hall (not the bigger Flight Connections), boarding pass scan (conformance), passports, biometric photo, up the escalators to North security. From doors open in T3 you should be airside T5 in under 1 hour normally.

MarkedMan

There definitely isn't the song and dance about customs that you see in the US, when crossing the border in the UK

What c-w-s says, basically. You wouldn't want to go through immigration on a non-EU/Swiss passport, you would miss the flight. Interestingly, I recently received an invite to register my passport for e-Gates as a non-EU passport (I assume targeted to certain countries who are doing reciprocal deals, like US-UK with Global Entry & eGates). Didn't take it up since I'm entitled to several EU passports and usually try to carry at least one with me , but this could change things in an interesting way in general and alter this recipe a bit.

stifle

jinglish does not have the choice of whether or not to go through immigration at LHR if he/she is connecting on to ABZ.

Calchas

I would get your bags interlined to ABZ by providing the second reservation when you check in.

Then simply follow the purple signs to T5 flight connections / UK&Ireland Connections on arrival. You will clear UK immigration in T5. You will also have a chance to collect your boarding pass in T5 if you did not receive it earlier.

If there are problems, BA will sort you out in Terminal 5. Don't bother with AA, this is two BA flights.

Yes if you are a pro there is a shortcut here or there but to be honest it's quite easy just to follow the signs.

If Customs have any inquiries, they will find you.

(If you do have goods to declare, you should do this proactively.)

miles_navigator

I am flying into LHR on AA and getting in at 9AM. My BA flight is at 1050am. All on same ticket. My gut tells me this is too tight at LHR especially if AA is late out of the US.

Have things improved over the years where this connection is possible or should I put us on the next BA flight so we will have 3 hours 45 mins for the connection instead of 1 hour 50 mins?