I have a inbound/connecting flight on BA both arrive/depart from T5 on 13 August (Saturday) arriving at 15:55 and departing LHR-JNB at 19:05. I’ll have my BP and baggage is checked through. Will 3 hrs 10 min (minus 20 mins for gate closure) be enough time to get from the plane through security and to the gate.

it will be more than enough. You’ll be through and in the airside departures area within the hour.

Thanks, that’s good to know. Do you know how long does it take to get from the departure area T5A-T5B and T5A-T5C via the train?

......

Hi

The train journey itself takes about 1 minute from T5A to T5B and 1 minute from T5B to T5C
You may have wait 5mins if you just miss a train

There are elevators and escalators from the T5A general departures area to the train platform.

If you want to you can also walk via the underground walkways ( there are some moving travelators in the passageway) accessbile via level -4

Regards

TBS

T5 to T3 with 1h45m - absolute nightmare
 

Usually the transfer is much smoother. Arrived in AA from JFK to T5 two minutes early with an hour and 45 minutes connection. Transfers from B gates aren't operating at the moment, so there's the shlep to A. The buses were also not running at full capacity, so there was a massive line of people - we had to wait for two buses. All in all, deplaning to arriving at T3 was a full hours.

Then the security line in T3: pandemonium. No fast track open, and only three security stands for hundreds of people. Some crying because they had been standing there for ages and about to miss their flights... We got through in 45 minutes, ran, and were the last two people on board (about 8 minutes before scheduled departure).

MCT from T5 to T3 is not currently 90 minutes, despite what Heathrow says - give yourself more like 2.5 to 3 hours, and that's without a delay of more than 15 minutes.

Sorry that this happened to you .. Is it true that AA will go back to T3 ?.. I have a connection from AA to BA in T3 LHR-GOT in Sept

Yes - AA moving all operations back to T3 on 12 July. You'll still have to go through security, but won't have the painful bus transfer.

can someone advise as to the T3-T5 MCT from BA-BA? Is it 90 minutes or something less?

yes it's 90 minutes between T3 and T5.

Officially yes that is correct BUT it seems that people are saying give your self at least 2 hours + depending on that time you arrive .. It’s like a buyer beware ..

Does transit at LHR seem to be better doing AA-BA (JFK-LHR-ATH) or the reverse BA-AA (ATH-LHR-JFK) or is it a horrible experience no matter which direction you are coming from?

Not sure about the reverse at the moment, but I just did a T5 to T3 transfer today (arriving at 11AM on BA from JFK) and the T3 transfer security took maybe 30-45 minutes. This is after the wait for the train from T5B to T5A, and the bus ride from T5 to T3.

This was, apparently, much better than the alternative today of clearing immigration, because passengers and staff were reporting 3-hour security wait times from landside, and there were a number of passengers in T3 transfer desk area who had missed their flights because of the security lines.

Domestic T5 to INTL T3
 

What is the process to connect from domestic T5 to INTL T3? All one ticket, BA to AA. Any difference from INTL T5 to INTL T3 or can I cut any corners?

no real difference between those two, on arrival at T5 follow the purple signs for flight connections T234, get the airside T3 bus, on arrival at T3 go through connection security and then you are in the departures area.

if arriving on an international you may arrive at the satellites T5B or T5C, and you can pick up the bus from T5B rather than head all the way to T5A.

Sorry if this is not the exact correct thread to ask this but I need to find out when I land on BA in T5 from IST at 630pm will I be able to remain/go air side and use the CCR lounge as I am on the 1230pm BA flight to LAX in F the next day. I wasnt planning on going into the city this time as 18 hours is so short. However, worried if I cant get airside what to do. I also would like to access T3 and check out the QF & CX lounges- would that be possible the night before or is that a hard no since its not even in the same terminal I am landing in.

Thanks.

If your boarding pass for the next flight is the next calendar day then you won't have access to any terminal airside area. There are a few exceptions but LHR is shut at night.

My choice in these circumstances would be to go into London and have a reasonable dinner, then head back to LHR for breakfast in the CCR the next morning. I likely would then skip most of the food service in flight and plan on a good meal when arriving at LAX. Even when flying F, I prefer quality restaurant meals to airplane food.

Or just get an airport hotel. Plenty of very decent options for not much.
A hotel bed vs. considering sleeping in the lounge? Only on FT.

Bummer but kind of what I thought. I knew the lounges werent 24/7 l like in the ME but was hoping maybe could at least enter air side 24 hours before. I will figure something else out.

I was hoping to have some good (or at least decent) food on BA in F. I thought they refreshed the F cabin and also made enhancements to the food. And I think that 1230pm flight might even get an Afternoon tea. I'll eat a lot before the flight just to be safe but it will only be able to be breakfast due to the time as I imagine lunch isnt beginning before I will have to leave for the gate.

With only 18 hours and coming off a 10 day trip I was thinking I could save a couple hundred bucks and just skip a hotel. Also, I was just recently in London so it wouldnt bother me if I didnt go into the city. If I could have hung 630 to 11/1130pm (not sure exactly when CCR closes) and then enter T3 lounges at 6am I could have swung 6 ish hours in the terminal overnight but 12 hours is too long. Maybe a cheap airport hotel could work.

I must admit I'm struggling with the logic here given that you are travelling in First. The cost of a hotel will be trivial in comparison and will serve to improve your experience in First the next day. The idea of dossing down for 6 hours in the terminal to save $100 is, well, bonkers. If the money is such a factor then book business class and you can stay in the Sofitel for a week or two. But if money is tight then have a look at the Thistle or Doubletree or Premier Inns.

Hotels look expensive . We’ll always In London that is my experience. And again since I was not planing on entering the city just was thinking about saving an airport hotel because I’ll sleep a lot on the plane I figure.

Oh and I used 85K miles no money. Just taxes which were just $270 I think cause of originating in IST not LHR. I wouldn’t pay 10K or whatever it is ever for BA F. I’m still regretting tbh doing BA because AA F was only $94 not $286 and now it looks like it’s not a new 777 , as seat map is showing 14. However I’m hoping for better food in BA F than AA and certainly better champagne.

Those miles may not be cash, but it's have a real value. This is still a trip with a value runing over a thousand dollars. You should be able to get a good quality, clean and safe hotel in the Heathrow area for under US$85.

Do all AA flights out of LHR depart from T3?
 

I'm just wondering if all AA-operated flights are flying out of LHR T3?

Yes, see here https://www.heathrow.com/at-the-airp...which-terminal

Yes. All AA flights go from T3.

LHR / London Heathrow Connection, MCT inc. BA T3 <--> AA T3
 

Hello,

Booked a BA / AA flight from an EU destination via LHR to the USA. The European leg carried by BA to LHR T3, the transatlantic leg by AA from LHR T3, all under the same booking reference. The times have been recently changed, so the connection time at LHR is just 60 minutes (however in line with MCT 60 minutes).
Please is this transfer doable under 60 minutes? Is there any security check even for passengers flying from EU and transferring to another non-UK destination?
What happens if I could not manage the transfer? Will AA me rebook to another flight free of charge?

Many thanks in advance.

Yes it's doable in 60 mins, yes you have to re-clear security, and yes AA will rebook you should you miss your connection. That said 60 mins doesn't leave any room for error, not sure where you're going to and from but if there are other options that give you a bit more time at LHR then I would probably call and switch.

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...-ba-ib-t5.html

We did this Wednesday at around 09:30. There was minimal staff on hand-1 ID checker and 2 screening lanes open. Still, there were no lines of significant length and we were through in 15 minutes.

That said, you need to factor in the time it takes to walk from security to the gate. In our case, it was 10 minutes to the CX Lounge and another 10 minutes + from there to the dead last gate 43. So I think in an absolute best case scenario, you would get to the gate 20 minutes into boarding, and LHR boarding tends to be a bit disorganized. If you are in J, you will likely have to pass through a queue of the clueless to get on. That takes time.

Considering the fact that there are few best case scenarios associated with LHR these days, not only would I not take an hour connection, we in fact passed on a 1.5 hour connection on this trip after a schedule change. Book a longer connection and lounge hop.

Thank you for all replies.
The original booking was with a longer connection at LHR. Unfortunately, the airline has changed the times to the tighter connection time (60 minutes).

I called BA (the whole booking is under BA even for flights operated by AA), They refused to rebook now. If I miss the connection, they'll rebook me on that very day.

Could anyone advise if an INV-LHR-JFK itinerary with LHR-JFK operated by AA from T3 would require re-clearing security after arrival from INV on BA into T5? I'm trying to determine if taking an AA flight with a 2.5h layover instead of a BA flight to JFK with a 3.5h layover will be worth it in light of the Terminal change and the potential for re-clearing security. I'm OWS if that's relevant.

Yes, I'm not aware of any connecting flight scenario at LHR where you don't have to re-clear security before the next flight.

Thank you. I was under the impression a domestic to international connection T5-T5 (in this case INV-LHR-JFK all on BA) would not require re-clearing security at LHR. Do I have that wrong?

Honestly not sure on that, I would ask over the BA forum.

Yes, you'd have to re-clear security at T3.

Domestic UK arrivals at T5 do not require re-clearing security to access T5 airside. Onward boarding pass is needed though.

You're not wrong.

So yes if you were arriving in to T5 on a domestic flight and connecting on to any other T5 flight you would not have to go through security, it is just a simple bp check and then straight up in to the airside departures area. It would be the same if arriving in to T2 on a domestic flight and connecting on to any other T2 flight.

The problem comes when you are changing to another terminal. Unfortunately there is no separate airside bus for domestic arrivals, so when you get the airside buses you are mixing with all those who have arrived on international flights. So when you get to T3 in your case unfortunately you will have to go through security at the connections centre along with all those who have arrived on international flights.

Looking at an AA flight from SAN to DFW to LHR and then moving over to BA and onward to BCN. They're showing a connection time in LHR of roughly 1.5 hours. That seems tight and possibly best avoided, or no?

They also have a slightly later AA flight from SAN to CLT to LHR and again then moving over to BA to a final destination of BCN. A couple of hours longer overall, but a 3 hour layover in LHR, which seems a lot better. True?