hi all.
The LAX LHR flight landed an hour lAAte. 🤦
And then 45 minutes to get our priority-tagged bags.

but we still managed to make it to T2 for our next flight and checked bags etc.
It was really close.

Thank you for the help from the forum!

I have a 1:05 connection within T3 on Thursday morning (BUD-LHR-JFK, LHR-JFK on AA metal). Was reading that BA bumped up their MCT to 75 minutes but I booked my ticket through AA who sold me this 65 minute connection on one ticket. How tight is this gonna be? I'm on a business class ticket and am OWS for priority purposes.

The MCT for a T3-T3 BA-AA connection is 1:00, so it is a legal connection.

1:05 is tight and doesn't leave much room for error but like most of these questions you'll make it assuming you're on time and no major backups at security. I've done a few ~1 hr T3-T3 connections in the past.

The biggest risk IMO is going through security at LHR if your carry-on bag gets pulled aside for secondary screening, this can easily add an extra 10-20 (to 30) mins of time wasted at security, depending on how backed up they are.

tbh you are kind of stuck with it now. as long as you are on time or no more than say 15-20 minutes late stepping off, you should be ok. caveat is you may get unlucky with the gates and find you have a long walk from arriving to flight connections, and another long walk to your departing plane. mornings do tend to be busier at flight connections unfortunately. at the end of the day you should have same day options on AA or BA to JFK if you miss your booked flight.

💯 accurate.

Make SURE you have all your liquids out of your bag if you're not Fast Track (where the new machines are in use and you shouldn't have to take liquids out).

The OP would be going via flight connections security - there is no fast track there and there are no new machines there. the fast track coming from landside does now have new machines, but i would not recommend the OP try to go landside on this connection.

Thank you! I haven't connected inside T3 in quite some time, so I did not know this about the flight connection security. 👍🏼

That's for T5-T5 connections only.

Just wanted to update this, I did make the connection and T3 transit security has the new machines now.

Transiting LHR, US to Europe?
 

Connecting LHR from AA to BA and on to Spain. Do I have to pass British immigration or customs? Will AA be able to check bag thru from US to my Spanish destination where customs and immigration will be handled there?

You will have to pass through a passport checkpoint as well as reclear security.

AA will be able to check your bag straight through, assuming it's on one single reservation all the way through.

No you do not clear UK immigration or customs at LHR. Your bag will be tagged all the way to Spain if everything is booked on the same ticket.

You don’t have to clear immigration but everyone has to clear security (except transit pax from UK domestic flights in the same terminal).

When doing the T3<->T5 transfer, some people prefer to clear immigration and take a landside train, especially when they see the flight connection buses backed up, they have passports for LHR e-passport control, and they are eligible for First Wing (OWE)

Forgive me, I may well be wrong, but I don't think they'll have to go through passport control when arriving on a non-UK and connecting to a non-UK flight. The Heathrow buses should be able to handle that connection without having to enter the UK. (Of course, they will need to go through security again.)

But the definitive answer can be found on the Heathrow connections website, which gives you step-by-step guide involving your particular flights.

ETA: the posters above beat me to it!

Thanks all for the info. Since it appears that changing terminals is likely and I’m not familiar with LHR, would wheelchair assistance for a senior be useful in speeding me to my connecting flight?

For LHR you just follow the purple flight connections signs they tell you what to do.

If you need wheelchair assistance then get it but it won’t speed up your connection between terminals. In fact it would probably slow you down. You end up spending time at a lot of different way points waiting to be pushed to the next spot.

Also look at this section of the BA forum transit guide:
​​​​​​https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brit...l#post25935803

We just did this at LHR as my partner is in a walking cast and can walk only with great difficulty. The short answer is, if you have have mobility issues, yes, it will probably speed up your transfer, especially if there's a long line at security, where you will get cuts to the front of the line. The downside is that like pretty much everything at LHR, it's a battle. Rather than being met at the gate, I had to go to the mobility assistance desk to get them to assign a wheelchair, even though the reservation had been marked for wheelchair assistance.

but i think you are pointing out the problem. you may be able to cut a line a security, but as you noted you will be waiting at every other stage much longer.

by all means if you need assistance, then of course book it. but if you can manage without, i think it is best to avoid it.

Walking distance?
 

Was able to book a 4 hour connection, AA to BA at LHR, so I should have plenty of time either way.

Net, net it's probably a crapshoot whether the security line cuts (and several other shortcuts) make up for the wait for a wheelchair, depending in particular on how line the lines are. I do agree that mobility assistance should be requested by those who need it, not those looking for line cuts.

As does T2 for those headed that way.

Flying LCA-LHR-ORD-BDL and BDL-ORD-LHR-LCA. All flights are business class except ORD-LHR which is First class. AA ticket but LCA-LHR-ORD and ORD-LHR-LCA are BA metal. Flights arrive and depart LHR Terminal 5. Will I have to go through security in LHR both directions?

Yes, when making a connection at LHR you always have to re-clear security, even for same terminal connections.

This is maybe obtuse as a connecting flight query but I didn’t want to start a new thread.

In a couple of days we’re flying LHR-SOF-BOS-LAX, all on one (BA/125) ticket but with LHR-BOS-LAX on AA.

LHR-SOF is in an evening, overnight connection then on to AA the next day approx 11:45am. We’re not checking bags from Sofia but will check one at LHR the next day.

We’re planning a lazy morning before the Boston flight in the lounges for breakfast etc- would AA’s check in let us drop bags >2hrs before the flight? I would assume yes, but wanted to check if there was a time that each flight opened for bag drop/check in. Will need document checking and my husband has a US visa so will take some time from past experience (I’ve got an ESTA).

Thanks in advance!

Yes, with AA it's no problem to check-in 2+ hours before departure. Any cities with check-in time limits are listed here but LHR isn't one of them.

Thank you!

Is this really worth it?
It is quite the walk to the underground station near T3 (and it can be confusing for a first timer)...like 25 mins at least? and then wait for the train and the train ride itself?
All for the dedicated security line and the perceived sense of exclusivity of the First Wing?

I’m with you. I don’t think it is worth the effort. Transiting at LHR is often not fun, but I’m hard pressed to believe that clearing immigration and then reentering through security is worth it as compared to just clearing security. But YMMV.

best to use HEX/crossrail, the station is much closer to T3 than the tube station. It doesn't take 25 minutes from getting landside at T3 to getting to platform level, more like 7-10 minutes at most.

you can still use TFW even if you get the airside bus to T5. when you get to T5 just take the normal arrivals route rather than heading to connections.

personally, unless it is later than 2000, i will use the airside bus and then head landside at T5 and up to use TFW. heading in the other direction, for a UK/DUB/JER arrival in to T5 i will head landside and then HEX/crossrail to T3, for any other arrival I will probably use the airside bus to get to T3.

I do it for arrivals lounge access off US flights, both arrivals lounges are better IMO than the airside lounges in T5, the First Wing is then an added benefit.

From gate 25 to HEX platform it took me around 25 minutes, I did not know my way around much.
According to the Heathrow maps directions, it takes 17 mins.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...01e81ca56a.png

I think you walk fast and know your way very well.

better than the Concord Room? (which I assume you can access too, if you can access the First Wing)?
I've only used once the AA arrivals lounge and I thought it was just a lounge. Wouldn't go out of my way to stop by during a connection.

CCR requires being in first class, First Wing allows access to OWE as well (for lounge access, OWE only get First Lounge access not CCR access).

Many passengers can access the First Wing but not the CCR. And some of us don’t really understand what the big deal is about the CCR. I do use it when I have access, but it doesn’t bother me in the least when I don’t.

So as others have noted first wing has much wider access than CCR.

The showers at AAs arrivals lounge are much better than the T5 BA showers. Unlike the airside lounges I've never waited for a shower at either arrivals lounge. And both arrivals lounges are much quieter than the airside T5 BA First lounge.

ah so you were talking about stepping off the plane to getting to the platform. that very much depends on which gate you arrive at since some are quite a long way away from immigration and the flight connection airside buses.

from 25 that still sounds like a lot considering it is one of the closest to immigration.

Cart service
 

was watching a u tube made by a person doing the transfer using the bus. It appeared that the corridors were very long both to the bus and then to the T5 gate area. I did see a waiting cart. Wouldn’t it be faster for traveling the corridors?

Whether they use the cart or not depends on many things. I've had them use the cart - but that still involved sitting and waiting while every person in need of assistance got off the plane. The cart then took us all to connections, where we then sat waiting in another area to be taken onward. Then yet again at another spot to be taken onward. Cart or wheelchair, there's a lot of waiting at various points for the next person to take you onwards. They also have different types of carts they use. Wheelchair assistance at LHR is provided by a company called Wilson James and is consistently inconsistent.

Staying in T3 after landing before flight out of T5
 

Fellow FT'ers,

After 3M miles I probably should know this - but I'm curious what everyone's recent experience or expertise says.

I land on AA100 from JFK at 6am tomorrow, and my connecting flight on BA isn't until 2pm. I would prefer to stay in T3 for lounges, showers, food, etc. I know you have to scan your boarding pass and it says WRONG TERMINAL sometimes. Is there any way to stay in T3? Tell them I'm meeting a friend? Want to shop in T3? Exit landside and then re-enter in T3?

I have plenty of time - so open to all ideas....

Thanks!