missypoo

Hi everyone;

I'm new to Flyertalk and am hoping someone here can give me a 'real world' answer to my question.

We are flying from Seattle to London to Rome on BA and I'm trying to figure out:

1) when we land at Heathrow, do we have to go through customs there or wait until we get to Rome 6 hours later? We arrive at terminal 5, so - will we stay at Terminal 5?

2) We have two hours between our landing and the time our flight leaves for Rome. Is that enough time? The BA agent said yes but I'm getting concerned. We are traveling Business/One World so hopefully there's a little benefit built in.

Thanks very much for your help.

FlyingHoustonian

If all on a BA ticket and metal as you posted then you will do customs at Roma which will involve you walking out the exit with the green line presuming you have nothing to declare. There is a chance they could pull your bags since you will not have green luggage tags for search or x-ray but that tends to happen more often at the smaller Italian airports and is doubtful to happen at FCO.

IIRC terminal 5 will let you transit without crossing the UK border so you will do immigration at Roma, which you would do anyway coming from LHR since it is not Schengen.

2 hours should be fine.

Christopher

Welcome to FT, missypoo.

If you are flying on a BA ticket and BA aircraft all the way, your luggage will be checked through to Rome, and your flight from Seattle will land at Terminal 5 and your onward flight to Rome will leave from the same terminal. You will not pass through immigration (passport control) or customs in London (even if you did have to change terminals) because the UK, although in the EU, is not in the Schengen area. You may, however, have to go through a security check.

Two hours will be ample time assuming that your flight from Seattle is not very delayed. Even if it is, assuming you are travelling onward on the same ticket, BA will put you on the next available flight to Rome anyway.

So you will go through immigration/passport control in Rome, then collect any checked-in luggage, and then go through customs. Unless you have anything to declare to customs, you should take the green channel, and it is unlikely that you will be stopped.

emma69

The last times I have been though Heathrow T5, I have been directed through security again for a connecting flight - it may be wise to skip duty free purchases, as I watched several people have theirs confiscated last time (having no access to the checked bags). I don't know why they did it, but it was a pain, and lots of people had to throw things away (luckily mine was just a diet coke!)

wrp96

When you land at LHR follow the purple flight connections signs. You will have to go through security but not immigration. 2 hours is fine to make a connection at LHR.

alanR

Here's the process taken form the Heathrow website

You will not pass through immigration
You will not pass through customs
You will not have to collect and recheck luggage
You will pass through security
You will have liquids > 100ml confiscated unless you buy them airside at an EU airport or on an EU airline flight (so if you are flying BA buy on the plane, not at the US airport)

obscure2k

Please continue to follow this thread in the BA forum
Thanks,
Obscure2K
Travelbuzz Moderator

MNManInKen

Yes, the BA flight from SEA arrives at T5 and your FCO flight leaves from T5 as well.

You will need to go through security, but will not cross the UK border. Your bags will be checked through to Rome. Just follow flight connections in T5.

Yes, that will be fine and if all goes well you should get some time in the lounge at LHR.