Transfer from T5 to T3 - is 90mins really enough?
 

Up to now my ABZ>LHR>DEN connection has always been within T5. But from October BA is moving Denver flights to T3. About to book my Christmas week trip from ABZ - should I risk the 09.05 (arr 10.50) from ABZ departure which gives me the absolute minimum 90min connection to get the 12.20 to Denver or the red eye at 06.30 which has a huge margin of safety but makes for a very long day. I assume that unlike T5 domestic to T5 international that I will have to clear security at T3.

Advice please from those who make this transfer. I'm planning a Monday trip and there is no longer a Tue departure to Denver should I miss the connection.

Without any delays in arriving, I believe that it is sufficient. Only setback would be limited time at the lounge (or no time). I have done it (int to int) with a 60 mins connection time.

Cheers!

From the domestic gates to T3 should take you 45 minutes or so by airside bus. So at that point, if the flight is on time you should have 20 minutes or so in the T3 lounge. The only real problem is if the ABZ flight is delayed, you have about 20 - 30 minutes slack only. Just have your boarding pass for the USA ready on leaving the ABZ flight, they will check it after leaving the jetty and going through the glass doors for Flight Connections.

You have to re-enter through security at T3, and is a laborious task compared to The T5 transfers you have currently had. 90 minutes should be more than enough though, especially as you have fast track through T3 security.

Downside of missing connection greatly outweighs downside of 'a very long day' (spent sitting). Average weather conditions in Aberdeen Christmas week? First flight out tends to have few delays? Simples. Take the 6.30 and mitigate the length of the day with a nap.

Has anyone done this in the last couple of days?

I'm sure I'd heard there would be a better T5- T3 bus service now that there are more BA flights from there

I agree - I usually do an ex-AMS to DEN to go skiing and take the first flight out of AMS. The DEN flight is long enough for a nap to recover.

I have this week experienced multiple flights delayed 2-3 hour, well a bit below 3h so no EU-comp ;)

A safe connection at LHR is probably 8h transit time. Anything less will be a gamble.

The OP of the following thread did it yesterday:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...nnections.html

It's not ideal, but they aren't going to keep you waiting around Heathrow for a few days waiting for the next direct to DEN. Assuming you show up in ABZ on time for you flight but it's delayed causing you to miss the connection, you'll just get booked on a flight to some hub elsewhere in the states and connect via a domestic. Not the end of the world by any means.