Jamieharvey

Thank you CWS for the quick and detailed reply. Just to be certain I've understood correctly - effectively no passport check is required as if one is entitled to be in Ireland, one is automatically entitled to be in the UK under the CTA agreement? I.e., I will have effectively entered the UK when I enter Irelend on the positioning flight to DUB.

Many thanks, and sorry if it appears I'm being slow on the uptake, I just don't like to risk these things!

corporate-wage-slave

No worries, I guess this is your first visit to Ireland. But yes, normally no passports required in the Ireland to UK direction, there is (for different reasons) in the other direction. There are exceptions, hence my final paragraph, depending on nationality, age, sanctions' lists, Home Secretary exclusions and length of transfer. Illegal visitors are illegal whether in UK or Ireland, whether in an airport or not. But leaving aside these various exceptions, most people entitled to be in Ireland are able to visit the UK without a passport check. Along with that, incidentally, is that entry into Ireland is largely (but not totally) aligned with the UK, so most people unable to visit the UK cannot visit Ireland either.

Wikipedia has a detailed explanation of the CTA.

Jamieharvey

Great - thank you very much for you help.

BertieBadger

Thanks also for answering a question I had. I'm fairly hopeful of hitting Gold in the first half of 2018, which would open up access to the First Wing for me. When travelling solo, most of my experience of LHR security is connecting INT->DOM, almost entirely from USA/Canada up to GLA/EDI. I've read the excellent information in post #8 about the merits of going via FCC vs landside. Until now I've always used the FCC route (i.e through the newish e-gates, past the biometric BP check, then up the "fast track" escalator on the right and into the general security area)

Since most of my connections tend to be on the longer side, it sounds very much like my experience would be improved by going landside, and - assuming I've got to BAEC Gold - using the First Wing? I appreciate that option was not around when the guide was first written.

Speaking of which, is post #8 possibly out of date? It mentions there are no e-gates on an INT->DOM connection, but there are 5 or so on the left hand side now, assuming I'm thinking of the same bit as the guide.

KARFA

So the two things that have changed since I originally wrote this are the first wing and the installing of e-passport gates for immigration when connecting to a DOM/DUB flight. First wing is very good and tbh when I come in to the FCC if the arrivals e-passport gates are not too busy I will usually head landside then up to the first wing. However, connections is not as bad as it used to be as they have put in 4/5 e-passport gates so if you have an EU/EEA passport there is no longer that choke point. I would probably still go landside.

I should be updating the guide in the next week or two btw so I will include some of these changes since it was written.

BertieBadger

It definitely seems improved with the e-gates, I can recall it was common to be queuing quite a good few minutes to see the Border Agency officers there. The choke point now seems to be security, where as far I can tell, the only thing "fast track" is the use of the escalator?

Thanks for creating such useful guides, the effort is much appreciated by this poster ^ If/when I reach Gold, I'll give the First Wing route a try on my next trip after that, assuming not close to an MCT transfer.

KARFA

I am at last updating this guide. I have a question for DUB arrivals. When I wrote this A23 was a dedicated DUB arrival gate, and D22 was configurable as a DUB or INT arrival gate. I seem to remember someone said A22 has now been configured as INT only - is that correct? Have the sliding doors been removed?

Saltire74

KARFA

nufnuf77

I see you make good use of your weekends young @KARFA!

KARFA

Surgee

A quick question about an upcoming layover. I have an upcoming 9.5 hour layover at Hearthrow, landing on BA around 5am at T5 and departing again around 230pm from T5 on BA. Am hoping to meet some London based friends Landside for brunch, but they won't arrive until perhaps 930am, so I have 4+ hours to spend first. Would prefer to not go landside immediately, as I do have T5 airside lounge access (priority pass) and it would be nice to use the lounge especially off an overnight TATL.

Is option 1 above my best option?

Have considered crossing immigration and going landside upon landing and then going over to T2 or T4 (via Heathrow express) where there is a priority pass arrivals lounge I could presumably use, but this seems a trek as well.

I hold a US passport so entering UK should not be a problem. Am flying economy with no BA lounge access, though I will make Silver this trip (just not in time for this layover!)

Thanks for any advice.
-Surgee

Thanks for any advice

KARFA

The above bit you quoted relates to passengers who are in the airside departures area. When you arrive at T5 you will be airside but you will be in the arrivals area so in the FCC which is shown in post 4 - departing and arriving passengers are segregated at LHR.

I think you have a few options. One is to just go through immigration and head over to T2 (tube or Heathrow Express) to use the priority pass arrivals lounge - I wouldn’t bother with T4 unless that lounge is significantly superior simply because it is much easier to get to T2 than T4.

Alternatively you could head through connections and security in to the airside departures area and use the priority pass lounge in T5 for a few hours. Then if you want to leave for a few hours I would strongly suggest you take the escorted route as they will ensure you are properly unmarked as ‘Ready to Fly’. Then you will be escorted down through immigration and be able to meet your friends.

When you have finished just go up to departures and back through security - obviously get back and go through security at least 35 minutes before your flight so you meet conformance. If you took the option 2 route using the TTS you wouldn’t be unmarked as ‘Ready to Fly’ and when you try and come back through security the system won’t let you in as it will think you are already airside - it is possible to sort this out but it would be unnecessary hassle.

Ldnn1

There is another variant of this (as noted in your post 10) - take the flight connections bus to T2 airside and go through immigration there for the PP Arrivals lounge. Could be the quickest option especially if arriving at T5B.

KARFA

That's true. If Surgee wants to head to the T2 PP arrivals lounge that's a very good way to do it rather than heading to T5, going through immigration there, and taking the tube/HEX to T2.