cysyuen

Thanks KARFA for the works you have!

Interesting thing to ask: Is it possible to ask the GA at T5B/C to go through connection at T5B/C so you can avoid the very long security lanes at T5A? (Of course it's international connection!)

corporate-wage-slave

Conformance is just a marker on your Ready To Fly record. Everyone flying out of T5 gets this record, whether landside or via Flight Connection or from domestic flights. Without the conformance marker then you will be offloaded from the aircraft and your bags won't be delivered to the aircraft either. It is hardwired at 35 minutes if proceeding from landside to security - you clear it by scanning your boarding pass on the entry gate at North or South. At Flight Connections, where the agent scans it for you at the front desk, it is generally 35 minutes too, but it is actually dynamic so if you are flying domestic from gate A6 it's going to be less time. It can be as low as 21 minutes if the flight is on time. If you fail Conformance (and you are nice to the agent) they can try to get your through anyway by making 2 telephone calls, but generally only if HBO and you look like you know what you are doing.

Separately from the above, BA monitor flights and automatically rebook people if they think their connection is hopeless. They sometimes get this wrong, but not often.

You can certainly ask, but the answer will be no if your next flight is from T5A. One person here did report being able to do this, but it's against the procedures.

KARFA

No problem, enjoy using the airside bus for optimum positioning for the bus to your hotel

It's useful to know the FCC route, but as you found going landside from DUB is just quicker.

Good idea DaveNCL, I will note it over there as well.

Thanks.

FallOfTheWall

I can now report back that using the airside bus worked smoothly and I'm now safely ensconced in my delightful £23.40 Travelodge room. ^

KARFA

Excellent.

The buses you can get from the central bus station cover a lot more of the hotels along Bath Road and elsewhere around LHR, whereas from T5 you have the 423 which covers a bit of Bath Road but that turns off at Harlington Corner.

kanderson1965

Excellent guide KARFA, I think the world needs you now to use your extensive experience to produce a guide to LBA for those drawn to visit GOC.

KARFA

Thanks, and good idea!

LAX/HKG

Thanks KARFA for an excellent guide.^^^

How do I find out about gate information for a particular flight? Tried the LHR official website and only terminal info is given.

KARFA

Do you mean a flight in the past or in the future? Gates are not announced until 60-90 minutes before the flight. There are some guidelines in one of the posts for which gates flights may leave from.

Globaliser

And for the avoidance of doubt, they can be different from day to day - so past performance is no guide to the future.

Long-haul flights tend to have gate numbers earlier than short-haul flights, although they are often not announced to the public areas until the 60-90 minute timeframe that KARFA mentions. You can sometimes find these out by asking staff at check-in or the customer service counters (or in the lounge).

But the facilities in the main building are generally better than those in the satellites, anyway, and IME there is absolutely no advantage to be gained in getting to the gate (or even the correct satellite, if applicable) very early, with one exception: if you have access to the Club lounges (but not the First lounge or the Concorde Room), then knowing that your flight goes from the B satellite means that you can go early to the lounge in that satellite, which is usually quieter and more pleasant than the others. (Some also do this if departing from the C satellite.)

FallOfTheWall

The LHR official app has gate information but only within the time frame described by KARFA and Globaliser.

QueenOfCoach

Since you have "LAX" in your user name, I am guessing you might be used to connections in American airport, just as I am. When I have to connect in DFW or ORD, I often look up the flights a day or so ahead of time to see where that day's flights are arriving and departing. Thus, I can sort of plan my connection. The gates may differ on the actual day of flight, but often my advance planning is correct.

Wishing to do the same for an LHR connection, like you, I tried to find today's gates on the LHR website just as I usually do on aa.com. No luck.

I posed that question here in this forum, and some kind soul directed me to the Heathrow app. I downloaded it and learned how to use it.

Essentially, gates at LHR are very dynamic. They are not at all predictable. The only time anyone "needs" to know a gate assignment for a given flight is if that person is physically in the airport. Thus, gates are announced on the TV monitors and PA system within the departure lounge. The Heathrow app is designed for a person similarly already in the airport.

I was curious to see if there was any kind of pattern. For about two weeks, every day, I entered "my" flight into the Heathrow app and set it to alert me when the gate was announced. I made a note of the gate assignment that day. After doing this for two weeks, I noticed a pattern, all right. There was no pattern. The flight left from almost every gate in T5A and a couple of times from T5B. It was apparently random.

My desire was to visit the BA Galleries Lounge closest to my eventual departure gate, or failing that, simply sit in the departure lounge in the general vicinity of the departure gate.

Here is what I do, now. When I go through the pre-Security clearance in T5, just before the queue to the escalator, I just ask the person checking my BP if they have any idea what gate might be assigned to the flight. I indicate I know that gates can change and that I will keep a close eye on the TV monitors. That person can usually tell me that "Gate Axx has been penciled in" or similar tentative language. That gives me enough info to know I should sit in either the north or south area of the departure lounge, thus shortening my walk to the gate once it is officially announced.

I got the Heathrow app for my iPhone from the iTunes app store. It's free of charge. Look for a light purple icon.

KARFA

There are some general guidelines for what flights use which gates in post #2 which may help plan a connection. For example domestic flights and DUB flights can only go from certain gates, so you may get some idea.

LAX/HKG

Thanks for all the replies!

I will be flying LAX-LHR-AMS, all on BA metals (BA282 & BA438), with an A380 scheduled for the LAX-LHR segment.

On the return it will be AMS-LHR-LAX, with AMS-LHR on BA (BA429) and LHR-LAX on AA (AA135).

Since I read from a previous post that an A380 usually goes to 5C, so I am just trying to see if LHR-AMS will be at 5C thus avoiding the connection zoo at 5A.

BTW, based on my itinerary and a US passport holder, I should probably stay on airside for the connection? There will be 2 adults and 2 children in my party.

QueenOfCoach

See CWS' excellent guide to a T5C-T5C connection.

From that thread:

LHR-AMS is not long haul, so I would like to bet your chances of a T5C-T5C connection are slim to none. If you want to do some research, then get the Heathrow app and put in "your" LHR-AMS flight and request notifications. Do that for about a week to see where that flight typically departs. When I did that for LHR-DUS for two weeks, most of the departures were from T5A, with a few from T5B. Occasionally, I have flown to other European destinations like AMS, CPH or BRU. All of those flights have departed from T5A.

But, don't take my word for it. Check it out for yourself.

This part I know very well, as I fly LAX-LHR-DUS and back every year, usually on AA135. AA flights depart from T3. Last year I arrived and departed from Gate 35, FYI. Upon arrival in T5 from AMS, you just follow the purple Flight Connections signs to the bus departure lounge, then get on the bus and ride to T3. Off the bus there, and follow signs to the T3 Security checkpoint, then into the departure lounge or an airline lounge if you qualify.

Yes, absolutely. I can see no reason to go landside especially as you are not a UK or EU citizen. Just stick with the purple Flight Connections signs and you'll be fine. I trust you do not have an overnight connection in London.

I'd like to add that in my humble opinion, T5A is not that much of a "zoo". It's hectic, yes, but there are plenty of uniformed employees that are available for questions and can speed you on your way. If you get a bit confused, just ask one of them. I have found them to be polite and helpful.