sfvoyage

Yes, I will be connecting at LHR T5 for the 1st time next week. I didn't know that gate assignments are not made with much advanced notice, so that's good to know!

flarmip

The gate assignments are (usually) made a fair amount of time beforehand. They are just hidden from public view in order to entice people to spend more money in the shops! A more minor secondary benefit is that it allows BA to play musical chairs with the gates if there are delays, but I don't think that is the real reason for hiding them.

There is a way of seeing gate assignments ahead of time - you can use the BA Wayfinding tool up to 2 days before departure and it will tell you the planned gate. You'll sometimes see this change a couple of times on the day of departure so it's not a "bible" but it gives you some idea.

Incidentally the Wayfinding tool also tells you planned arrival gates so you can see the path you can anticipate to take

The best thing I can advise is to download the Heathrow app and save your departure on there, as you'll get instant notifications as soon as anything changes about the gate (e.g. it's published).

Amarillo By Morning

Hello.

BA 194 (IAH-LHR) (arriving at 0650 on a Monday near the end of April) in F; connecting to BA 572 (LHR-MXP) (departing 0905) in CE. Hoping to have enough time for CCR access, but perfectly fine stopping by another lounge (or skipping altogether) if time is limited. Solo traveler, toting a backpack and 1 other carryon.

I have gone back through recent threads and also searched the BA and LHR websites. Apologies if I missed this, but just double-checking:

1. If I use the FCC in T5A, should I expect that FastTrack will likely be open?

2. Should I anticipate that the F wing will reopen by the end of April?

3. Am I eligible to use the First Wing (even though I am only arriving on F and connecting to CE)?

4. I see a difference of opinion regarding going landside and then re-entering through the F wing v. using the T5A FCC. Thoughts?

Thank you for your time.

Amarillo By Morning

I second this comment. I was monitoring my wife's connection at LHR last week (AUS-LHR-FCO); the LHR app announced the FCO flight before the departure board in the terminal (where she was sitting), the gate itself (upon her arrival), and the departure board on the LHR website (which I was monitoring).

KARFA

TFW is now reopen already/

yes as you are arriving in F you can use TFW and can use the CCR.

personally i would go landside if you have access to the e-passport gates.

corporate-wage-slave

1) Yes
2) It has already re-opened.
3) Yes
4) Indeed there are different opinions, and you are allowed your own. There's no right or wrong about it, personally I go landside, most people don't.

mabramovich

What’s general consensus on a landslide vs airside connection at T5? We’re connecting Europe to USA which should be T5 to T5 with a lap infant in First. We will have lots of liquids for the baby. Is it just less worrisome to enter the UK and use the first wing? US and CAN passports I think can use the gates?

corporate-wage-slave

You will find a lot of opinions on this upthread, but to summarise, if you have over an hour you may want to consider using the First Wing, otherwise use Flight Connections. First Wing has CT scanners, as does the usual (but not guaranteed) channel for Flight Connections, but reasonable liquids can be carried for the baby and security is well used to that. USA and CAN passports can use the e-gates, but the baby has to go via a staffed booth, which may make this less attractive to go landside.

zymm

Connecting ORD-LHR-JER in a couple weeks. I'll be on separate tickets arriving on AA in T3, then it looks like LHR-JER on BA usually departs from the A gates in T5. I'm guessing this would be exactly the same as any other INT-INT connection and I wouldn't need to clear immigration unless I opt to go landside?

I'm OWE (via Alaska) so assuming I'll still have F lounge access despite this only being an hour flight?

flarmip

JER is a Crown Dependency, sort of equivalent to Puerto Rico or Guam viz-a-viz the US. It's within the Common Travel Area (which also includes Ireland), so for passport control purposes it is treated as a domestic destination.

This means you'll have to go through immigration when connecting off an international flight at LHR. You can do this in 3 ways:

1. By following the "Arrivals"/"Baggage reclaim" signage in T3, going through immigration in T3, transferring landside to T5 using the free Tube or National Rail services (both run 6 times an hour, taking about 5 mins), and then going to Departures in T5.
2. By following the "Flight connections" signage in T3, taking the airside bus to T5 (it runs every 5-10 mins, taking about 10 mins), and then following the "Arrivals"/"Baggage reclaim" signage in T5, going through immigration in T5, and then going back to Departures in T5.
3. By following the "Flight connections" signage in T3, taking the airside bus to T5 (it runs every 5-10 mins, taking about 10 mins), and then entering the "UK & Ireland Connections" channel at Flight Connections in T5. You'll go through immigration there in Flight Connections before going through security.

The third option is the "default" one that the signage at LHR will lead you towards, but the advantage of approaches 1 and 2 is that you can use the First Wing in T5 Departures as a OWE status holder. This provides you with a dedicated security lane (faster than the usual Fast Track) which leads directly into the First lounge.
​​​​​​
On paper there's Fast Track security at T5 Flight Connections but in practice you almost always end up mixing with the "regular" Flight Connections security channel. Sometimes you even end up mixing with the general Departures security channel - so there can be a bit of a wait.

Therefore I'd suggest option 2. There's a bit of walking and some escalators/lifts involved whichever way you do it, but it's probably the best option all things considered.

The only time I'd go for option 3 over 2 is if your inbound flight is late but still have a chance of making your connecting flight. You have to scan your boarding pass at the barriers before Departures security or the entrance to Flight Connections at least 35 minutes before your onward flight's scheduled departure time. Your biometrics are also taken at that point (these are then verified again at the barriers at the gate - this is how international and domestic departures are allowed to mix).

So if you get to the Arrivals/Flight Connections corridor 40 minutes before departure, you'll be able to meet the deadline at the FC barriers but it's unlikely you'd make it at Departures.

OTOH if you have definitely missed your connection and want to speak to an agent to rebook, you'll be better off going via option 3 as the Customer Service desks at Flight Connections often have huge queues - whereas I've never once seen a queue (of any material length) at the First Wing check-in desks.

TBH I'd suggest getting an Economy Plus or Business class cash ticket for your JER flight as either of these will allow you a free change on the day (FCOD - see FAQ thread) to any other flight with available seats. You just need to make the change at least an hour before the flight you are currently booked on, and at least an hour before the flight you want to change to. That will give you a lot more peace of mind in case your inbound flight is late.

Note that FCOD is only available if your booking is a point-to-point one-way or return. It doesn't work if your booking involves connections, or is open jaw (even to/from different London airports, e.g. out from LHR and back to LGW). So only a LHR-JER or LHR-JER-LHR booking would qualify for FCOD.

zymm

Thank you!
I have about 4 hours to connect, which should be plenty to do option 2. LHR-JER is an award flight in J, so worst case scenario I get that refunded and overpay for a last minute flight. Looking at the pricing on that route it's within my risk tolerance, although obviously better if I don't have to

KARFA

yes so the short version is, read JER in for DUB in the guide. both are common travel area, and for both ORD-LHR-JER or ORD-LHR-DUB you would go through immigration at LHR.

i would do 2 as well.

MBDublin

Anyone know what time the T5 to T4 airside bus runs to? Arriving into T5 at 10.30pm and staying at the CP T4 before flying out to Dub with EI the next morning. I assume that the airside bus is plan A, TFL bus plan B and underground plan C.

KARFA

there won’t be any airside buses running at that time - if you think about it there won’t be any connections beyond 9pm really. There is a number to call to request a bus beyond about 8.30pm, but I don’t know how quickly they come. Personally I would recommend going landside and getting a 482/490 bus to t4 - there is usually one every 10-15 minutes at that time.

rev29k

We have a flight JFK - IST, connecting in LHR. It appears likely that the JFK-LHR flight will park at the T5B Concourse. We have a 6 hour layover and were hoping to be able to use the T5B Lounge until we need to leave, then head to T5A. Is this something that is possible? Is there a way to take a lift to the Departures Level and get in from there? From what I can tell on the LHR interactive terminal map, it looks like at arrival we could head towards arrival Gate B45 and take the single lift by that gate up one level to Level 2-Departures and the walk around towards the West side of the terminal and grab the lifts there by BA Customer Service to get into the T5B Club Lounge. Is this possible or am I not understanding the layout or map correctly? Or if someone knows a different way, could you please share if you do? I know there is the trick of going down to Level -4 and taking the walkway from T5A to 5B or 5C. Is that what I need to do? Go down there, switch elevators and then go back up to Level-2? Any help or suggestion are very much appreciated.