Landing yourself at LHR when you missed/haven't taken your flight
Mar 24, 2018, 1:27 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: BG
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Posts: 827
Landing yourself at LHR when you missed/haven't taken your flight
Is it possible once you have checked in and cleared baggage screening to go back through security to passport control and is this relatively easy?
It's a bit complicated but the reason I ask is that I am a British expat and will be flying TXL-LHR-SFO next month with a 6 hour layover in LHR. My sister lives in London and i'd like to see her, if only for a few hours. I will be with my Ukrainian wife and 2 children and we have 3 gold card holders and 1 silver between the 4 of us. As my wife is Ukrainian and would need a visa for the UK, I had an idea to buy my sister a reward flight somewhere so that she could get air-side and meet up with us, thus avoiding the visa situation for my wife. This also then leads to the possibility of guesting her into the first lounge which makes the outlay on the ticket/avios worthwhile.
It's either this, or leave my wife in the first lounge alone for a few hours, while I take the kids to meet sis. I'm really just thinking about options right now and probably won't go for the throwaway ticket option, really just wanted any ideas.
It's a bit complicated but the reason I ask is that I am a British expat and will be flying TXL-LHR-SFO next month with a 6 hour layover in LHR. My sister lives in London and i'd like to see her, if only for a few hours. I will be with my Ukrainian wife and 2 children and we have 3 gold card holders and 1 silver between the 4 of us. As my wife is Ukrainian and would need a visa for the UK, I had an idea to buy my sister a reward flight somewhere so that she could get air-side and meet up with us, thus avoiding the visa situation for my wife. This also then leads to the possibility of guesting her into the first lounge which makes the outlay on the ticket/avios worthwhile.
It's either this, or leave my wife in the first lounge alone for a few hours, while I take the kids to meet sis. I'm really just thinking about options right now and probably won't go for the throwaway ticket option, really just wanted any ideas.
Mar 24, 2018, 1:36 pm
#2
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Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: London
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Many of us have done this. I have done it twice, both times so I could review lounges but not fly.
Go to the ticket desk in the middle of T5 at gate level and say you want out. Your meeting is cancelled. Once an hour they do a walk out - this is mainly smokers in transit who need a fag so badly they are willing to reclear security. No one blinks an eyelid.
Go to the ticket desk in the middle of T5 at gate level and say you want out. Your meeting is cancelled. Once an hour they do a walk out - this is mainly smokers in transit who need a fag so badly they are willing to reclear security. No one blinks an eyelid.
Mar 24, 2018, 1:38 pm
#3
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Cumbria
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Posts: 4,510
Or simply get the transit to T5c and then back and land yourself into the arrival channel. I know others who have done this with no issue. I’ve also done T3 which is even easier.
Mar 24, 2018, 1:42 pm
#4
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Manchester,UK
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Posts: 45
Surely it’s feasible to book an avios one way domestic flight for your sister, meet up use the lounge and let your sister ‘miss’ her flight, then head home ?
Mar 24, 2018, 1:45 pm
#5
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Cumbria
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Mar 24, 2018, 1:46 pm
#6
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Mar 24, 2018, 1:55 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: BG
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I was looking at options and couldn't find less than 57 GBP (to Belfast) or 56 GBP to BCN on my date (29 April, although i havent looked that hard). I think i'd prefer the 4,000 avios and 17.50 GBP option.
Mar 24, 2018, 1:55 pm
#8
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Kyiv, Ukraine
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If you book an overnight connection (that is, if you have not booked your tickets yet), your wife can enter the UK without a visa as citizens of Ukraine get a visa waiver for transit purposes (until 23:59 on the next day), in particular, when travelling to the USA on a U.S. visa. If this is something you want to do. She won't be allowed to enter the country though with a 6 hour connection as there is no need to leave the airport in such a case.
Mar 24, 2018, 2:18 pm
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: BG
Programs: BAEC Silver, TK Elite, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 827
If you book an overnight connection (that is, if you have not booked your tickets yet), your wife can enter the UK without a visa as citizens of Ukraine get a visa waiver for transit purposes (until 23:59 on the next day), in particular, when travelling to the USA on a U.S. visa. If this is something you want to do. She won't be allowed to enter the country though with a 6 hour connection as there is no need to leave the airport in such a case.
Mar 24, 2018, 2:38 pm
#10
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 698
Yes, this was exactly what I was thinking, to buy the cheapest 1 way I could find or use a 4,000 avios route. I just wasn't sure if she'd be in any kind of trouble or have any difficulties if we decide to do it.
I was looking at options and couldn't find less than 57 GBP (to Belfast) or 56 GBP to BCN on my date (29 April, although i havent looked that hard). I think i'd prefer the 4,000 avios and 17.50 GBP option.
I was looking at options and couldn't find less than 57 GBP (to Belfast) or 56 GBP to BCN on my date (29 April, although i havent looked that hard). I think i'd prefer the 4,000 avios and 17.50 GBP option.
Make sure she has a ticket to access the terminal you are in. A T3 ticket is no good for T5.
Mar 24, 2018, 4:04 pm
#11
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: London. Or a plane.
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Posts: 2,774
Many of us have done this. I have done it twice, both times so I could review lounges but not fly.
Go to the ticket desk in the middle of T5 at gate level and say you want out. Your meeting is cancelled. Once an hour they do a walk out - this is mainly smokers in transit who need a fag so badly they are willing to reclear security. No one blinks an eyelid.
Go to the ticket desk in the middle of T5 at gate level and say you want out. Your meeting is cancelled. Once an hour they do a walk out - this is mainly smokers in transit who need a fag so badly they are willing to reclear security. No one blinks an eyelid.
Mar 24, 2018, 4:14 pm
#13
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
Programs: BA bronze
Posts: 432
Yes, this was exactly what I was thinking, to buy the cheapest 1 way I could find or use a 4,000 avios route. I just wasn't sure if she'd be in any kind of trouble or have any difficulties if we decide to do it.
I was looking at options and couldn't find less than 57 GBP (to Belfast) or 56 GBP to BCN on my date (29 April, although i havent looked that hard). I think i'd prefer the 4,000 avios and 17.50 GBP option.
I was looking at options and couldn't find less than 57 GBP (to Belfast) or 56 GBP to BCN on my date (29 April, although i havent looked that hard). I think i'd prefer the 4,000 avios and 17.50 GBP option.
I find the best way to search for the cheapest flights from an airport is to search on https://www.skyscanner.net using either 'Everywhere' or a country name such as 'United Kingdom' as the destination.
Last edited by Alvador; Mar 24, 2018 at 4:50 pm
Mar 25, 2018, 9:06 am
#14
Join Date: Dec 2004
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