downinit

I have a tight connection involving a T2-T5 transfer following a chronically late LAX-LHR inbound flight (NZ 2). My LHR-BRU flight is scheduled for 13:40, so what time do I have to be at the gate by? My current scheduled connection time is a comfy 130 minutes, but I fear I will more likely be in the 60-90 minute range by the time I am actually off the plane.

I am sure this has been posted here numerous times before, but a quick search turned up nothing.

Thank you

makeitthisfar

Per BA website:

You need to be at the gate no later than 20 minutes before the flight departs.

https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb...rt/heathrow-t5

Cymro

There will also be conformance at T5, so you will need to be at (not through) security 35 minutes before scheduled departure, which is probably stricter than the 20 minute gate deadline.

megaloman

T5 has a conformance - at 35 minutes before your schedule departure time, if you do not show up at the transfer at T5, they'll automatically rebook you onto later flight.

The _Banking_Scot

Hi,

Are you on one ticket or two tickets?

If on one ticket then you will be protected and any checked in bags will be checked through.

I think the flight connections may have a slightly more flexible conformance time than the main departures but I would not want to try it cutting it too close.

regards

TBS

KARFA

Connectionsperson

KARFA

deleted.

downinit

They are booked on the same itinerary, and I will probably not have any checked bags. I will just hope for the best. If the flight is excessively late on departure, I will try to look into getting on the later flight.

I am used to TPAC flights that usually pad the schedule and land 30+ minutes early. I did not realize how close this connection was when I booked it, and I had forgotten how dreadful LHR is to connect in. I definitely need to get to Brussels the same day, even if it means hopping on a train or renting a car, which I am loathe to even consider. But then I would need to convince the airline that it is their own fault I missed a leg of the flight, so they don't cancel my return flights.

wemnael

I wish you to manage to get on time. LHR is always busy but I would think that it takes people shorter to go through security in the summer, as they have less clothing/jackets to remove. So it certanly depends upon the season.

If you are in a rush at security you can cut the line. Unless you are late for your flight you can wait like everyone else and if the lines are little slow just ask someone and say it is ok if it is ok with everyone else behind you in line. Try to jump queue as politely as you can. Another option is to approach airport/airline staff and explain is it's the airline's fault and it's up to them to get you out ASAP anyway.

Under British queuing etiquette, you control whether someone can push in in front of you. You are the ultimate arbiter. If you are at the head of the queue, you get to say whether someone can push to the front or not. That's just how queues work over here....

megaloman

Today's NZ2 arrived 10 minutes ahead of schedule, tomorrow's is currently delayed 18 minutes on arrival to LAX, which still can change.

orbitmic

Nah, LHR is not that bad really as long as there is no snow, computer system failure, fog, rain, neighbouring air traffic control system, wrong kind of wind, wrong kind of sun, major sports event (not sure why to be honest), etc.

More seriously though, 130 minutes should really be fine. You can absorb a 40 minutes delay very easily and most likely a 60 minutes delay though it then starts becoming dependent on how fast disembarkation goes, where your plane parks, how fast you walk, how long you need to wait for the bus transfer to T5, etc.

That said, as long as your flights are booked on a straightforward single itinerary (ie single fare or end on end, not just a "wrapping" single PNR for two completely separate tickets), then your booking is exactly right as in all likelihood, you get the fastest possible connection, and if you miss it they rebook you on the next one anyway (for any future reader that might be tempted, though, if booked as two itineraries, this would be crazy and they would show no pity)

Often1

Just to be clear and not pedantic, when you say "itinerary," I hope you mean "ticket".

There are all to many threads on FT where someone has booked through a TA who has proffered an itinerary which turns out to be more than one ticket.

downinit

I booked it via Expedia as an LAX-BRU flight. When I log into NZ, it also shows the BA flight, and when I log in to BA, it also shows the NZ flight. I could not honestly tell you whether or not it is proferred or multiple tickets, but both airlines are well aware of my connecting flights. Ultimately, the OTA is responsible for this itinerary should anything happen, but I would hope to be able to resolve any issues directly with the airlines in case of a missed connection to avoid a lengthy international phone call.

Normally, I would not be so terribly worried about missing a connection, but I forked over entirely too much money on my plans in Belgium to let it go to waste, and I am already arriving a day late as it is. My original plans were to spend Saturday and Sunday night at Tomorrowland. Only after booking the flight did I realized how difficult tickets are to get. I bit the bullet and bought a 4 day glamping option, which begins around the same time I will be flying out of LAX. Unfortunately, this is what happens when you book a flight before you finalize your plans on the ground. And this complicated booking (multiple airline/OTA) made changing flights unrealistic, as the airfare doubled in price.

Globaliser

The first question is whether you have been given one or more 13-digit ticket numbers. If you have then my guess is that one of these is likely to start with the digits 086. If you have two ticket numbers, then the other one is likely to start with the digits 125. If you've only got one, and even better if you have one formal e-ticket receipt (not a TA's itinerary or anything like that) that shows both the NZ and BA flights on the same ticket (not itinerary), you should be fine.

And hopefully you will be, because by all accounts on here, trying to get Expedia to sort out a problem is like trying to get blood out of a stone.