Switching terminals in LHR for lounge use
Jul 19, 2018, 3:09 pm
#31
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Please forgive my ignorance, but to be at gates A8-9, would I not need to already be airside in T5? When on a connection to another terminal, do I actually need to go airside in T5, or can I take the airside bus without going airside in T5, (from a domestic inbound with an onward connection from T5)?
if you arrive on a doemstic flight in to T5 you won’t be able to go to the airside buses unless you have a flight from another terminal. Your only routes are
- up to the airside departures area after a bp check (assuming you have a bp for a T5 onward flight),
- around to the airisde buses (assuming you have an onward flight from another terminal which the Hal agent will check), or
- out landside
Jul 19, 2018, 3:13 pm
#32
Join Date: Jan 2006
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As an arriving passenger you emerge from the gate/jerbrige on the floor below the airside departures area. You are airside but in the arrivals area. have a look at the map in the reference posts in the T5 connections guide, that should help clarify it for you.
if you arrive on a doemstic flight in to T5 you won’t be able to go to the airside buses unless you have a flight from another terminal. Your only routes are
- up to the airside departures area after a bp check (assuming you have a bp for a T5 onward flight),
- around to the airisde buses (assuming you have an onward flight from another terminal which the Hal agent will check), or
- out landside
Jul 19, 2018, 8:48 pm
#33
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 18
Thanks for all your responses. Just to clarify, it seems that there's both an arrivals and departures AA lounge at T3. As an authorized user on the citi world elite MasterCard, access is limited to regular departures lounge. So it would seem that I'd need to clear T3 security which would give my BP a ready to fly mark. So I would not be able to re-enter T5. Correct me if I'm wrong?
Jul 19, 2018, 9:38 pm
#34
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Is it worse than changing terminals at CDG? I've changed terminals at LHR too, and I have the same impression you have. Even CDG might not be as bad.
Jul 19, 2018, 9:54 pm
#35
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Thanks for all your responses. Just to clarify, it seems that there's both an arrivals and departures AA lounge at T3. As an authorized user on the citi world elite MasterCard, access is limited to regular departures lounge. So it would seem that I'd need to clear T3 security which would give my BP a ready to fly mark. So I would not be able to re-enter T5. Correct me if I'm wrong?
.Only an scan at T5 will flip the Ready to Fly flag. T3 is not on that system.
What you must not do is pass through any security at T5 before you make the transit to T3. That will flip the flag, after which you’ve effectively closed that option down because you then - whichever way you do it - have to go landside to leave T5, after which you cannot enter T3 without a T3 boarding pass.
Jul 19, 2018, 9:59 pm
#36
Join Date: May 2007
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Correction required .
Only an scan at T5 will flip the Ready to Fly flag. T3 is not on that system.
What you must not do is pass through any security at T5 before you make the transit to T3. That will flip the flag, after which you’ve effectively closed that option down because you then - whichever way you do it - have to go landside to leave T5, after which you cannot enter T3 without a T3 boarding pass.
.Only an scan at T5 will flip the Ready to Fly flag. T3 is not on that system.
What you must not do is pass through any security at T5 before you make the transit to T3. That will flip the flag, after which you’ve effectively closed that option down because you then - whichever way you do it - have to go landside to leave T5, after which you cannot enter T3 without a T3 boarding pass.
Jul 19, 2018, 10:03 pm
#37
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 18
So will my T5 boarding pass get me through airside security at T3 (and not mark ready to fly) after landing in T5? In other words once I'm airside at arrivals, any boarding pass will get me through T3 from flight connections without being marked RTF and from there I would transfer back to T5. However, T3 landside security would not let me through.
Last edited by levibrod; Jul 19, 2018 at 10:21 pm
Jul 19, 2018, 10:46 pm
#38
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Technically if OP has entered T5 airside (whether by way of flight connections or landside security), it is possible to get back to T3 via flight connections again by taking the transit all the way to T5C and back to T5A, at which point OP will be in the arrival stream and able to access the buses to T3. You'd still have the Ready to Fly issue though.
It would quite possibly take well in excess of 60 minutes to go through the loop of clear T5 security - transit to 5C - return transit to 5A - flight connections to T3 - clear security at T3 - walk to T3 lounge.
At that point the return would need to be: go landside through the border at either T3 or T5 via the transit back (non-trivial if a non-EU passport holder), get RfF flag reset at T5 landside, then back through T5 security before conformance. Given the complications, I’d want to leave at least two hours including the conformance deadline to do this.
So, loads of hassle for maybe at most 60 minutes in the lounge, and the risk of losing seat assignments.
I’m probably not in my right mind and I’d not consider it!
So will my T5 boarding pass get me through airside security at T3 (and not mark ready to fly) after landing in T5? In other words once I'm airside at arrivals, any boarding pass will get me through T3 from flight connections without being marked RTF and from there I would transfer back to T5. However, T3 landside security would not let me through.
Jul 19, 2018, 11:05 pm
#39
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Lots of things are technically possible. Just in case something goes wrong and the OP is considering this as a recovery route, in the available timescale it does effectively border on the impractical though.
It would quite possibly take well in excess of 60 minutes to go through the loop of clear T5 security - transit to 5C - return transit to 5A - flight connections to T3 - clear security at T3 - walk to T3 lounge.
At that point the return would need to be: go landside through the border at either T3 or T5 via the transit back (non-trivial if a non-EU passport holder), get RfF flag reset at T5 landside, then back through T5 security before conformance. Given the complications, I’d want to leave at least two hours including the conformance deadline to do this.
So, loads of hassle for maybe at most 60 minutes in the lounge, and the risk of losing seat assignments.
I’m probably not in my right mind and I’d not consider it!
Yes, absolutely correct.
It would quite possibly take well in excess of 60 minutes to go through the loop of clear T5 security - transit to 5C - return transit to 5A - flight connections to T3 - clear security at T3 - walk to T3 lounge.
At that point the return would need to be: go landside through the border at either T3 or T5 via the transit back (non-trivial if a non-EU passport holder), get RfF flag reset at T5 landside, then back through T5 security before conformance. Given the complications, I’d want to leave at least two hours including the conformance deadline to do this.
So, loads of hassle for maybe at most 60 minutes in the lounge, and the risk of losing seat assignments.
I’m probably not in my right mind and I’d not consider it!
Yes, absolutely correct.
Jul 19, 2018, 11:15 pm
#40
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At some point BA and OW will institute a rule that only allows access to departure lounges in the terminal your flight is departing from.
I'm also waiting for the thread - and this will happen sooner rather than later - decrying BA for not rebooking them when they missed their T5 flight because they went over to T3 to use a lounge there and didn’t get back in time.
I'm also waiting for the thread - and this will happen sooner rather than later - decrying BA for not rebooking them when they missed their T5 flight because they went over to T3 to use a lounge there and didn’t get back in time.
Jul 19, 2018, 11:38 pm
#41
Join Date: Jul 2012
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I'd just like to add my voice to those recommending visiting a restaurant in T5. There too many things that could go wrong to justify an additional trip through security, two buses, and more walking, just to visit a different waiting room in a different building.
Indeed, I wouldn't even visit Galleries South if I only had an hour and I was connecting to a domestic flight; I'd be happy with GC at North. Last week I had a flight from the G gates at ORD and even with an hour to spend I didn't bother walking over to the FlAAgship Lounge. It's just another waiting room. We're lucky that we have lounges; most passengers and many airports don't have any.
Indeed, I wouldn't even visit Galleries South if I only had an hour and I was connecting to a domestic flight; I'd be happy with GC at North. Last week I had a flight from the G gates at ORD and even with an hour to spend I didn't bother walking over to the FlAAgship Lounge. It's just another waiting room. We're lucky that we have lounges; most passengers and many airports don't have any.
Jul 20, 2018, 9:40 am
#42
Join Date: May 2007
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So will my T5 boarding pass get me through airside security at T3 (and not mark ready to fly) after landing in T5? In other words once I'm airside at arrivals, any boarding pass will get me through T3 from flight connections without being marked RTF and from there I would transfer back to T5. However, T3 landside security would not let me through.
Jul 20, 2018, 12:15 pm
#43
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But - as ever - each to his / her own : never under-estimate the attraction, to some travellers, of free food & drink !
Jul 21, 2018, 11:42 pm
#45
Join Date: May 2007
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Thought a link to KARFA's excellent as always pictorial guide on the new T3 FCC in the T5 connections guide would be useful here:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/29998308-post383.html
The pictures toward the end show the new route from T3 airside back into the FCC/arrivals stream, seemingly now signed as "Airline Services Desks" in the main departure lounge and then eventually "Arrivals, Baggage Reclaim, and Airline Services Desks" further down the corridor.
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/29998308-post383.html
The pictures toward the end show the new route from T3 airside back into the FCC/arrivals stream, seemingly now signed as "Airline Services Desks" in the main departure lounge and then eventually "Arrivals, Baggage Reclaim, and Airline Services Desks" further down the corridor.
Last edited by dkc192; Jul 21, 2018 at 11:49 pm