Switching terminals in LHR for lounge use
#46
Join Date: Dec 2017
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Silver,
Posts: 151
Using T3 lounges before connecting flight from T5
I will be flying to Denver next month and funnily enough I've never flown BA from T3. Im connecting from Manchester so know I have to change terminals. My connection outbound is only 1hr 30 which doesn't give me long in T3 but on the return I've got quite a long wait before my flight up to Manchester. I just wanted to know if theres any way I can use the CX AA QF etc lounges having arrived in T3 before going back across to T5?
Thanks
Thanks
#47
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,967
I will be flying to Denver next month and funnily enough I've never flown BA from T3. Im connecting from Manchester so know I have to change terminals. My connection outbound is only 1hr 30 which doesn't give me long in T3 but on the return I've got quite a long wait before my flight up to Manchester. I just wanted to know if theres any way I can use the CX AA QF etc lounges having arrived in T3 before going back across to T5?
Thanks
Thanks
#48
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold / OW Emerald
Posts: 753
Yeah I just don't get it. For the price of a 2 year Admirals club membership you could get to Silver with BA, which lasts a tad more than two years. And you do that while flying, which is incredible fun.
#49
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Peterborough, UK
Programs: BA Silver; IHG Spire; Avis P+; Global Entry
Posts: 1,505
We actually did this today, we missed our AA connection and had been rebooked onto BA, before I left the rebooking area, we went through to the CX loving efor an hour or so, then transferred back to T5
#50
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 18
So just to update, I landed in Heathrow from lax in t5, I immediately followed the signs to connections to all terminals, took the terminal transfer bus, cleared t3 security no problem and then made my way to the admirals club. Did the same for the return to t5 and I had no RTF issues while scanning my boarding pass. Overall it's a bit of a hassle but if you have an extended layover it's well worth the refresh.
#51
Join Date: Dec 2017
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Silver,
Posts: 151
So just to update, I landed in Heathrow from lax in t5, I immediately followed the signs to connections to all terminals, took the terminal transfer bus, cleared t3 security no problem and then made my way to the admirals club. Did the same for the return to t5 and I had no RTF issues while scanning my boarding pass. Overall it's a bit of a hassle but if you have an extended layover it's well worth the refresh.
#52
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 18
Simply because that's the only one I have access to. I'm sure there's nicer lounges but it was very empty and felt very spacious. There are great showers as well. I have only been to admirals club so I cant compare to any other lounges.
#53
Join Date: Dec 2017
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Silver,
Posts: 151
This morning I had no problem arriving at T3 going through T3 connections to use QF lounge before a flight to MAN from T5. The QF lounge confirmed I was on a T5 flight and I said yes its my responsibility to be there and she had no problem letting me in.
EDIT: just tried CX, they didn't even bat an eyelid just the usual friendly Cathay welcome.
AA let me in but weren’t keen and pointed out twice BA have their own Lounge next door
BA we’re fine but told me to be very careful to leave enough time to get to T5
EDIT: just tried CX, they didn't even bat an eyelid just the usual friendly Cathay welcome.
AA let me in but weren’t keen and pointed out twice BA have their own Lounge next door
BA we’re fine but told me to be very careful to leave enough time to get to T5
Last edited by ThrowingBoeing; Oct 21, 2018 at 6:50 am
#54
Join Date: Aug 2007
Programs: AA Plat
Posts: 86
This morning I had no problem arriving at T3 going through T3 connections to use QF lounge before a flight to MAN from T5. The QF lounge confirmed I was on a T5 flight and I said yes its my responsibility to be there and she had no problem letting me in.
EDIT: just tried CX, they didn't even bat an eyelid just the usual friendly Cathay welcome.
AA let me in but weren’t keen and pointed out twice BA have their own Lounge next door
BA we’re fine but told me to be very careful to leave enough time to get to T5
EDIT: just tried CX, they didn't even bat an eyelid just the usual friendly Cathay welcome.
AA let me in but weren’t keen and pointed out twice BA have their own Lounge next door
BA we’re fine but told me to be very careful to leave enough time to get to T5
How much time did you leave for getting from the last T3 Lounge to being thru T5 Connections Security?
Any tips for getting from Lounge to the connections bus fto go from T3 to T5?
Is it just follow "Flight Connections all Terminals", or "Airline Service Desks", or "Arrivals, Baggage Reclaim, & Airline Service Desks" or sometime else ?
Thanks in advance - will be doing same on Friday morning/afternoon London time.
#55
Nice to see the airport staff are not being PITA in these cases which should be allowed as long as you have a flight that day and go through he necessary security check. I am curious, after visiting the lounge, how do you get back to the Connection buses? I don't think I've remembered seeing any sign in the departure area pointing to the Connection buses. Or do you just walk back to the same security point where the connection bus drops you?
Am curious on this.
Cheers!
Am curious on this.
Cheers!
#56
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,809
You would need to leave T3 at least 1 hour before departure to give a small margin. 90 minutes would be sensible. There are purple signs to Flight Connections in the vicinity of the AA Clubs.
#57
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: London
Programs: Qantas Platinum, United Premier 1K, HSBC Premier, AVIS President's Club, Marriott Bonvoy Platinum
Posts: 100
On a more general note, the segregated terminal arrangement at LHR does get a little tiresome. There are plenty of oneworld lounges across terminals 3 and 5 but airline offices/facilities are scattered fairly incoherently. I was recently on a BA flight into LHR where my luggage had been checked in by AA and ended up in the wrong place. It was complicated because I had initially been checked in to an AA flight which was cancelled due to weather conditions and ended up on a BA flight to the same destination, with my luggage supposedly rerouted to follow me. Fortunately a confused but helpful BA clerk at terminal 5 called AA and sorted it out for me. Otherwise I suspect I'd have had quite the headache trying to get to the American Airlines baggage office (if there even is one) in terminal 3.
#58
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,967
Nice to see the airport staff are not being PITA in these cases which should be allowed as long as you have a flight that day and go through he necessary security check. I am curious, after visiting the lounge, how do you get back to the Connection buses? I don't think I've remembered seeing any sign in the departure area pointing to the Connection buses. Or do you just walk back to the same security point where the connection bus drops you?
Am curious on this.
Cheers!
Am curious on this.
Cheers!
Leave T3 departures area at C or B as shown on the terminal map and follow the signs to arrivals. Once you are up in the arrivals corridor you can follow the signs to flight connections T2/4/5.
#59
Join Date: Dec 2017
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Silver,
Posts: 151
ThrowingBoeing,
How much time did you leave for getting from the last T3 Lounge to being thru T5 Connections Security?
Any tips for getting from Lounge to the connections bus fto go from T3 to T5?
Is it just follow "Flight Connections all Terminals", or "Airline Service Desks", or "Arrivals, Baggage Reclaim, & Airline Service Desks" or sometime else ?
Thanks in advance - will be doing same on Friday morning/afternoon London time.
How much time did you leave for getting from the last T3 Lounge to being thru T5 Connections Security?
Any tips for getting from Lounge to the connections bus fto go from T3 to T5?
Is it just follow "Flight Connections all Terminals", or "Airline Service Desks", or "Arrivals, Baggage Reclaim, & Airline Service Desks" or sometime else ?
Thanks in advance - will be doing same on Friday morning/afternoon London time.
#60
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Falkirk, Scotland,VS Red, BA Gold, HH Diamond,UK Amex Plat
Programs: Master of the Privy Purse des Muccis
Posts: 17,914
Trying this next Sunday 2nd Dec
Hi,
Thanks to all for the advice here.
I think I will give this a try next Sunday.
My plan is
1540 Arrive T3 wth BA from Barcelona
Clear T3 transfer security
Go to the Cathay Pacific Lounge ( will expect it to be busy for the early evening flights)
Have dinner in the CX F lounge space permitting ( was not impressed with the macaroni cheese picture from BA GF) with a few Cathay delights
Around 6pm or so take the flight connections bus to T5
Clear T5 security
Relax in T5GF with a JW Blue.
8pm: T5 Olympic Challenge: Walking from T5 GF to T 5C ( on the A 380 to HKG at 2100) -will time it to see how long it takes on the walkway (might make a detour via T5B Galleries lounge)
Regards
TBS
Thanks to all for the advice here.
I think I will give this a try next Sunday.
My plan is
1540 Arrive T3 wth BA from Barcelona
Clear T3 transfer security
Go to the Cathay Pacific Lounge ( will expect it to be busy for the early evening flights)
Have dinner in the CX F lounge space permitting ( was not impressed with the macaroni cheese picture from BA GF) with a few Cathay delights
Around 6pm or so take the flight connections bus to T5
Clear T5 security
Relax in T5GF with a JW Blue.
8pm: T5 Olympic Challenge: Walking from T5 GF to T 5C ( on the A 380 to HKG at 2100) -will time it to see how long it takes on the walkway (might make a detour via T5B Galleries lounge)
Regards
TBS