LHR T3: going from airside to landside
 

Not sure if this is the most proper board for the following question, but after having lurked here for some time, I believe that the denizens here may be the most knowledgeable ones in helping me.

I am going to arrive at LHR T3 at around 7am on Sunday (from an overnight flight), with my connecting flight leaving at around 6pm, again from T3. This gives me several hours to spend in London, which I intend to do. I would like to have a shower before I head to the city, but, flying in Y, there is no (unpaid) arrivals lounge access for me. However, my status gives me access to airside lounges. Hence I could go airside (passing the security check, but nevermind), go to a lounge, take a shower, get out of the airport, do my things in the city, come back to the airport (and have an afternoon snack in the lounge).

Studying the maps of T3, I cannot figure out how to leave T3 once I'm airside. The FAQs of this forum instruct how to do it in T5 (a much more difficult procedure than in airports that allow arriving and departing passengers to mix), but not in T3. Is it even possible?

Unlike T5 it is relatively easy to leave T3 from airside. The easiest directions I can give you is go to the American Airlines lounge (Lounge H on the unhelpful Heathrow signage) then move towards the former Flight Connection corridor area and you will then see the signs saying "Flight Connections" in purple, and yellow signs for "Arrivals". The latter is the one you want, but if you don't see Arrivals then follow Flight Connections sign until you do.

Welcome to Flyertalk and welcome to the BA forum PeeterL, I do hope that we will see more of you here.

Is there no "Ready To Fly" equivalent at T3, like there is at T5? Could one merrily walk round the loop and re-enter security multiple times without raising any eyebrows?

Wouldn't the OP have to reclear immigration?

Doing the initial connection from flight A to flight B there is no immigration, so getting to the lounge would avoid this. But leaving airside T3 at any stage means passing the UK Border and therefore a passport check. Re-entering T3 later that day would not involve going through passport control.

No, HAL have something called Positive Boarding to control entrance into T3 but it has nothing like the functionality of Ready to Fly and it's not even mandatory to be registered on it.

Is it still possible to do this (to exit from T3 departures), and where would I find the current "secret door"? Does it have clear Arrivals signs?

Yes but that door shown in post 3 is no more.

Have a look at this post in the T5 connection guide https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/29998308-post383.html

Great, thanks a lot! ^

My wife arrive and I arriving on BA58 from CPT in F on a Thursday in May, arriving at 6:30 AM T3. Subsequently leaving on BA 85 to Vancouver at 5:20 PM from T3 in F. European and Canadian passports - intending to enter and leave UK on the EU passports.
Where would be the best place to take a shower and potentially store cabin bags?
Main bags will be checked through.
From this thread and others, there seem to be two options.

Option 1
First we use Flight Connections, intending to stay in T3, emerge Airside in T3, and then use one of the several departure lounges we would be eligible for.
Do all of these lounges accept cabin bags in storage for the day?
Assuming we take this option, how do we then exit to Arrivals, is the door referenced by CWS above still near the American Airlines lounge?
We then go through immigration and exit landside?
Any potential problems re-entering Airside at T3 later that day if we follow the above?

Option 2
The other option would seem to be to follow the Arrivals signs, go through immigration and use the American Airlines arrivals lounge.
Once we’ve done that, are there are luggage lockers to take cabin bags landside in terminal three?

How do these two options compare time wise in terms of getting to stand outside T3?
Quality of breakfast and shower much different between the two?

We haven’t decided yet whether to take a day room in a hotel or head off somewhere for the day, and potential locations are discussed elsewhere in terms of heading off.
If we were to take a day room in a hotel, the hotels on site are at T5 and T4. From T3, which of these terminals are easiest to get to and get back from?
Major price differences here between hotels?

Any help appreciated
Jeff

I would suggest a few hours in Windsor if you want to venture outside of the airport. 20mins by cab.

Thanks VGravity, good to hear about the number of showers in AA Lounge - great advice

Maybe an odd question, but if I was to go with first options (using Airsdie lounges), would we need two Fast Track passes each (one for line at Flight Connections, one for line/queue eventually heading out thru Arrivals)?