What is LCY security like in the mornings?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 54
What is LCY security like in the mornings?
I have a 7:15am flight from LCY next week - no bags to check in.
First train up from the sticks, arrives at London Bridge at 6:15am. I'm thinking this should give me enough time to get through the Jubilee line and DLR, into LCY, through security etc. But as somebody who generally allows plenty of time (and never misses a flight, but spends too much time in airports as a result), I'm not sure if I'd be scuppered by the morning security queues.
So, do we think I have enough time?
First train up from the sticks, arrives at London Bridge at 6:15am. I'm thinking this should give me enough time to get through the Jubilee line and DLR, into LCY, through security etc. But as somebody who generally allows plenty of time (and never misses a flight, but spends too much time in airports as a result), I'm not sure if I'd be scuppered by the morning security queues.
So, do we think I have enough time?
#2
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: London / Brighton
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Posts: 1,626
Personally, I think thats a little tight and assumes no delays anywhere. Its a good brisk five minute walk from the train door to the tube platform, then 30 mins (assuming connection at Canning Town is slick). Youd be reaching security when your flight is boarding.
security is usually quite quick (under 10 minutes), but again this is assuming nothing unusual going on.
Good luck!!
security is usually quite quick (under 10 minutes), but again this is assuming nothing unusual going on.
Good luck!!
#6
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I would be just about OK about this since you are HBO. Assuming an on-time train arrival, and allowing a generous 10 minutes to get down to the depths of the Jubilee line (and it will be fairly quiet at that hour) you should be in Canning Town for 06:35 and thus LCY for 06:50, and hopefully before. Gates close at 10 minutes to departure, some gates do have a physical door that they shut too. So that is all plausible, but there is about 5 to 10 minutes slack in this. You can ask the front person in security to use the near side security channel - used by crew - if it's looking tight (so after 06:55 hrs).
But you say this isn't your usual operating mode, and so I wonder if you really want to start your day like this (whereas it's pretty normal for me). So why not look to book a hotel - perhaps using points or even Avios? Some of the hotels in the frame here aren't expensive either, cheaper than a cab I imagine. So there are hotels like the two Travelodges (one very close to the airport), Hampton, DoubleTree, Holiday Inn Express, Premier Inn (that's a noisy one though), Aloft - all within walking distance of the airport. Several hotels by Canning Town station would take almost the same time to get to the airport, and slightly further off there are now many options in Canary Wharf and Stratford, which would give you a more interesting evening the night before departure.
It is best to at least put the day of the week in questions like this, since Monday and Thursday are different from Tuesday and Wednesday.
But you say this isn't your usual operating mode, and so I wonder if you really want to start your day like this (whereas it's pretty normal for me). So why not look to book a hotel - perhaps using points or even Avios? Some of the hotels in the frame here aren't expensive either, cheaper than a cab I imagine. So there are hotels like the two Travelodges (one very close to the airport), Hampton, DoubleTree, Holiday Inn Express, Premier Inn (that's a noisy one though), Aloft - all within walking distance of the airport. Several hotels by Canning Town station would take almost the same time to get to the airport, and slightly further off there are now many options in Canary Wharf and Stratford, which would give you a more interesting evening the night before departure.
It is best to at least put the day of the week in questions like this, since Monday and Thursday are different from Tuesday and Wednesday.
#8
Join Date: Nov 2004
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Posts: 3,576
This used to be my weekly commute for many years. It is perfectly doable - no stress whatsoever. Depending on how fast you'll walk and the spacing between Jubilee and DLR trains you'll probably have 10-15 mins contingency.
#9
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I would be just about OK about this since you are HBO. Assuming an on-time train arrival, and allowing a generous 10 minutes to get down to the depths of the Jubilee line (and it will be fairly quiet at that hour) you should be in Canning Town for 06:35 and thus LCY for 06:50, and hopefully before. Gates close at 10 minutes to departure, some gates do have a physical door that they shut too. So that is all plausible, but there is about 5 to 10 minutes slack in this. You can ask the front person in security to use the near side security channel - used by crew - if it's looking tight (so after 06:55 hrs).
But you say this isn't your usual operating mode, and so I wonder if you really want to start your day like this (whereas it's pretty normal for me). So why not look to book a hotel - perhaps using points or even Avios? Some of the hotels in the frame here aren't expensive either, cheaper than a cab I imagine. So there are hotels like the two Travelodges (one very close to the airport), Hampton, DoubleTree, Holiday Inn Express, Premier Inn (that's a noisy one though), Aloft - all within walking distance of the airport. Several hotels by Canning Town station would take almost the same time to get to the airport, and slightly further off there are now many options in Canary Wharf and Stratford, which would give you a more interesting evening the night before departure.
It is best to at least put the day of the week in questions like this, since Monday and Thursday are different from Tuesday and Wednesday.
But you say this isn't your usual operating mode, and so I wonder if you really want to start your day like this (whereas it's pretty normal for me). So why not look to book a hotel - perhaps using points or even Avios? Some of the hotels in the frame here aren't expensive either, cheaper than a cab I imagine. So there are hotels like the two Travelodges (one very close to the airport), Hampton, DoubleTree, Holiday Inn Express, Premier Inn (that's a noisy one though), Aloft - all within walking distance of the airport. Several hotels by Canning Town station would take almost the same time to get to the airport, and slightly further off there are now many options in Canary Wharf and Stratford, which would give you a more interesting evening the night before departure.
It is best to at least put the day of the week in questions like this, since Monday and Thursday are different from Tuesday and Wednesday.
#10
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#12
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#13
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What day of the week are you travelling? As c-w-s notes, it makes quite a difference at LCY.
That said I'd probably risk your journey. You've got a small margin of contingency to wait for the Jubilee Line and DLR, but none for anything exceptional. I'd cross my fingers and have a backup plan.
That said I'd probably risk your journey. You've got a small margin of contingency to wait for the Jubilee Line and DLR, but none for anything exceptional. I'd cross my fingers and have a backup plan.
#14
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: London
Programs: BAEC 1991
Posts: 45
If you need a Plan B then there are Southeastern trains from London Bridge to Woolwich Arsenal (journey time 22 mins) where you can pick up the DLR which is (IIRC) about 5 mins to LCY.
I'm pretty sure it will be school holidays next week and the last time I went through LCY during the week I was surprised by the number of leisure travelers (of which I was one).
I'm pretty sure it will be school holidays next week and the last time I went through LCY during the week I was surprised by the number of leisure travelers (of which I was one).
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 54
What day of the week are you travelling? As c-w-s notes, it makes quite a difference at LCY.
That said I'd probably risk your journey. You've got a small margin of contingency to wait for the Jubilee Line and DLR, but none for anything exceptional. I'd cross my fingers and have a backup plan.
That said I'd probably risk your journey. You've got a small margin of contingency to wait for the Jubilee Line and DLR, but none for anything exceptional. I'd cross my fingers and have a backup plan.
All this said, looks like I can get a train arriving London Bridge at 06:07 - I think the extra 8mins makes for a decent contingency and tips this into "doable 85%+ of the time" territory, so I think I'm going to go for it.