T3 to T5 airside bus without boarding pass
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,402
T3 to T5 airside bus without boarding pass
Hi,
I will be arriving from BCN with lands at T3 but need to meet a colleague at the Sofitel. I believe the quickest way to do this would be to take the airside Flight Connections bus to T5 and pass through Immigration there.
I've taken the bus many times for connections and don't recall them checking boarding passes, but this time I really won't have one and wanted to make sure it won't be a problem!
I will be arriving from BCN with lands at T3 but need to meet a colleague at the Sofitel. I believe the quickest way to do this would be to take the airside Flight Connections bus to T5 and pass through Immigration there.
I've taken the bus many times for connections and don't recall them checking boarding passes, but this time I really won't have one and wanted to make sure it won't be a problem!
#3
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: 63,799
Yes. they don't check boarding passes unless you look totally lost and need assistance. The only issue here would be if you had luggage to recover at T3, since that won't be transferred to T5, but if HBO or through checked to somewhere beyond LHR then I see no issue. I often use T5 Flight Connections to get to T2 if I'm in a Bath Road hotel overnight, it's easier to get to the Bath Road TfL buses from T2.
#5
Suspended
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: PVG, FRA, SEA, HEL
Programs: UA Premier Gold
Posts: 4,783
Just one warning: If you are a third-country national you may get some extra questions from UK immigration.
Why someone, who landed on Air India from Delhi, just turns up at UK Immigration at T5?
Why someone, who landed on Air India from Delhi, just turns up at UK Immigration at T5?
#6
Join Date: May 2010
Location: YLMQ
Programs: QF Gold, WY Gold
Posts: 682
#7
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: 63,799
There shouldn't be an issue with Non Visa Nationals (or indeed Visa Nationals). The Border Force officers rotate around the LHR estate all the time, and sometimes would need to stop and think which terminal they are working at. In terms of their questioning of people, it makes no difference to entry criteria, the criteria actually doesn't give the officers much discretion and the Chief Immigration Officer handles more difficult case. If an officer asks it would only be out of idle curiosity. East of getting to a hotel would seem entirely sensible to me.
#8
Suspended
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: PVG, FRA, SEA, HEL
Programs: UA Premier Gold
Posts: 4,783
1. In case UK Immigration rejects entry, then Air India would be on the hook transporting you back. There is no Air India at T5. It will complicate the removal process.
2. Exiting via a different terminal might cause suspicion that the bag is collected by someone else.
3. Immigration agent may assume that the third-country national is trying to find a weak spot in the immigration checkpoints.
4. For Immigration Agent it is clear that the third country national is travelling HBO. If the traveller wants to stay 2 weeks in the UK for holiday - it's a very weird thing to travel so light.
2. Exiting via a different terminal might cause suspicion that the bag is collected by someone else.
3. Immigration agent may assume that the third-country national is trying to find a weak spot in the immigration checkpoints.
4. For Immigration Agent it is clear that the third country national is travelling HBO. If the traveller wants to stay 2 weeks in the UK for holiday - it's a very weird thing to travel so light.
#10
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,951
1. In case UK Immigration rejects entry, then Air India would be on the hook transporting you back. There is no Air India at T5. It will complicate the removal process.
2. Exiting via a different terminal might cause suspicion that the bag is collected by someone else.
3. Immigration agent may assume that the third-country national is trying to find a weak spot in the immigration checkpoints.
4. For Immigration Agent it is clear that the third country national is travelling HBO. If the traveller wants to stay 2 weeks in the UK for holiday - it's a very weird thing to travel so light.
2. Exiting via a different terminal might cause suspicion that the bag is collected by someone else.
3. Immigration agent may assume that the third-country national is trying to find a weak spot in the immigration checkpoints.
4. For Immigration Agent it is clear that the third country national is travelling HBO. If the traveller wants to stay 2 weeks in the UK for holiday - it's a very weird thing to travel so light.
#11
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: YYC
Posts: 2,073
#12
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Ipswich
Posts: 7,543
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: LON, ACK, BOS..... (Not necessarily in that order)
Programs: **Mucci Diamond Hairbrush** - compared to that nothing else matters (+BA Bronze)
Posts: 15,127
A member of my university many years ago fell asleep after collecting his bag before going through customs. He was coming back on a TATL red eye and hadn't slept on the flight. He woke up a couple of hours later and decided to leave. He allegedly had the third degree from customs because he hadn't gone through with the rest of the passengers on his Jamaica flight. They assumed it was to try and "import" something undetected.
#14
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,951
A member of my university many years ago fell asleep after collecting his bag before going through customs. He was coming back on a TATL red eye and hadn't slept on the flight. He woke up a couple of hours later and decided to leave. He allegedly had the third degree from customs because he hadn't gone through with the rest of the passengers on his Jamaica flight. They assumed it was to try and "import" something undetected.
#15
Join Date: Jul 2008
Programs: *A
Posts: 1,390
A border officer did tell me once that they are aware of the flights coming in, and would be surprised / suspicious of a non confirming answer. But I think that it is more how you answer rather than what you answer, and a logical explanation would be fine.