BTP

I'm sure this has happened to all very frequent flyers at least once: you are at the airport, but for one reason or another (feeling sick; meeting cancelled; missed last flight of day; ...) you need to leave airside departures.

I had this for the second time in my life the other day: flying LHR-EDI but felt sick, and decided to go home. Once before I had a meeting cancelled which rendered my trip void, so I followed advice I found here and took the T5 transit to the C gates, stayed on board, then exited through immigration (I had my passport!). But the other day, I had no passport (domestic flight) and had to go through some tortuous Heathrow/Border Force rigmarole to get out, which took nearly an hour (and I was feeling sick!).

So, if you are travelling domestic and there is any chance you may end up not flying - bring your passport!

Also, does anyone know a similar "trick" to the "stay on transit at C gates and exit via immigration" for Terminal 3, should the need ever arise?

corporate-wage-slave

At T3 there are no domestic services so the passport issue wouldn't apply. But yes, go towards the AA lounge, look up and you will see a sign for Flight Connections, follow that for a bit then you get to a further sign for baggage reclaim / UK Border. So it's easier there.

I hope that you are feeling better now. It's best not to think about flying if unwell for all sorts of reasons, and there are some things which are more important than travelling.

KARFA

Yes it is a lot easier at T3, have a look at the post here https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/29998308-post383.html

madfish

Heard from others that a photocopy or an image of your passport on your phone also helps as they can look it up. Not tried this myself.

HighwayToHEL

Isn’t everyone in T5 departures someone who has:

• arrived from landslide, or
• transferred from a domestic flight, or
• transferred from an international flight and has therefore already come through immigration

If so, why would Border Force be interested? Or am I missing something?

DYKWIA

Because the easiest way out is via normal immigration. You self-transfer from departures to arrivals and go through the immigration process. With no passport, this route isn't possible.

rembrandtuk

International to international transfers do not pass through immigration

corporate-wage-slave

No, those who have transferred from another international flight would not have cleared the UK Border, just airport security.

S_W_S

Just curious, if you're a domestic passenger you will have had biometrics taken when going airside.
Is there a reason these couldn't be checked by a member of BA staff and then escorted to domestic arrivals?

DYKWIA

I think that's what happens. However, it's only done once an hour.

Often1

Yes.

But, that likely takes a lot longer. If one is not well, the immigration process with a UK passport is likely much faster.

BTP

Exactly right! Once per hour, on the hour, and the route is via immigration (!).

Despite travelling domestic, there is some logic to this: there is no dedicated UK domestic area at LHR any more (gone with the old Pier 5 at T1), so pax are mixed international and domestic. Immigration required to see my passport; as I didn't have one, they did some checks before letting me out. I suppose a BA staff member could have done this (as this is, effectively, what they do for everyone boarding a domestic flight) however as this is a low volume exceptions process, one can't really protest.

Next time I head to LHR for a domestic flight either feeling sick or with some doubt as to whether my meeting will get cancelled, I'm taking my passport!

Thanks all for characteristically speedy, accurate and helpful insights.