LHR-LGW transfer: is three hours enough?
Jan 18, 2002, 8:13 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2001
Location: SJC/SFO
Posts: 21
LHR-LGW transfer: is three hours enough?
Hello!
A friend of mine was supposed to fly ARN-ORD-RDU on AA, and was rebooked on BA ARN-LHR-LGW-RDU(AA to RDU) with three hours to connect between LHR and LGW. Her flight arrives at LHR on a weekday morning in May, and her departing flight leaves LGW at noon. Is this enough time? I checked the BA website, and it shows the minimum connecting time as 4 hours. In reality, how long will this connection take?
Thanks!
Ilves
A friend of mine was supposed to fly ARN-ORD-RDU on AA, and was rebooked on BA ARN-LHR-LGW-RDU(AA to RDU) with three hours to connect between LHR and LGW. Her flight arrives at LHR on a weekday morning in May, and her departing flight leaves LGW at noon. Is this enough time? I checked the BA website, and it shows the minimum connecting time as 4 hours. In reality, how long will this connection take?
Thanks!
Ilves
Jan 18, 2002, 12:10 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Falkirk, Scotland,VS Red, BA Gold, HH Diamond,UK Amex Plat
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Hello,
The BA website now says the minimum connecting time is down to three hours.
There is a bus link between Heathrow and Gatwick which takes around 75 minutes ( may be slightly longer due to the traffic) but your luggage will not be checked through ie you will need to collect any checked in baggage and check in again at the departing airport.
Three hours should be ok but may be cutting it close if the incoming flight is delayed.
The BA website now says the minimum connecting time is down to three hours.
There is a bus link between Heathrow and Gatwick which takes around 75 minutes ( may be slightly longer due to the traffic) but your luggage will not be checked through ie you will need to collect any checked in baggage and check in again at the departing airport.
Three hours should be ok but may be cutting it close if the incoming flight is delayed.
Jan 18, 2002, 6:00 pm
#4
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,181
One should avoid a connection with a change of airports i.e. LGW to LHR. At LHR a lot of walking. Does your friend have to pick up her bags or are they taken care of by BA? Just to get from Terminal 1 to Terminal 4 at Heathrow it takes me about 45 minutes++++. So conservatively I think you must count 1 hour to get into the bus and leave + 1hr 15 min to get to LGW. However the BA LGW terminal is great! It's relatively small and not too much walking to the plane.
Jan 18, 2002, 6:06 pm
#5
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,181
If she has to pick up her bags and recheck in again, as you say 3 hrs is tight. And AA security is more stringent now than before. I doubt that 3 hrs will be enough. I understand why it used to be 4 hrs. My blood pressure would hit danger zones with the "stress." She should check who will be responsible if she misses her connection and whether AA has a second flight if she misses the connection. I say "fire the travel agent!" She needs 4 hrs++++ in my humble opinion.
Jan 19, 2002, 7:06 am
#6
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Programs: AC-E50. Marriott Plat
Posts: 313
I have made this connection frequently at similar time of day - of course if incoming flight is delayed then possible trouble, but IMO 3 hours is sufficient. The bus (SPEEDLINK) is very efficient and I can say I have never had a problem. (probably done it once a year for the past five years)
I fly YYZ - LHR, then LGW - VRN This saves me flying LHR - MIL and then a long ground trasport to final dest in Italy. BA does not serve VRN from LHR.
I fly YYZ - LHR, then LGW - VRN This saves me flying LHR - MIL and then a long ground trasport to final dest in Italy. BA does not serve VRN from LHR.
Jan 20, 2002, 4:11 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2001
Location: SJC/SFO
Posts: 21
Thanks for your replies!
I think it was AA who rebooked her on BA after AA discontinued the ARN-ORD service.
I checked the BA website again, and it does say three hours now as the minimim connecting time.
If the BA flight is delayed, will BA be responsible for reacommodating her if she misses her connection?
I think it was AA who rebooked her on BA after AA discontinued the ARN-ORD service.
I checked the BA website again, and it does say three hours now as the minimim connecting time.
If the BA flight is delayed, will BA be responsible for reacommodating her if she misses her connection?
Jan 20, 2002, 8:01 pm
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
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Three hours isn't enough time for me. I would be having kittens if my plane were late arriving, I was in the back of the plane, the baggage was delayed or any of the above.
If you knew every turn to take, every choice to make, it might work; but for me it would be a max stress builder!
If you knew every turn to take, every choice to make, it might work; but for me it would be a max stress builder!
Jan 20, 2002, 10:45 pm
#10
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: LAX, HKG
Programs: AA EXPLT, BA Gold, Shang Elite
Posts: 2,228
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Ilves:
Thanks for your replies!
I think it was AA who rebooked her on BA after AA discontinued the ARN-ORD service.
I checked the BA website again, and it does say three hours now as the minimim connecting time.
If the BA flight is delayed, will BA be responsible for reacommodating her if she misses her connection?</font>
Thanks for your replies!
I think it was AA who rebooked her on BA after AA discontinued the ARN-ORD service.
I checked the BA website again, and it does say three hours now as the minimim connecting time.
If the BA flight is delayed, will BA be responsible for reacommodating her if she misses her connection?</font>
i would rather take one more segment than going from LGW to LHR (it is like EWR and JFK), e.g. ARN-HEL-JFK-RDU, ARN-LHR-JFK/BOS-RDU
Jan 21, 2002, 12:14 am
#11
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,181
The problem is that American security now takes longer than before. And sometimes there the lines are relatively long. You indicated your friend will be obliged to pick up her bags and then "recheck" them. That's where I see the problem. If it's "one ticket" I think BA will be responsible to help your friend. AA/BA work together. When my AA flight was delayed 10 hours they put me on BA with no problem, though I was travelling on a cheap ticket.