fredrok

Greetings,

I'm booking a trip to Corfu (CFU) through London Heathrow (LHR) in June and have a question for those familiar with LHR logistics. If I book AA/BA completely through to CFU, the tickets are $3000 more for a family of 4 than if I book the exact flights separately and just collect my bags and recheck them for the Corfu flight. So my question for those familiar with LHR is am I correct to assume I'll have to claim bags, clear customs, check back in, security, etc? And how much time/layover, in your opinion, should I allot for that? First time through LHR so unfamiliar is an understatement.

Thank you for any input!

UKtravelbear

Often1

You can do this AA-to-BA because unlike other carriers, AA will protect you across separate tickets AA-AA and AA-OW (as well as OW-AA on the return). However, as you have pointed out you must allow the time collect your bags, lug them to BA, check in as though originating at LHR and proceeding from check-in.

The only thing you forego here is the need for more ground time at LHR.

UKtravelbear

Now I;'m on my laptop I can see this is your first post so welcome to FT,

Mwenenzi

Some info here, and in other similar threads
---> A Guide to Connecting at LHR T5
--->A Guide to Connecting at LHR T5
---> LHR Terminal 5B Flight Connections - a pictorial guide - including T5B bus service
---> LHR Terminal 5 passageways - a pictorial guide for departing passengers

You need to establish which terminals you would be using. Maybe T3 (AA) to T5? (BA) [not 100%sure]
If the airlines are offering a time difference that is close to the minimum connection time MCT, you need to allow a lot more time, and them some, as you are not connecting.

As above at worst you will buying new walk up fares to Corfu.
Route?--> http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=JFK-LHR...SU=kts&RS=best

You will also need to ensure you have passport/visa that allow entry into UK.

fredrok

Thank you, yes, I'm aware of the points in your first 2 statements.

Hence my question about how long it would take. Then I can organize the layover. Thanks

The flight arriving to LHR and departing to CFU would both be BA. AA is on the stateside at beginning of trip, hence the AA booking. Guessing they may be in same terminal? 2 flights to CFU and the latest would provide a 4+hr layover.

Thank you! And thanks for the input

Thank you for the resources, I'll look into all of these.

fredrok

Very useful links, thanks again! So both flights arrive/depart T5. If on time, 3:25 layover for the first CFU option and 5:25 for the second I suppose I can be really conservative and go with the second and have plenty of time to spare. I can't imagine baggage claim, customs/immigration, checkin and security taking longer than a couple of hours... tops. No? Seems worth it for the savings.....

DEN-PHL-LHR-CFU

:D!

So PHL-LHR is on BA? AA would help if their DEN-PHL flight is late causing you to miss PHL-LHR. They should rebook you all the way to CFU.

But if BA PHL-LHR has a delay I think you will not get rebooked for free in LHR.

Assume you are all US citizens? Immigration can definitely take 1-2 hours at certain times, especially as you are arriving with lots of other US flights. You collect bags after immigration so don't need to consider how long this would take, if immigration is expected to take a while.

Then you go through customs. In the UK it is different and there's no customs form, (provided you don't bring anything that needs to be declared) it doesn't take any time at all unless you are in the less than 1% of people pulled aside for baggage examination.

A LHR T5 to T5 transfer including rechecking bags should be relatively speedy, if you use the machine to print your bag tags yourself. On the other hand, at T5 you must pass through security 35 minutes before departure or you will be offloaded automatically.

So the question is can you recheck bags and get to the security entrance 2h 50m after landing from PHL? I think you probably can most of the time. You need to consider what happens if you don't. Do you have travel insurance that covers this or would you be happy to pay for a new ticket?

dulciusexasperis

I'll start with LHR being on my wife and I's 'no fly list'. We find it a disaster as an airport even without a situation such as you describe. No doubt there will be lots of posters who disagree.

Second, I will remind you that Brexit may affect your plans as it comes into affect on March 30 and at the least, may easily affect lineups at Customs/Immigration considerably. No one can tell you what affect it is going to have. What exists today will not exist in June.

If you do not intend to spend any time in the UK, why are you not flying direct to Athens? Or through any European airport other than in the UK. That would eliminate all of this. My guess is that you found a cheap flight from London to Corfu and are basing everything on that one factor. I understand a wish to spend less but sometimes other costs (time, hassle) can be higher than the $ costs.

If I wanted to fly from Denver to Corfu, I would be flying Emirates direct from Newark to Athens with the necessary connections at both ends. Or I might look at Aer Lingus from Chicago to Dublin and connections. They fly Dublin to Corfu.

dulciusexasperis

Should have added, that if you want to stick with AA, they have a direct Philidelphia-Athens flight as well.

Eltham

UKtravelbear

OP ignore the scare mongering in post 9.

LHR is not a 'disaster' yes it could be better but tens of thousands of people connect through LHR every day of the year with no problems.

fredrok

More very useful info, thanks all. I found the comment regarding brexit particularly worth considering. I'm no expert though! From all of the poking around I've done - and I've exhausted it - ,going through Athens or any other connection I've found, is 3,200-5k more compared to LHR and even if I missed and would have to buy another set of tickets to CFU, I'd still be way ahead. I would love to go through Athens for a few reasons but the extra hassle of not technically "connecting" or a less optimal airport may be worth it. Still deciding but thanks to your input, I have more to go by. Cheers

Barcky

The OP info shows a join date of Dec 2009 and it's been noted that this is their first post. Nine years of lurking before a first post might be a FT record. Welcome aboard fredrok!

dulciusexasperis

Your definition of 'no problems' must be significantly different from my definition. Try comparing a connection through LHR with a connection through say ZRH. Maybe your expectations have just been conditioned by having to use it UKtravelbear. I am far from alone in saying avoid LHR if at all possible.

https://www.smartertravel.com/tight-...ecting-flight/

I think a lot of people simply accept the stress of things like long line-ups etc. that exist in many airports. Put simply, they don't know any different. Have you ever gone through the Passport Control Hall at Zurich airport UKtravelbear?

Here is what it looks like most of the time:


At busier times, there may be a few people line-up.



Do you want to try comparing to LHR? This kind of difference holds throughout. The fact that LHR handles so many people per day IS the problem UKtravelbear and the reason to avoid it if possible. There are far better airports through which to enter or transit in Europe. Trying to say that pointing that out is 'scare mongering' is ridiculous. What's more, it is not going to improve after Brexit or are do you think it is?