Connect through LHR from EU - immigration??
 

Hey guys/gals,

Searched for an answer but couldn't find one specific enough.

I'll be flying VIE-LHR-IAD on OS/UA.
I have a 2 hour layover in LHR. Will I need to go through immigration upon landing in LHR from Vienna? Or can I stay airside to connect to my UA flight?

Thanks folks!!

No need to go through immigration/customs, but you will have to re-clear security.

Thanks!

So 2 hours should be ample time then eh?

Connect through LHR from EU - immigration??
 

Yes, enough.

When are you flying?
If before June, OS arrives into T1 and UA departs from the same terminal.
As others have noted, you will re-clear security and two hours will be plenty of time for the connection.
From the LHR website: how to connect T1>T1
From the UA forum: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...2-onwards.html
If you are flying in June or after then, then UA will be the first carrier to operate out of the new T2 and other *A carriers will follow.
So, if you are flying early in June, you will have to go T1>T2.

Usually you will not have to clear immigration/customs at LHR in such circumstances. The glaring exception is if the travel record/APIS/passport results in being flagged and they want to grab a passenger.

Airside transits of your sort at LHR involve re-clearing what can be a security screening zoo at LHR. Two hours at LHR is plenty now and it is plenty then.

You'll have no immigration controls to deal with, but if you end up in a body scanner lane and wish to opt out things might get a little tight for time.

The exception to the above advice is if travel is on separate tickets. Then you'll need to clear immigration and customs and recheck in. In this case 2 hours is a bit tight (especially if travel is after UA moves to T2 when a change of terminals is also required).

I´d have to somewhat disagree with this. You don´t need to a BP to re-clear security at LHR and the OP should be able to get their BP from UA at the transit desk.

The only exception would be if OS refused to check the bags all the way to IAD in which case the OP would have to clear immigration/customs and check in again. In that case I would indeed recommend a much longer connection.

Apologies - I assumed OP has bags to check.

These days many airlines do not check through to a separate ticket on another airline (sometimes not even for the same airline).

No apologies required.;) The OP didn´t say whether they had two separate tickets or not.

If it were two separate tickets, I would indeed recommend a longer connection, even if they didn´t have checked baggage.

I often fly Europe-LHR-Canada/US on two separate tickets and always plan for at least a 3h connection even when travelling with hand baggage only (i.e. no need to go through immigration/customs), and despite that I´ve not always made my connection. LHR can be a mess at times, but assuming the OP is booked on one ticket, there should be no problems.

That varies by terminal. You can't clear transit security at LHR T5 without a boarding pass now. That might well be the case in T2 too.

But we're going way into ifs, buts and maybes now :)

Moving this thread to the UK & ROI forum. Thanks for your understanding.

Jouy31
TravelBuzz co-moderator

Sure, but the BA transit desk is right before transit security, so it´s a non-issue since one can easily obtain a BP.