iceblueshoes

Hello all,
I have a flight to London on BA from YYZ on BA arriving at about 10am on Oct 6.
I'm hoping to be able to make the 1130am flight to FRA on Lufthansa, but is that enough time?

I know I do have to pick up my luggage and recheck it in, but is it still doable? Otherwise I have to wait until 130pm and pay an extra $80.


Not sure if it makes a difference but I have an AMEX Platinum (I've seen some airports allow for a quicker separate line with that card)
Is this a doable connection or wishful thinking?

Thanks!

NWIFlyer

We really need more information: nationality if you need to go through immigration, single or separate ticket would be good starting points. Class of travel on both flights, plus status, will also have a bearing.

Making the assumptions that you are Canadian and on separate tickets (otherwise why not stay on BA?), I’d rate this as beyond exceptionally high risk bordering on nearly impossible. The further back the plane you are, the more that risk increases.

You’ll arrive in T5, possibly even at the furthest satellite terminal, C. If you can’t use the e-gates, the EU passport line, or as a back-up Fast Track you could be a while crossing the UK Border. Even if that’s quick you’ll have a wait for your luggage. Let’s say 40 minutes from leaving the plane.

You then need to transfer, landside, to T2 for your LH flight. You can either do this by Heathrow Express or Underground (or bus, but that’s total madness!). Underground requires an Oyster or contactless card for free travel. Heathrow Express doesn’t, but you have to stop at a machine to obtain a free transfer ticket (or use contactless). It’s 5 minutes from the baggage hall to station platforms, whichever one you use. if you were really, really lucky you’d walk into the station, a train would arrive and 3 minutes later you’d be the T2 station. However, if you take the average waiting time that’s going to be 8 minutes for Underground and 10 minutes for Express for the total journey.

You now have to walk to the T2 and get up to departures. That’s 3 minutes from the Underground station if you get out quickly, 5 from the Express.

So if everything aligns, and you know exactly where you’re going (which probably you don’t if you’re asking), you’re at T2 something like 30 to 35 minutes before your flight. LH’s bag drop will have closed, so you’re now looking at hoping you can get your bag through security and persuading LH to gate check it. There’s no security cut-off at T2, and there’s an outside chance they’ll let you through unless your bag is enormous, but by the time you’ve discussed it and cleared security (it’s pretty good at T2, even with non Fast Track) you’ll still be at something like 25 minutes to your flight leaving.

Now you have to get to the gate (probably in the main terminal for LH). That’s perhaps 3-5 minutes.

This doesn’t even begin to take account of the BA plane potentially arriving late.

On a hand baggage basis, transferring airside, this would be very risky. With your routing it’s nearly impossible, even if everything aligns. Pay the $80.

Ldnn1

iceblueshoes

Thanks!
I'll probably get lost too! Haha!

In all seriousness though, I'm flying in via PE (Canadian passport too) which while that does put me a bit near the front, I won't be the first person to line up at the door.

The reason for not going w/ BA the 2nd time (to FRA) is because Lufthansa gets in 2 hours earlier. That's really the only reason. BA leaves at 3pm and Lufthansa at 1ish, even if on the 2nd flight.

Now there is a BA flight that leaves at 11am, but I'm thinking that is cutting it way too close which is why I didn't consider it the first time.
Should I be considering the 11am BA flight?
Also the reason I didn't buy it that way from the start was because I couldn't mix flight classes. It was charging me PE rates all the way through, when I didn't want to do it within Europe.

Thanks again!

UKtravelbear

NWIFlyer

I agree with this. If you’d booked as a through ticket, although it’s clear why you didn’t, 60 minutes T5-T5 would have been a legal connection. The need to collect bags makes it a non-starter - you wouldn’t stand a chance of making the deadline.

iceblueshoes

Thanks guys.
I'll book the later flight then and just play it safe.

I may try to rush and see if they'll let me on earlier (I've actually been allowed onto an earlier flight before by asking) but I'll assume that they'll say no and end up on the later flight.

flyingbubbles

I'll be arriving T4 on QR9 at 0620 (Y class - unless I manage to upgrade my flight in the interim).
Looking to transfer to a BA flight to MUC out of T5 - on a separate ticket, J class.
No guarantees that QR will interline my checked baggage when I start my journey in SIN, although they have done it before.
Nationality: Malaysian.
I have 2 flight options with BA - BA950 departing 0855 (2h 35m transfer time); or BA926 departing 1045 (4h 25m transfer time).
Should I err on the side of caution and book the later flight out to MUC?

ajeleonard

You already know the answer is yes. With a separate ticket, non-EU citizen, T4-T5 transfer, 2h35 is tight without any IRROPS

flyingbubbles

LOL. Was leaning that way... I've never had to transfer through LHR before. Thanks for the confirmation!

KARFA

QR's policy is to check through bags on to separate tickets so that should help you.

https://www.qatarairways.com/en-us/a.../oneworld.html

At LHR you can take the airside flight connections bus to T5. You wouldn't need to go through immigration but you would have a security check. Tbh I would ere on the side of caution.

flyingbubbles

That's good to know! Thank you!

KARFA

I would have to disagree. Putting IRROPS aside as you say I don't think I would consider 2hr 35mins tight at all. I don't think any inter terminal transfer at LHR has ever taken more than an hour for me, and typically I am in the airside departures area of the other terminal around 30-45 mins after stepping off the plane.

Of course in the OP's case as there is no connection protection between the inbound and outbound flights it is more about leaving enough time to absorb potential delays and reduce the risk of missing the LHR-MUC flight. Once the OP does arrive in T4 I would expect them to be in the airside departures area in T5 within the hour at most.

CoolTourist

I have a connection question regarding meeting up with a family member at Terminal 2. Our flights arrive 40 minutes apart from US and Germany. I will arrive on United and my family on Lufthansa. We both have luggage that we will need to store at Heathrow and then head to central London via HEX for daytime sightseeing before coming back to Heathrow in the evening for onward journey with SWISS. Does anyone know the least complicated and time efficient way to meet up at T2?

rcspeirs