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Connection through Heathrow

Posted by (California, USA) on

Our trip from the US begins in London, goes to York, to Edinburgh and then returns to California on British Airways from Heathrow at 16:15. Nigel pointed out that prudence would dictate not attempting to take the train from Edinburgh and get out to Heathrow in time to make the flight. Another suggestion was to fly from Edinburgh. Plane tickets are more than train tickets, but it cuts one night off the hotel bill.

There is an 11:55 British Airways flight from Edinburgh that arrives at Heathrow at 13:25, which appears to leave ample time. Having no experience with domestic flights in the UK, we have some questions:

  • Is it common to check bags through to the final destination? i.e. not have to retrieve baggage at Heathrow and then go back through the check-in process again?
  • The same question about security. Arriving and departing thru Terminal 5 would seem to imply that we have time to fool around inside the terminal and not go through screening again. Correct?

Thanks

Posted by
9110 posts

Bags won't check through unless you're traveling on a single ticket with multiple segments --since you've just up with the plan, the luggage would have to be picked up and rechecked.

Edinburgh to London is a domestic flight. To continue home, you must check in, go through security and emigration, ect -- all the usual international outbound stuff.

You should have enough time, but I'd do all the goofing off past security outbound. There's plenty to do.

Posted by
3298 posts

Since both flights are on BA you may be able to check your bags through if you show your boarding pass for the second flight. At least according to people on Flyertalk. You might try posting your question there. I would say call BA to find out for sure but that is a real pain, involving long wait times and usually a shunt to a call center in India if you are not actually booking a ticket.

Posted by
5466 posts

You would arrive in Terminal 5 'clean' from a security point of view and since you don't need to transit to another terminal will not go through security again but be able to go straight through to the departure area.

Through checking of bags is going to be your issue since you didn't book this as a single ticket. Fortunately BA's policy is to do this if you present everything at Edinburgh.

Technically speaking since you are on two tickets if the flight arrives too late in Heathrow for you to make your ongoing flight BA doesn't need to take you any further. In practice BA accommodates people in this situation the best they can on BA and probably AA, although they won't pay for hotels etc if there is no space on flights that day.

Posted by
9110 posts

Unless I've lost my mind, domestic arrivals come in on the far left end of the ground floor, all departures are from an upper level, and the only way to make the initial move upwards is on escalators/elevators in the public area. The generic instructions 'sign to flight connection' in the link seem to be missing a few details.

Posted by
9110 posts

Hmmmm. It might be a brain problem.

As you come into the arrivals hall, look to the left and see if there isn't a set of escalators at about midpoint of the same wall as are the doors into the public area.

If they're there, Marco's post would govern and that would be where Harold's signs are pointing.

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