Customs & Immigration

I am assuming you are doing this on one through ticket. I know Flybe recently moved their Newquay flights from Gatwick to Heathrow in order to do through connections to more airlines.

In that case:

• You will go through immigration (passport control) at Heathrow.
• You will go through customs wherever you pick up your bags. If they are checked through to Newquay (which I assume they are), then at Newquay.
  • Customs is a random stop, 95%+ are not stopped, if you are not stopped it takes zero time.
• Lucky for you, T2 and T3 are only a walk apart (the other terminals at Heathrow require a train to get between them).
• Newquay is a very small airport. Virtually no public transport (bus to Newquay every ~90 minutes, times here: https://www.firstgroup.com/cornwall/plan-journey/timetables/?operator=6&service=A5&page=1&redirect=no ). Be sure you have your transport arranged (probably renting a car).

Chris, Thank you the information you provided is great, however my situation is a little different. I just retired from an airline after 42 years, so rather ironically this is the first time I am traveling Internationally, [without the benefits of being a crew member & so much has changed]
I am not flying on a through ticket & I am not checking luggage to LHR [on AA,] but will have it with me, then on Flybe to NQY.
Trying to get the lay of the land ahead of time. I had planned on getting an Uber from NQY airport to Tolcarne Beach. Is that not a possibility ?
d

dlg, If you are not on a through ticket, the only difference is that you will have to pick up your bags at Heathrow, and check them in again with FlyBe at their check-in desk. Since you won't be checking luggage, that difference is academic.

And, if the first flight is late and this causes you to miss the Newquay flight, you have no comeback. You just have to pay for another flight.

Tolcarne beach is in Newquay (there are a number of places called "Tolcarne" in Cornwall). I hope you have accommodation arranged, or are you sleeping on the beach? ☺

I checked UBER's website, they don't operate in Cornwall. I suspected so, as I had never heard of them operating there.
Newquay airport website has a section on getting there, and lists a taxi firm: https://www.cornwallairportnewquay.com/the-airport/public-transport

Chris, Thanks again for the info, I do have accommodations, so I'm good , also have a lot of ground time in LHR [I planned for the eventuality of a late flight as I suspected Flybe is a bit of a puddle jumper ]
The Taxi info is great , I will plan ahead on that. djg

You may have to check your bag on Flybe as they have strict carry on rules and are now enforcing them.

Flybe have had and are still having "financial problems"... Not to long ago they grounded all their jets and replaced them with turbo props. That meant a lot of juggling because the old aircraft were a lot larger and spacier. They have been known to drop flights without a lot of notice.

They have been on a shoestring for a while but everything has been fairly quiet in the last 6 weeks or so.

It is worth just keeping a weather eye on them.

When are you traveling?

Flybe was acquired earlier this year by "Connect Airways" a holding company owned by Cyrus Capital Partners, Stobart Group, and Virgin Atlantic Limited and it was announced last month that it will in due course be renamed to Virgin Connect.

are they going to get the jets back, Marco?

LHR has E Gates for US passport holders, you'll fly through that with no issue.

Will you have your boarding pass for the Flybe flight with you already? I think that is the criteria for using the “connection” line. If luggage is not going to be an issue, then you can follow the purple connections sign. If luggage is going to be an issue or no boarding pass, then things become more complicated.

Thank you all, I will have a boarding pass for Flybe & luggage with me, I checked Flybe's carry on policy & will comply.....with this scenario do I clear customs & immigration in Newquay or at LHR ?

Immigration is always first point of entry in the Common Travel Area and customs at final destination. As you are taking a self-connecting flight within the CTA you will go through a separate immigration hall from arriving passengers.