Hello-
I am booking a flight from Boston to Zurich on British Airways with a layover at Heathrow. Both flights, Boston- Heathrow, Heathrow to Zurich are on BA, but the layover is only a 1 hour and 35min. Is that enough time to make the connection?
Thanks for any thoughts.
Hopefully, if both flights use Terminal 5. But if you miss the first flight, BA will put you on the next flight, which is probably what you're considering.
Have you tried the Heathrow connection tool?
https://www.heathrow.com/connecting-flights
Enter your flights and see which terminals your flights are scheduled for. Assuming all on one ticket. You are just transiting so there’s no passport control. Just a security screening. If same terminal then probably just adequate if arriving flight is on time. If you miss you connection there maybe later flights to Zurich so they may be able to get you on a later flight with available seats
No. Heathrow is HUGE, often requiring a bus ride between terminals. Getting off the plane could take at least 15 minutes, depending on where your seats are. Then you need to go the through immigration. Then get to your next terminal, which could require a bus ride of at least 7 minutes (assuming the bus is there when you get there and departs immediately). Then you go through security. Then get to your gate.
I flew from LAX to Heathrow to Glasgow with a 3 hr layover and barely made it. As we were getting off the plane we were handed a “short connection” to fast-track us through immigration and security. We still barely made it.
As I understand it BA operated flights arrive in T5. BA codeshare flights such as those on American Air may use T3 or T5. A quick search indicates that BA currently uses T5 for Zurich flights.
If you book this on one ticket there is no immigration at Heathrow. You do not formally enter the country. Immigration will be at Zurich.
I looked and both flights and they operate in and out of terminal 5. If this is a connecting flight on one ticket, you don't have to go through immigration. You follow the "flight connections" signs and will get to your next flight. You will have to go through security.
Use the flight connections tool on the Heathrow website and you will see you should have plenty of time. Now, if you buy them as separate tickets, it's a whole different ball game.
The same on return, no immigration at Heathrow but you will go through security.
The previous poster who was going to Glasgow would have had to also go through immigration. But transfer immigration is separate from the main immigration hall.
Thanks to everyone - this is all very helpful!
T5 Heathrow is my preferred airport, and BA is my preferred airline…hold harmless, I haven’t flown internationally since Covid. I found I was from airplane seat to back into T5 departure terminal looking at the flight board usually in 45 minutes, but at worst day, 60 minutes. So then, based on my worst, you would have 35 minutes to get to your gate, so this should be absolutely fine. If it is on the same ticket, you have no worries at all. BA will get you there.
