Passport Control and baggage time allotment for Heathrow

A rule of thumb for us would be an hour. It is really hard to forecast. Also the issue be being on time and where you are sitting in the plane.

Lots of morning arrivals at LHR. I'd probably give it an hour and a half, and if you get passed into the country earlier than that, you can take a little walk through the concourse or get something to drink while waiting for the ride.

The airline may pass out your UK landing card on the plane before landing; fill it out then and this may save you some time before getting to the line at passport control. Also have proof of your reservation for your car rental and hotel easy to access. The Border Force probably will ask to see this at passport control.

On your landing card you are asked where you are staying.

I'll just add advice which you didn't ask for either, lol. When you fill out the landing card, make sure they give you each one if you are traveling with a spouse. In May as our flight was landing at Heathrow the Delta FAs passed out the cards saying 1 per family. That is wrong. My brother and his wife were sent back by the Immigration officer to the desk area to fill out a separate card for my SIL. It did not take long...maybe 10 minutes for them to get back thru but if you are on a time frame it's better to know ahead. Each of you need a card.

We made it from landing at 1030 to catching the 1200 coach to Victoria Station.

I've waited 10 minutes at Passport Control at Terminal 3. I've waited 1 hour, 20 minutes at Passport Control at Terminal 3. I would suggest at least 90 minutes because there is no way to tell how long it will take and you might be fined for not showing up at the allocated time. In both cases, I sat in the front of the plane so I didn't have to wait 10-15 just to deboard the aircraft

Some car service companies will charge you extra if you're not there at the latest time you have given them. To avoid that, verify that if you contact them about a delay before the time frame ends, they will NOT charge you for that delay.

Many thanks to everyone, as your advice has been very helpful!

Traveled through Heathrow on June 11, 2018. Plane landed on time around 8:30 pm. Took 1 1/2 hours to get through Border Control. Maddening. Traveled through Heathrow again on July 6. Plane landed on time , same time in evening. This time it took 2 1/2 hours to get through Border Control. We couldn’t believe it. Both times only about four agents on duty, although we saw stations for at least 24. Needless to say this is highly annoying after sitting on a long flight (in both cases from the U.S.). Fortunately we did not have to catch a train or bus and we did not have someone waiting for us. This has made us think about other options for the next time, like flying into a different airport.

Morning of June 14 at about 7 am, it took us two hours to get through Passport control. There was even an article in the next days' rag about the long waits. We had arranged a car which nearly left us behind when he couldn't reach me, but he stayed and we paid an extra fee for wait time. Still probably cheaper than a cab during morning rush.

I flew into Heathrow Terminal 3 around 7:30 a.m. on a Saturday in May 2018. Because I was sitting at the front of economy comfort. I was one of the first from my jet in the immigration line. I estimated there were around 1,000 people in line. The line moved efficiently. Even then, it took 1 hr. 15 minutes to get processed.

Here are some articles from last month when BA publicly complained about the Border Force's unreasonable delays processing passengers at airport passport control:

The Evening Standard: UK open for business? Two-and-a-half hour border queues hit Heathrow: BA says passport queues are 'unacceptable'

The Express: British Airways Publicly Slam Heathrow

The Sun, bless its little tabloid heart: Border Farce.

The Times: Travellers wait for hours at airports to enter UK

Note to self on deplaning at LHR: be sure to visit the loo before getting into that queue. Just saying.

“Note to self on deplaning at LHR: be sure to visit the loo before getting into that queue. Just saying.”

Oh yes. Anywhere, lol!!

If you don't want to be any further back on that long passport control queue than you will be, use the loo ON THE PLANE before final descent. Other jumbo jets are arriving with your flight so that line can get longer and longer quickly.

Really good advice on hitting the toilet before deplaning. The last thing you want to do while jet lagged is wait in line at a restroom.