We are arriving into terminal 3 Heathrow 20 minutes after our son and his fiancé arrive at terminal 5. I am trying to figure out how to meet up. We want to end up at Kings Cross/St Pancras station.
I was thinking they could take Piccadilly line from terminal 5 to 3 and get off and wait for us. I looked on the ap and it said it was 25 minutes. Is that possible? Is there a better way to do this?
You could meet on the platform in the tube station, but it is not the most comfortable place to wait, particularly if one of your flights is delayed. If you decide to do this, I’d have a back up plan if someone’s flight is late.
Are you staying in London? If so, could you just meet at the hotel? When I meet up with others on different flights, I find it easier (and more comfortable) to meet at the hotel.
Why not just make your separate ways to Kings Cross/St Pancras. Depending where you are travelling onwards to (assuming that's why you want to get to the station) you could just meet there. I think trying to coordinate a meeting at Heathrow in one of the terminals would be tricky as you don't know which couple will arrive first and how long it will take you to clear all the immigration formalities. Unless you just decide which terminal to meet at and agree to meet in the arrivals area of that terminal. I'm assuming you'll have phones and can text to say where you are standing.
We are arriving into terminal 3 Heathrow 20 minutes after our son and his fiancé arrive at terminal 5.
You mean you are SCHEDULED to do this. Flight times vary day by day and you could actually arrive before him.
And then there's the amount of time it takes to get through immigration and customs. Any bags to check?
Make sure both of you have flight information for the other. As well as a way to text each other. (Don't call as you are not supposed to use your phones at immigration.)
Whoever arrives first and finishes all the administrative stuff texts the other and heads off to meet them. When you get there, you text again to tell them where you are.
There is a big Costa Coffee outside of Terminal 5 customs. (I think it's Costa but you can't miss it.) You could meet there.
There are many shops outside of T3 customs so I can't suggest any one.
But honestly, with all the variables, I'd just meet at your hotel.
It is just a coincidence that we are all coming into London at the same time. We are going onward to Canterbury later that day and they are going to go sightseeing for the day and then staying at Gatwick before taking a flight to Portugal. So while meeting at hotel would theoretically be best, it won’t work in this situation.
It might be easiest as you suggest to meet at King’s Crossing. I did have that as back up plan if one or both us was delayed. But was trying to have plan to back up!
We do have cellphones to coordinate and no one will be checking luggage.
I agree that meeting where tube comes to terminal 3 would not be the most comfortable but that might work if flights are on time. Or meeting outside of terminal 5 at Costa might work.
But does it really take 25 minutes to get between terminals 3 and 5 as the ap says?
The 25 minute probably includes walking from T5 customs down to the T5 tube station, waiting for a train, then after arriving at the T3 station you still have to walk to T3. The tube station is actually between T3 and T2.
So the total trip could be 25 minutes.
Frank-I just figured that out! It is 25 total minutes but most of that is walking. The ride itself is only about 6 minutes which makes sense.
I obviously am not skilled yet at using the ap!
