Connections through Heathrow

It works exactly as is shown on the Heathrow website. The site will show the minimum connection time. How long is your connection?

Assuming that you're traveling on one reservation (all flights under the same code), you should be given boarding passes for both flights when you check in for your first flight.. When you get off the plane at LHR, you'll follow the purple-flagged signs for connecting flights. If you're changing terminals they have a bus that will transfer you. You will only go through scrutinized customs on your return. On the way to your destination, you just walk through the "nothing to declare" customs door.

I think the Heathrow website generally predicts the process to take 90 minutes, but that is not a given. We've always made our connections, but they can make you nervous when they roll around looking/waiting for a gate.

When you say "customs," I'm going to assume you mean immigration(passport control) and customs (to check goods/bags/etc).

You will go through passport control at Heathrow and in Shannon. Customs will be just a walk through. On your return, you will go through passport control and customs back in the U.S. as there is none between Ireland and UK (although there is the other way.)

Expect security everywhere.

As to how much time.....good guess. Shannon won't take long. Heathrow is a coin toss as to time. The same for returning to the U.S.

Thanks Laura - We have 3 hours & 30 minutes to change terminals & go through the processing - which has more steps than our return flight. We have an 1 & 30 minutes to connect on our return - but we don't have to change terminals.


Thanks Patty - We'll be changing carriers (from British Air to Aer Lingus traveling to Ireland), then changing planes on the same carrier (British Air) on our return. Lesson learned: next time stay on the same carrier all the way, if possible. Your experience with always making connections is good to know!


Thanks Frank - Traveling from the USA through the UK to Ireland requires 1) Handbag check, 2) Use of "Customs Telephone", then Security screening, 3) Biometric capture (photos), and 4) Passport control - whereas traveling from Ireland through the UK to the USA seems to only require the first 2 steps . . another lesson learned: next time just go through Shannon!


Another Travel Forum friend has recommended signing up for "Global Entry" to streamline this process. Have others had experience with this service at Heathrow?


Garrison

Gem,

BA is not a Global Entry airline, but I'm not an expert on this so look it up or I'm sure others here will check in with info...(It was't going to help me until I returned to the USA...but am actually thinking of getting it due to my last trip's crowd at Immigration in Boston). If your flight is on time outgoing, you should be fine getting to another terminal and onto your Aer Lingus flight in your 3+hours. Returning to the US, when I go thru terminal 5 on BA to switch flights, it usually takes me less than 60 minutes, but I allow 2-3 hours anyway (I've never needed it), but you should be fine. The nice thing about your return to the US is you have BA on both legs, and assuming it is one ticket, BA will put you on the next available flight if something goes wrong.
Heathrow (BA) is actually my European airport of choice, mainly because I never have to leave terminal 5...and I always check that before buying the tickets.

I'm assuming this is on a single ticket. If so, you should be fine assuming your flight lands on schedule. I've missed connections twice at Heathrow, but both times my inbound flight was significantly delayed at the point of origin. I knew that I had missed the connection before I even landed. Both times, I was put on the next available flight.

Global Entry will be of no use for passport control at Heathrow.

British Air and Aer Lingus are codeshare partners. Things I worried about: 1) getting Aer Lingus boarding pass since we left our house before the 24 hr. check-in window - not a problem because they are codeshare partners and BA gave us our AL boarding pass when we checked-in at the airport to show our passports; 2) our carry-on would be too big for Aer Lingus' rules- I think we would have been fine, but we checked our baggage 3) because we were on two separate bookings, we wouldn't have time to make our 3 hour connection - we had plenty of time left to sit, shop and people watch in Terminal 2 while we waited for our secone flight.

Two things: if your two flight (BA and Aer Lingus) are on the same booking, they would check your baggage through; there will not be a lot of time between the time they post your gate and boarding. LHR does not post the actual gate # until close to boarding time- everyone hangs out in the main area.

And, when we departed Dublin, we had a long, not very obvious, walk to our gate. Just an FYI so you're not caught off-guard.

What airline you fly has no affect on Global Entry. TSA Precheck, on the other hand, only has airlines that have signed up for the program. BA is not one of them. Both are only for use in the USA.

Forget the "phone for customs." It's only for people who have something to declare. You probably don't have anything to declare.

The handbag check is just to make sure your bag isn't too big for carry on. The Biometric capture may be done at the gate or just before you enter security. I've had both at terminal 5.

Just follow the signs for "Flight Connections" and you will be fine. The people at the "Flight Connections" desk will give you instructions on how to transfer terminals. Don't assume you know how to do it.