Ticket to Italy with layover at Heathrow LHR

Normally I don’t mind changing planes in Europe (avoiding CDG because I get lost), but this year I’m making a point to change in the USA if a connection is required. With all the variables operational as travel opens up, I’d like to remove one variable if possible!!

I don't think it will be an issue by September.
In any event, if you in transit, you are there temporarily and the issue would be Italy more than the UK.
We booked flights recently with a connection in Amsterdam to Rome. Shouldn't be an issue by Fall.

I think the advice to take a nonstop flight is good if you are buying your ticket now. Neither country is open yet. Everyone is optimistic, but who knows when things will really open up. Have you checked nonstop out of Atlanta? You could drive and probably find a hotel with a sleep and fly deal where you could leave your car.

I avoided Heathrow pre-COVID. If you can get a flight where your last connection is in the US, I would definitely choose that one.

No one knows what the situation will be in September, but to reduce your risk, change flights in America.

You are unlikely to have to quarantine in the U.K. if you are just transferring, but the risk is that if the situation deteriorates in Italy or the U.K., that flights will get stopped altogether or there will be a significantly less frequent service. Whilst I was away last October, my flight frequency reduced from 3 to 1 flight a week - the airline changed this flight 7 times! I ended up extending my stay by 4 nights.

The vaccines are improving the Covid situation, but there is concern in the U.K. about the Indian variant and whether the vaccines will give adequate protection. Case numbers have tripled in a week, despite a relatively high numbers that are vaccinated here. Despite the U.K. coming out of lockdown, consideration is being given to reintroducing local lockdowns and experts have said this will continue for months. Presumably this will be a similar situation in Italy, so be flexible.

Do you remember how in March 2020 people were rebooking for June and July 2020, saying this couldn’t last long. You should try to fly directly from the States.

So far the vaccines used in the US have proven effective against the variant England is having problems with. Different vaccines, different spread, different outcomes. Play it safe and fly direct from the US.

I don't know Bets, playing it safe maybe staying home. We have a London/Paris trip scheduled for late Sep -- But are considering the possibility of cancelling. At 80 we are running out of time to travel and we have lost two years. My crystal ball is very cloudy.

I flew to Rome from Philadelphia with a layover at Heathrow. I flew business class. I was not prepared for the effect the layover had on me. Nothing against the airport but even a few hour delay threw my body-clock off as well as my mental attitude. By the time I got to my final destination (another few hours by train from Rome), I realized that I had wasted a full day in transit. Not a happy camper. I flew Air Canada a few years later, with a layover in Montreal. That schedule allowed me to arrive in Rome early in the morning, get to my destination with hours and hours left in the day. The downside was my plane from Philly was a few hours earlier than the American Airlines non-stop (that was sold out) and arrived at the same time as the Air Canada. Starting my day in Italy beats starting my afternoon there.