How much time to allow to transfer to connecting flight at Heathrow?

Posted by AmandaVH (Sacramento CA) on 12/01/22 05:06 AM

Hello! We are signed up for the 12 Day Heart of Portugal in early May 2023. Because of other travel we will be doing after the Portugal tour, we have chosen to fly into and out of London-Heathrow.
We're hoping someone more travel savvy than us can tell us if we've allowed enough time to transfer at Heathrow to our flight to Lisbon.
Our flight from California is scheduled to arrive to Heathrow at 11:10 a.m. Our departing flight from Heathrow to Lisbon on the same day departs at 3:10 pm. That gives us 4 hours as long as our flight into London is on time. Does this allow us enough time to collect our checked bags, go through Customs (will that be required?), and then find our way to whatever terminal our flight to Lisbon leaves from?

Thanks for any advice you can give us!
~Amanda

Posted by David

Huntsville, AL, USA

12/01/22 05:35 AM

8339 posts

4 hours will be just fine.

Posted by Frank II

Freedonia

12/01/22 08:18 AM

16420 posts

If this is on one ticket, then you don't have to collect your bags. They will automatically be transferred to your Lisbon flight. You do not have to go through immigration or customs. Just follow the "flight connections" signs.

If these are separate tickets then you will have to go through immigration, collect your bags, and then recheck them for your flight to Lisbon.

Either way, you will go through security again.

Go to this website, fill in your flight information, and you will get step by step instructions.

http://www.heathrow.com/flight-connections

Either way, four hours should be way more than enough time.

Posted by Badger

Uppsala, Sweden

12/01/22 03:39 PM

7055 posts

If it's a single ticket, you should not have anything to worry about.

If you are self connecting, 4 hours at Heathrow with checked in luggage would be too risky for me.

Posted by Carol now retired

Lynnwood, Washington

12/01/22 04:29 PM

8913 posts

This sounds like you are doing this on two different tickets. That does add an element of risk, but you have mitigated most of that by having 4 hours to make the connection.

The first assumption is that everything goes right with your first flight to London. No time changes, no flight delays, no problems.
If that works, you should have no difficulties with 4 hours. You will go to passport control (this can be about a 15 minute walk), hopefully be able to use the egates 15-45 minutes), pick up your luggage if checked, walk through the "nothing to declare" hallway in customs, check in for your next flight, go through security, and head to your gate.

That said, times for passport control can vary depending on 1)number of agents on duty 2) number of international flights all arriving at the same time. Security screening is very strict when it comes to liquids. Remember to have everything in a quart size plastic bag that is easy to pull out if you are carrying liquids on. Also, empty all water bottles you may have filled up on your last flight.

Worst case scenario: Somehow you don't make connection and you need to buy a new flight for Lisbon. I think you have enough time that this isn't a big worry, but you should be prepared just in case.

Posted by Laura

Virginia, USA

12/01/22 06:17 PM

5867 posts

It sounds as though you have already bought both tickets. If so, I’d just suggest figuring out what your back-up plan is if your first flight is significantly delayed. A delay could mean that you miss the flight to Lisbon and have to buy a new ticket. The other thing I’d suggest is don’t check a bag in your case. This would allow you to avoid going through immigration and customs. You could simply check in to your second flight online and stay airside. You would show your electronic boarding pass on your phone. At Heathrow, you do go through a security check when you transfer, but that is faster than going through immigration, waiting for your luggage, checking in your bags, and going back through the main security queue. On my last flight, I got through the e-gates quickly but then waited 45 minutes for my bag to appear on the carousel.