I am curious, how is customs at Heathrow at like 6-630am. I imagine its kind of bad since a lot of the US flights arrive pretty early. I need to tell someoen when approximately I'll be in Central London so I want to get a ballpark. If it makes any difference I have one of those passports with the (Stupid) chip inside that holds your personal data (and lets people steal it but I'll digress). So yeah, what's a good ballpark for total time to get through customs if I'm getting in around 6-6:30am. Thanks!
Posted by
Anna Texas, USA
144 posts
My experience there was they do not get in a hurry. We have gone through it several times in the early hours. Those are government jobs where speed is not in their vocabulary. Customs in the USA can also be the same. We have had several waits in Dallas due to bad planning or lack of personnel. We flew in to Manchester last time and 30 minutes from the time we landed we were heading north in our rental car. It was a breeze there compared to Heathrow. I don't think you will be able to predict the time with any certainty. Try to be the first off the plane and that will help. Run like a rabbit and you might luck out.
Thanks - Bill
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9371 posts
Its not customs that takes the time, it's immigration/passport control. And how long it takes depends on how many other flights are coming in at the same time. I've had it take as little as 20 minutes and as much as 90. It makes no difference what kind of passport you have - you will still go through the non-EU line.
Posted by
OP
Baltimore, MD
47 posts
Thanks. I sorta group Immigration/passport control in with customs. Chris
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33821 posts
what's a good ballpark I always thought Fenway, with the Green Monster, or Shea, because of the mustard raining upon me from the upper deck, were both pretty good ballparks. (Stupid) chip or not, I always advise 90 minutes to 120 minutes before expecting a person at the one-way doors, then add whichever means you will take to your destination.
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15784 posts
And some flights don't arrive early at all. If the airport is busy, you can get into a holding pattern for a while before landing. And my experience is that upwards of 90% of the time, no matter how long the line is at passport control, I still have to wait for my luggage. But then, I am not one of those folks who can manage with just carryon. . . .
Posted by
Los Angeles, California
1986 posts
And first thing in the morning they are in no hurry to start working. First they gotta scratch themselves, then chat to their mate, then find a pencil ..................
Posted by
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
8293 posts
Chris, tell your friend you'll be in London before noon.
Posted by
San Francisco, CA
166 posts
Ballpark 2 hours from landing time. You'll walk a long way from the gate to immigration, wait in line, wait for your bag... by then an hour will have gone by. Time after that depends on which transport option, and -- crucially -- which part of central London you are going to. If you (say) take the tube and need to change to another line to get to your destination... another hour, easily. Mathew
Posted by
NC, United States
970 posts
Chris, the assertion that it's a "government job" is irrelevant and an insult to anyone who works for any government. Lines at passport control at Heathrow are going to be long early in the morning because most of the transAtlantic flights arrive then. How long it takes you to get through is a matter of luck. The RFID chip in your U.S. passport doesn't come into play. A UK border officer examines your passport and interviews you. Be nice. Getting into the UK is not recognized as a right. Getting though customs is usually very quick, unless you actually have something to or you get stopped in a random fashion. Figure on 60-90 minutes to get from the plane, through passport control, through customs, and out into the terminal. Might be less, might be more. Running through the halls just to stand in line seems pointless. Oh.. no bathroom facilities at passport control. Several on our way there, though. Also, figure on an hour or so to travel to your destination in London, no matter how you decide to get there.
Posted by
Gulfport, FL
188 posts
We went through Heathrow Immigration Control last month around 7 AM and no trouble whatsoever. I have a "chipped" passport and my husband has the old fashioned kind and there was no difference. In fact, it took longer to walk to there from the gate than it took to go through Immigration Control. And I didn't notice any particular lack of enthusiasm on the part of the government employees there. They were business like and not prone to smiley smiley service, but I didn't expect that!
Posted by
Newcastle, WA, USA
643 posts
We landed at Heathrow at 2:20pm on a Monday, and then had to wait 40 minutes to get off the airplane, because the other flight from Seattle that was supposed to be 3 hours ahead of us was delayed and took off 25 minutes before us. So they got OUR gate!! But despite that, from the moment we exited the airplane and got on a bus to take us to the terminal, we were through in 30 minutes flat and on board the train to London! Passport control officer was excellent, and I got my bag quickly too.