First time solo international flyer. Help?

Cody, I'm not sure where to start? As you're leaving soon, I imagine you're both excited as well as feeling some trepidation. I'll try to offer a few tips without going into too much detail. Be sure to check the expiration date of your Passport, to ensure it will be valid for the duration your trip. How long will you be in England? How did you buy your air tickets? Based on your comments, it sounds like a "code share" flight so you'll only have to check your luggage at departure and then pick it up at LHR. When you check-in for the flight, you'll receive your Boarding Passes (probably two of them). Your checked luggage will be tagged and will then disappear on the Conveyor Belt. Be sure that your carry-on Bag doesn't contain any "prohibited items". Check the TSA website for a list of which items are allowed in the cabin. Any liquids you're taking must conform to the "3-1-1" rule. Just prior to arrival at ORD, the flight crew may make an announcement on connecting flights. If not, ask the Flight Attendants. As soon as you get inside the terminal, check the "Departures" boards to find out what Gate No. your next flight is leaving from. Do you have any documents that indicate you'll be studying in England? I'd suggest keeping these close at hand, as the Immigration & Passport officials may want to see them. Is London your final destination, or are you heading elsewhere in England for your studies? LHR is huge so it can be a bit intimidating for some travellers. If London is your final destination, how are you planning to travel from the airport into the city? I'd suggest taking £100 or so with you for "travel expenses" until you get settled. Are you taking ATM cards for use while you're there? I'll add more if I can think of anything. Happy travels!

"I have never been through customs. What is the order of things I will have to do upon arrival in London?" Customs and immigration are two separate stations. At the immigration counter, you wait in line until it is your turn. You will then present your passport and student visa (I'm assuming you have this already done...), and your documents get stamped. Voila, your entry is official. Unless you have something specifically to declare- as a student, I doubt you will- customs is just a walk-through.

Heathrow is large but very well signed. On the airplane, before it lands, the crew will pass out " landing cards" for people who will stay in England upon arrival. You will take one and fill it out. It asks for details of how long you will be in England, where you will stay, etc. As Ken mentions, be sure to have some documents regarding your student status. This is for the immigration officials. When you get off the plane, follow the signs to "Arrivals". Some people will be following purple signs to "Flight Connection.". Don't get confused and go with them. You want Arrivals. (May also be signed to "Baggage Reclaim"). This will bring you to " Immigration" or Passport Control. There are separate lines for EU Citizens and "all others". You will get in one of the Lines for non-Eu citizens. Last May we waited in that line for an hour, but you may have better luck. You will meet with an immigration officer who will check your passport, landing card, and ask a few questions, maybe. Don't worry, they are generally kind and friendly. Once you pass Immigration, you are "inside" the UK. Continue following the signs to Arrivals/Baggage Reclaim and you will come to the baggage reclaim area. Pick up your checked bag (if you have one) and head for the the Customs doors. Assuming you have nothing to (check the regulations but generally this means lots of cigarettes or alcohol), you just walk through the Green line along with everyone else. There are officials you will pass, but they rarely stop or question anyone. Now you are in the Arrivals hall, where people will wait to greet arriving passengers. If no one is meeting you, just follow signs to your preferred form of transport, bus, train( Heathrow Express or Connect) or tube. Welcome to the UK!

Cody, on the card they give you on the flight you'll need your flight number (which the flight attendants will remind you of), your passport number (it's on the front page with your picture and info, and also on the back cover), and the address of where you'll be staying in the UK. Have all that stuff handy (in your bag above your seat is ok)just don't throw it into the bottom of your bag after you show your passport. Like the others said, have your study abroad info handy in case they want to see it at Customs. When you get off the plane, walk fast and that will theoretically get you in front of other people on your flight at Customs, and theoretically a shorter wait. Your bag may or may not be on the conveyer belt by the time you're through, again, look for your airline/flight number as to what conveyer it will be coming in on. The Tube is the cheapest way into central London, I haven't been thru LHR yet but you ought to be able to follow the signs, or you can ask someone, don't worry they're used to being asked questions. PS You may need to take off your shoes leaving Louisville or O'Hare so they can go thru the x-ray machine, don't wear holey socks!

Cody, when you land at Heathrow just follow the crowd off the plane to passport control. A lot of walking is involved, but most of the people from your plane with go to the "non-Eu" line for passport control. It can take anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour (or more) to get thru this area. Then you can go to the area for baggage retrieval if you checked your luggage. Then you walk some more until you get to a place where people are being met, there are ATMs, and there are signs directing you to the Underground, Bus Station, Heathrow Express/Connect etc. More walking is involved. Travel as light as you can so you can just roll along thru the airport. You may experience some jetlag from the long flight and time changes. Be especially careful about protecting your valuables (money belt) and luggage.

First, if you are the typical study abroad student you will have too much luggage and that can present a problem. Remember everything, including clothing, that you need for your program can be purchased in England. Take no more than one large rolling suitcase and a small carry-on. Once your luggage is checked in Louisville it will arrive in England without any more effort on your part. Put ALL of the TSA no, no items in your checked luggage. Once you go through security in Louisville you should stay behind security in Chicago. Once in Heathrow just follow the flow of the crowd from your airplane. You are all going to the same place. Immigrations is first stop, show passport, and answer a couple of questions about your stay, customs is next with a walk through with nothing to . Watch for the signs to direct you to the correct lines. Remember the vast majority of people around will have no more experience of doing this than you do. If in doubt, ask !!! Once in Heathrow you should have prior information from your study abroad program on what public transportation you should use to get to your school. You should be using a debit card at an ATM for your local cash. Put at least one of your parents name on that account so if there is any difficulty with the account they can take actions.

Do NOT just " follow the crowd" when you exit the plane at Heathrow. Follow the signs to Arrivals as I explained above. Many of the people on your plane may be going to connecting flights and that is a different path; it does not take you to Passport Control and the exit from the airport. In other words, not everyone is going to the same place. You will all be on the same path for awhile after you leave the plane, but at some point you will need to choose Arrivals instead of Flight Connections. If you just "follow the crowd" without paying attention to the signs, you could end up going the wrong way, through security again and to a new boarding area instead of toward Passport Control and the exit from the terminal.

Also, Elaine's post confuses "customs" with "immmigration." As Tom noted, they are different. Immigration is where you show your passport and are admitted into the country. After that you go to Baggage Claim and pick up your bags, if you checked any, and THEN you go through customs, which is generally just a walk through a door, no line and no questions.

Not to freak you out, but because you're student age and will be studying abroad, the immigration people might ask you more questions about how long you're staying, how much money you brought, and details about your study program. I saw this happen in Dublin with at least two younger people coming in from the US (might have just been Ireland though). Since there are rules about how long you can stay, these are normal questions so don't be nervous and answer them honestly. Also, it merits mentioning that you should use the bathroom on the plane about an hour before you land. Trust me, immigration lines are NOT fun places to experience a full bladder, and many times there aren't facilities available. Most of all: have an awesome time! Lucky you.

Cody
Most of us on this site have been through what you will be doing. It can be a bit of nervous time, but we all survived and muddled through. You have some excellent guidance above.

My bad Lola-you're right! What can I say, I just follow the crowd...sometimes I go places I never even knew I never wanted to go! :)

Elaine---no worries! I just though it would be most helpful (and less confusing) to Cody if people kept their terms consistent.

Cody, just two points: (1) When dealing with security personnel, custom agents, immigration agents, do not joke, or talk politics or religion or any other topic that might cause the personnel to think that you are suspect or a crackpot--just answer the questions and present documents that are requested; (2) Remember that the English drive on the "wrong" side of the road...be sure to look both ways when you're about to cross the street! Have fun; England's a great introduction to Europe.
Oh, about entering and leaving other countries, while I can't give you up to date information about England, my recent experience in continental Europe is that those countries are less scared to death that every passenger is a potential terrorist than the U.S., so you may find security and immigration somewhat easier on the other side of the Atlantic than they are here.

As a followup to Joseph's comment re more relaxed security in Europe- however, when you fly back to USA expect extra security steps at your departure gate- this is supposedlt a USA requirement. This year when we flew back everyone was patted down before being allowed to enter the deprature gate back to USA, and our carryon luggage, shoes, belts etc were searched. This after already going through the standard airport security So if it happens to you dont get alarmed

You know the shoe thing is the stupidest thing ever,, one guy, one time , and now forever we all have to take off our shoes,, even babies and old ladies in wheelchairs.. its stupid.
Apparently Et Al,, which I think it the national airline for Israel has apparently the best security procedures in the world,, and alot of it involves asking alot of questions, and some profiling,, seems to work,, maybe we need to learn from them.. but of course that would mean hiring and training PROPER security inspectors,, not just any old person who took the 2 week course and apparently has the education of a newt.

Cody, The information given is good. I think you should know a few basic things. 1. Make sure you have cleared everything with the airline online at least a couple days prior to your flight (there and, later, for your return flight). For international flights, varies somewhat by country and airline, they usually want you to provide name (on the passport), passport number, age, gender, etc. If you get to the airport and haven't completed that ahead of time, it may be an issue. Watch for changes to your flights - we've had some flights that went exactly as booked and others that had multiple changes in the two or three weeks before the flight. 2. Millions of people travel every day. Signage has been refined through suggestions and complaints over years. It is possible to figure out where to go if you pay attention (cockpit announcements), read signage correctly, and ask when you're in doubt. 3. The biggest hassle nowadays is security. Pay attention, know the rules, do what they tell you, and try to have a sense of humor (but don't moo, TSA doesn't have the same sense of humor).