My flight from the US is landing at Heathrow Terminal 5 at 6:30 am. I'd like to book a flight onto Lyon, France that day and am considering a BA direct flight from Terminal 3 that departs at 10:30 am. I will still need to go through immigration and baggage pick up and then check in with bags at the BA desk in Terminal 3. I'm worried this may be cutting it too close. Should 4 hours be enough time? PS we are familiar with getting around LHR.
Thanks.
I would be leery of booking any flight that close together, since anything could happen with your first flight. What if it's delayed or cancelled? You would miss the second flight, which would be costly and cause even more delays.
It might be worth trying for an afternoon flight but I wouldn't try it unless the flight was cheap enough that missing it would not encumber you financially.
Might be possible. But with checked in luggage and different terminals four hours would be too risky for me.
it is interesting see the replies here. Personally I wouldn't think twice about a four hour gap. (Heck given the choice between a 2 and 1/2 hour gap and 4 hour gap. I'd book the 2 and 1/2 hour gap flight and take my chances. Of course I wouldn't do that if I had no fallbacks or missing the 2nd flight meant missing a business meeting or a wedding.)
I know this is two tickets and I'd never second guess an airline booked thru ticket-- that is until recently when I saw firsthand a surprising 30+ minute plus passport control delay in Schiphol. Last two times I went through that airport it seemed challenged and understaffed-- probably a post-covid recovery effect. I dunno. Is Heathrow like that?
I haven't flown through Heathrow for number of years and maybe it's prone to logjams. I know I used always avoid Chicago O'hare after having missed some connections.
The whole business of always being at least three hours early always seemed overstated. I took "at least" to really mean "at most". Then I'd follow that advice only to catch an early flight and then find security wasn't even open yet.
In any case, good luck and I sure hope 4 hours is plenty -- but hey what do I know?
We have done separate tickets (both on BA) with a connection at Heathrow, but it is not my favorite thing. Four hours between is my preferred interval, BUT this is with carry-on bags and boarding passes in hand for the second flight, which departs from T5. So no need to go through passport control, and no transfer between terminals.
Since you are arriving at T5, I'm guessing you are on BA. If so, and you want to book an additional BA flight to Lyon, why don't you call BA and see what it would cost to add the flight to Lyon onto your current ticket.
If you can do that, it changes the game. It would then become one ticket, your luggage would be transferred between flights and you wouldn't have to go through UK immigration. (You would still have to go through security.)
So, if you missed the connection, BA would be obligated to get you on the next flight.
It doesn't hurt to ask.
Should 4 hours be enough time?
Probably
What time of year and where is your origin? Leaving from Atlanta in midst of hurricane season: Chicago in the dead of winter? (trying to assess what your odds are of a possible departure delay and subsequent late arrival)
Why not book a single ticket to Lyon?
Push for a single ticket. We have done what you are proposing a number of times over the years with no problems. We generally allow a five to six hour window to be safe -- in our opinion. Worked great till about five years ago when our original flight from the US was cancelled as we sat at the beginning of the runway expecting to hear the roar of engines Instead of an announcement from the pilot that said, "Sorry, a red light just came on and we need to return to the terminal." Since it was a full 747, it was three days before we could find space on another flight. So we lost the two on-going tickets. We had the airline's cancellation insurance but forgot to read the fine print. Don't think we are going to do that anymore. Too many risk points that we cannot control.
To test alternatives, try booking a ticket from US to Lyon. Let the booking function plan the route, carriers and times {and of course the price.) The most efficient route may not be through Heathrow. If you like what you see, try to rebook through your original agent or cancel everything and book new. Even with a penalty, it might be worth it in terms of comfort and convenience {I mean avoiding the stress test in Heathrow.)
I'd think four hours would be enough time, but it would be so much easier and safer to have both flights on one ticket. If your transatlantic flight is with BA, see if you can rebook to include the flight to Lyon on the same ticket. That would greatly simplify and speed up the process for you, and for the airline too for that matter.
Thank you everyone for your replies. Unfortunately, our leg to Heathrow was booked using our Avios points. Originally, I had tried to book both HRL and Lyon on one booking/ticket but the BA site was not allowing me to do that. We're now thinking that perhaps we'll switching around the order of things and fly Heathrow to Geneva and then taking a train. Into a little sun some rain must fall. The good, we managed to have no problem booking Business roundtrip PHL to Heathrow for November using all Avios. So, now we'll just have to accept the inconvenience of getting to Lyon. We also plan on visiting Annecy, perhaps we'll go there from Geneva first and then push on to Lyon.
You said the website wouldn't let you book it. Have you tried calling the BA Avios desk? They can sometimes do things you can't online.
You said the website wouldn't let you book it. Have you tried calling the BA Avios desk? They can sometimes do things you can't online.
The worst they can do is say no.
I use to fly through LHR a lot. Too much hassle for me these days. But I always planned a minimum of 3 hours and a few times I needed ever minute of those 3 hours. But never missed a flight out of maybe 8 times. So, yea, for what its worth, if I HAD to go through LHR, even being as cautious as I am I would take the flight with the 4 hour layover.
Thank you everyone for your help. The long and short. We have decided that rather than stress ourselves out, we've booked a Heathrow - Lyon flight for a middle afternoon departure. We're retired and aren't on any time constraints and because BA has an arrivals lounge we'll spend whatever excess waiting time we have in there. Thanks again for all your suggestions. Now to find lodging near the Lyons center/ train station area and another one in Annecy.
