We will be coming into Heathrow on American Airlines from Dallas/Fort Worth, arriving at 8:00am in Terminal 3.
We then need to make a flight to Oslo on Scandinavian Airlines that departs at 10:35am from Terminal 2.
Will we need to go through Immigration/Customs?
Will we need to retrieve our checked bags at baggage claim and then check them in again for the SAS flight?
Thx!
The big question....
Is this one ticket or two?
Since these two airlines are part of different alliances, I am worried it's two, If so, you will have to go through immigration, collect your bags, walk through customs, and then go over to Terminal 2 and recheck. SAS required that you drop that baggage 40 minutes before departure so you need to have given it to them no later than 9:55 am. This is tighter than I would like.
If it is one ticket, then you will have your luggage checked through and you just follow the transfer signs. You do have to go back through security but then you can take a bus to Terminal 2 and skip the immigration/baggage claim/baggage recheck.
ask the wizard... https://www.heathrow.com/connecting-flights
The wizard assumes one ticket.
yes, unfortunately it is 1 tickets.
Thanks for the help!
yes, unfortunately it is 1 tickets.
Why is it 'unfortunate' that it is 1 ticket?
technically, it's the BEST that it's 1 ticket, the airline is responsible...
oops - pretty bad typo there! I meant to say it was unfortunate that I have 2 tickets.
Is there any way you can cut down to carryon only?
that gets you the ability to the transfer option at Heathrow and avoid the immigration/baggage claim/baggage recheck etc.... If not, hope that your plane is on time and LHR baggage claim is being efficient that day. ( Immigration has egates that work pretty well most of the time)
don't think we could get down to carry on only.
hoping for (relatively) on flight time and (quasi) efficient luggage/immigration/etc experience.
Worst case scenario, we get on a later flight to Oslo that day.
Unfortunately "Worst case scenario" is that SAS charges you for a new flight to Oslo because you missed your flight (and if they do that they probably also cancel your return)
In a case like this neither AA or SAS has any liability if you miss that flight to Oslo.
SAS will have no obligation to get you on a later flight free of charge as it is a seperate ticket. That's why it's unfortunate that it's not on one ticket. If you end up missing your 2nd flight you will need to pay for the later flight.
Are you able to change your SAS ticket to the later flight? I ask because, in my experience, Heathrow can be a difficult airport where everything seems to take longer. You have about 2hr30 to connect with checked luggage that you will have to collect, go through customs and passport control, move to another terminal, recheck bag and recheck in to your new flight, go through security again. If you did not have checked luggage I would say it could work.
I'm looking into changing the SAS flight right now.
Thx!
Some more information......changing from Terminal 3 to Terminal 2 is easy. It's less than a 10 minute walk via an underground walkway. Part of the way there are moving sidewalks.
It will look like this:
Arrive at T3.
Go through Passport Control. If you have a US or Candian passport you get to use the egates.
Collect luggage.
Walk through customs (green archway) for nothing to declare. You probably won't be stopped.
As you exit customs, look for signs to T2. The ramp will take you down and then just walk to T2. (All indoors.) (You will pass the entrances to Heathrow Express/Elizabeth line and the Underground.)
Elevator up to departures.
Check your bag in.
Go through security.
Head to your gate.
Have a nice flight.
Actually, the big problem is they don’t have two hours and 30 minutes to do this. They have to have check their luggage at SAS 40 minutes before the plane leaves. That means they have under two hours to do all this. It’s doable and I’ve done it that amount of time, but if the plane is delayed or baggage check has been inefficient or SAS check lines are incredibly long, you could be in trouble.
Frank II,
THANKS!!!
Super helpful!
Exactly what I was looking for.
