How Long To Clear Immigration At Heathrow
How long to get through immigration at Heathrow
Apr 17th, 2008, 05:05 PM
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
How long to get through immigration at Heathrow
Folks:
I am flying into Heathrow from Delhi on BA at 6:55am at the beginning of August. Arriving either T4 or T5 depending on when the move gets rescheduled. Flying out again from T3 on American at 11:00am. I was toying with the idea of diving into the Yotel landside at T4 for a shower and a couple of hours sleep. But I don't have a good sense of how long to allow for the transfer and how long it will take to get through immigration and then back through immigration and security (which I would have to do to get to the Yotel but not otherwise.)
Do any experienced Heathrow hands have advice on this? Is this just too short a window to make booking four hours for 25 GBP worth it?
Any advice is appreciated
Hazard
Apr 17th, 2008, 05:33 PM
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,716
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I'm no "Heathrow" been there only twice) expert but I do a great deal of international travel. You essentially have 4 hours from scheduled touchdown of your inbound flight and take-off of your outbound flight. This means you actual "in the airport" connection time is probably closer to 3 hours. Generally, that not enough time to leave the airport. Here's why:
It could take 15 to 30 minutes after touchdown till you deplane. You then have to clear immigration & customs which can take anywhere from 15 minutes (on a very good day) to an hour (assuming you have to claim and recheck your luggage). Now, your outbound flight will begin the boarding process 30 minutes prior to departure. That effectively reduces you "available "time on the ground to something like 2 1/2 hours and you haven't left the airport, travelled to/from the hotel, checked-in and got to your room. You'll then need at least 45 minutes to get through security and immigration when you get back to the airport.
Bring a good book and plan to stay in the airport - leaving it makes no sense.
Apr 17th, 2008, 06:39 PM
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 24,961
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I'd save the money and just hang out at the terminals.
Your flight into Heathrow can easily be delayed.
Transferring from T5/T4 to T3 can easily take 1 hour, as you do need to go walk quite a bit, take a connection bus, get thru security (but not immigration).
AA will likely start boarding 45 minutes before the flight is scheduled to depart.
That'll leave you just enough time to do some shopping at T3!
Do you have OneWorld elite status? If you are sapphire or above, you can enter a OneWorld lounge to relax/nap.
Apr 17th, 2008, 10:59 PM
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 19,881
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Just stay airside and save the joys of queuing for immigration
Of course there's a chance that you'll need to collect luggage so then you'll have to go landside & recheck, in which case those 4 hours will go VERY quickly
Apr 18th, 2008, 07:10 AM
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I hear what everyone is saying, but I need to clarify a few things. I don't fly frequently so I have no lounge access. Also, the Yotel is a pod hotel that is in Terminal 4. So I don't need to travel to it, I just need to go through immigration.
Also, I can't think of any reason why my bags wouldn't be checked through from Delhi to Boston. Is there something I don't know?
So again, how much time on average will it take to go through immigration to the landside of T4, and how much time to get back through immigration and security to get to the gate at T3?
If I ended up spending 2 hours in the hotel cabin, it would probably be worth it. I have no interest in shopping at Heathrow.
Hazard
Apr 18th, 2008, 08:00 AM
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 24,961
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
The immigration line can easily be 1 hour long.
If I were you, if you have about 2 hours or more, I'd rather pay $50 for a AA Admirals Club one-day pass and use the AA lounge at Heathrow. It is very nice and has showers.
http://www.aa.com/aa/i18nForward.do?...OneDayPass.jsp
Apr 18th, 2008, 06:03 PM
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thanks, YK. The Admirals Club day pass is actually a much better idea, and comes at the same price. An hour in bed is probably not worth an hour fighting my way through lines in and out. I'll still get my shower, which is what I will really want.
Hazard
Apr 18th, 2008, 08:04 PM
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 24,961
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Hazard-
You're welcome. The Admirals Club will also have some light snacks and drinks (free alcohol).
You didn't say where you're flying to from Heathrow, but if you're flying to the US AND have another connecting flight on AA, you can go to the Admirals Club to hang out until your connecting flight. The one-day pass is good for the whole day. Enjoy. 
Apr 18th, 2008, 08:16 PM
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 16,658
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Hazard - sometimes a good shower is all we need! I took one in Chile after a hellish flight/re-routing and one in Korea - they had GREAT shower/day rooms in the airport there...
~Dawn
Apr 19th, 2008, 12:22 AM
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 12,885
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
as posted by yk,
the AA lounge at Heathrow. It is very nice and has showers,
have to disagree here. The LHR AC and the FL are probably the worst in the system. The 2 lounges are in need of some serious refurbishment. The showers are nice but the clubs are very tired looking.
Apr 25th, 2008, 08:20 AM
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 636
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
By the way, while you won't have to go through Immigration if you don't leave the airport, you'll still have to go through security again (airside, rather than landside). This is true even if your connecting flight leaves from the same terminal. Sometimes the airside security clearance line can be significantly longer than the landside security line. I used to fly through Heathrow a lot, and I found that clearing security airside usually took about 10-15 minutes and sometimes took as long as 45 minutes.
Apr 25th, 2008, 08:26 AM
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 18,574
I passed through T5 a couple of hours ago and plane to street took 40 min. Mind, that's mid-afternoon, not peak morning arrival time.
I'd stay inside security and hope BA transfers your bags successfully. T5 to T3 looks pretty easy; T4 is still its usual inconvenient self.
Related Topics
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Last Post
sfmasterG
Europe
7
Jun 10th, 2015 04:57 AM
Paulo59
Europe
10
Jul 6th, 2006 12:51 AM
Tracey14
Europe
11
May 7th, 2006 11:24 AM
Simone
Europe
12
Oct 27th, 2005 06:18 AM
dharmabum1
Europe
5
Jun 9th, 2005 07:14 PM
Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
How Long To Clear Immigration At Heathrow
Source: https://www.fodors.com/community/air-travel/how-long-to-get-through-immigration-at-heathrow-345463/
Posted by: mcbridefarretionly.blogspot.com
0 Response to "How Long To Clear Immigration At Heathrow"
Post a Comment