Connecting through Heathrow... customs?

[tobymonster]

We'll be flying from the US to Rome, connecting at Heathrow. Does anyone know if we'll have to go through customs at Heathrow? I'm getting a little nervous with all the news reports about delays there...

[cruiserny]

In Heathrow you will not have to clear customs for a connecting flight. However, you will have to go through a security checkpoint.

[tobymonster]

In Heathrow you will not have to clear customs for a connecting flight. However, you will have to go through a security checkpoint.

 

Thanks for that info! So we won't have to pick up our checked luggage, will we?

 

We only have about an hour and 20 minutes layover... I thought that would be enough time or the itinerary wouldn't have been offered... but getting a little nervous now.

 

Good to know we won't have to deal with customs!

 

:-)

[cruiserny]

No - your luggage will be checked to your final destination. Just check to make sure your connecting flight leaves from the same terminal. If not you will have to take a bus between terminals. I'm sure you will be fine but there is sometimes up to a 10 minute wait for a bus.

[Maggie 1008]

In 2010 we had to go through security again even in the same terminal. I could not figure out why as we had not left the area. We had 2 bottles of duty free we bought in L.A. and they took them away from us. We had them on the flight from L.A. to London but would not let us have on the flt. from London to Rome.We were told they were not packaged correctly. What ? This was on British Air.

[tobymonster]

No - your luggage will be checked to your final destination. Just check to make sure your connecting flight leaves from the same terminal. If not you will have to take a bus between terminals. I'm sure you will be fine but there is sometimes up to a 10 minute wait for a bus.

 

Thanks, as far as I can tell, we arrive and depart from Terminal 5, so hopefully no issues! *fingers crossed* - we leave tomorrow night! :-D

[Wine-O]

Thanks, as far as I can tell, we arrive and depart from Terminal 5, so hopefully no issues! *fingers crossed* - we leave tomorrow night! :-D

 

Be prepared for lines going back thru security, and Terminal 5 is huge. You will need to hussle. Once you get to your gate, sometimes you have to be bussed out to the plane on the tarmac. Just pray your arriving flight is not delayed.

[tobymonster]

Be prepared for lines going back thru security, and Terminal 5 is huge. You will need to hussle. Once you get to your gate, sometimes you have to be bussed out to the plane on the tarmac. Just pray your arriving flight is not delayed.

 

Ugg, thanks. Fingers crossed!

Luckily, we have a couple days in Rome before boarding on Saturday, so we won't risk missing the boat, just tours in Rome.

[Mulege]

They are very strict on carryon size at LHR. I came in on BA from ORD and had to ck my carryon the next flight, no big deal if you don't have valuables in it.

[scumbers]

the delays have been in terminal 5 which is the BA terminal but apparently they are bringin in more staff to help

[Shimsdan]

Interesting topic. I just realized that for my flight to Amsterdam at the end of the month, I arrive in London at Terminal 3 on American, but leave for Amsterdam on BA from Terminal 5. Fortunately (or not!), I have several hours between flights, so not worried about getting there on time. However, the mention about the carryon size concerns me. Can anyone tell me what the difference is, or where to find the stats on that? I plan to take a "larger" carryon than my normal one, and yes, I plan to have some valuables in it (camera case, etc...). If I had to check it, I'd need to buy another carryon at Heathrow!

 

Thanks for your help!

[Pet]

Hopefully you won't have too many problems. On the news today there was very little delays - albeit at a fairly quiet time of day. The UK Border Agency is responsible for immigration control into the UK not security checks for those joining aircraft which are normally carried out by private companies and it is the former that has apparently been the main problem. Having said that, it is all a walk in the park compared to the joys of US homeland security controls at US hubs IMHO which involved a four hour wait on the last occasion I was State side!

[Aggie71013]

Hopefully you won't have too many problems. On the news today there was very little delays - albeit at a fairly quiet time of day. The UK Border Agency is responsible for immigration control into the UK not security checks for those joining aircraft which are normally carried out by private companies and it is the former that has apparently been the main problem. Having said that, it is all a walk in the park compared to the joys of US homeland security controls at US hubs IMHO which involved a four hour wait on the last occasion I was State side!

 

I hope it doesn't take 4 hours to go through Customs and Immigration in the U.S. as a non-resident. I've never had it take me more than 30min to 1 hour at the max. I'm a U.S. citizen though which speeds up the process.

 

I'm traveling to London via Heathrow in a couple weeks and I hope they've got this situation handled by then. If not, waiting in line for a few hours isn't a big deal.

[Tiggertastic]

You will go back through security - even if UK citizens land in Heathrow from America and are flying onto another UK city, we have to clear security again.

 

They have recently changed the rules on duty free so as long as it is properly sealed from the USA duty free shop in its sealed bag and you have less than the maximum allowance they state they now let it through - we've had water taken off us at heathrow from our first to our second flight so its worth reading their website.

 

They take your picture as you go through flight connections and retake it at the next security to ensure everyone passes through

[scumbers]

Interesting topic. I just realized that for my flight to Amsterdam at the end of the month, I arrive in London at Terminal 3 on American, but leave for Amsterdam on BA from Terminal 5. Fortunately (or not!), I have several hours between flights, so not worried about getting there on time. However, the mention about the carryon size concerns me. Can anyone tell me what the difference is, or where to find the stats on that? I plan to take a "larger" carryon than my normal one, and yes, I plan to have some valuables in it (camera case, etc...). If I had to check it, I'd need to buy another carryon at Heathrow!

 

Thanks for your help!

 

if you check the airlines websites it gives u the dimensions of the carry on allowance size plus the weights