Heathrow Connecting Flights

[pappy1022]

I will be arriving and departing Heathrow on my way to a Regent cruise. I will be flying from the US to Heathrow and then to Copenhagen. Both the arriving and connecting flights are in terminal 5 at Heathrow. Do I have to go through security at Heathrow since I am staying in the same terminal? How much time should I allow to get from arriving gate to the connecting gate? I asked this on another cruise critic chat board and got a yes, a maybe and a no for my main question, so I came to you guys for the real story.

[Techno123]

This is from the website https://www.heathrow.com/connecting-flights

 

When we returned from Florida just before Christmas we connected from Heathrow T5 up to Manchester - there were 2 separate security areas airside within the terminal one for people who were travelling to other parts of the UK (we had to do security and passport control within 90 minutes 2 days before Christmas and our bags didn't make the connecting flight 😱) and another security area for those travelling onwards to other countries.
 

Looking at the FAQs it says you have to go through security (hand baggage checks) but does not mention passport control. It also says some airlines ask you to collect and recheck baggage and this also has to be done if you are not booked straight through to Copenhagen.
 

There is an option on the link to put your flight number in - that might give more info

Edited May 24, 2023 by Techno123

[flossie009]

Security, yes; immigration & customs, no

Heathrow Flight Connections

 

British Airways recommends a minimum of 1 hour for connections within the same Heathrow terminal

BA Flight Connections

(This advice obviously does not allow for the possibility of any delay to your incoming flight)

 

 

Edited May 24, 2023 by flossie009

[Tsunami74]

We (and several of our friends) request to never fly through Heathrow Airport even though we can get direct flights home through there.

Even within the same terminal, it can be a long trip to the gate.

We were once in a business lounge. There were signs that said depending on your gate, you may want to go to a different lounge. However, the gates were not announced until fairly close to the flight. 

When I asked the concierge how to get to our gate, I thought he was kidding. It involved multiple elevator, escalator and a train/shuttle rides. Not to mention lots of walking. (this was same terminal) Business class was well boarded before we got there, and we walk fairly fast.

Also, those hand baggage checks can be very time consuming! On our way from US to Italy, almost everyone in our group had their carry on luggage practically emptied and pawed over. Again resulting on a rush to get to the gate.

And if you have to change terminals - yuck!!! Involves trains, buses, sometimes more than one of each.

[Lonedaddy]

4 hours ago, pappy1022 said:

I will be arriving and departing Heathrow on my way to a Regent cruise. I will be flying from the US to Heathrow and then to Copenhagen. Both the arriving and connecting flights are in terminal 5 at Heathrow. Do I have to go through security at Heathrow since I am staying in the same terminal? How much time should I allow to get from arriving gate to the connecting gate? I asked this on another cruise critic chat board and got a yes, a maybe and a no for my main question, so I came to you guys for the real story.

T5 to T5 should be fine.  1hr from BA direct.  You will have to go through security.  Bring a carry on with clothes and essentials in case bags are delayed.  For more better information on flights try flyertalk :

British Airways | Executive Club - FlyerTalk Forums  .  lots of good information on seats, LHR transfers....

[Nachosdelux]

God help you if you are sent to secondary at LHR.  If you have ANY liquids not in your quart bag - look out!  Also if you have an unapproved bag that is larger than a quart.  Or chap stick or lipstick, that is close enough to a liquid to get sent to secondary.  OR fiber powder(like metamucil) . LHR is probably the worst security experience in the (non third) world And I have travelled to most of it. 

Edited May 24, 2023 by Nachosdelux

[-Lew-]

We avoid LHR at all costs unless London is our final destination.  Consider making your connection in the US rather than Europe.

[FLPirate]

I totally agree with all of the previous posts. On my last trip through, went to one of the BA lounges in T5 (the lounges in T5 are all horrible) as I had a 5 hour layover. Tried to get on an earlier flight and the agent in the lounge couldn’t do anything, went down to the Customer Service desk, waited in line for 55 minutes. The agent has to call reservations to make the change, then tells me that even though the flight is wide open, they can only make changes 1 hour before the flight you are trying to get on (it was now 58 minutes to departure) I tried to explain that I had been standing in line for almost an hour. She wasn’t having any of that “Sorry…NEXT!” Went back to the lounge, and at 45 minutes prior to departure, the gate is finally posted and it says “Final Boarding”Had to run all the way thru the terminal, take multiple stairs, escalators and train to get to the gate, barely made it, then had to take another bus from the gate to the plane parked way out on the hard stand. If I had any kind of mobility issue, there is no chance I would have made it. The return trip was the same experience, however, this time it was T5 to T3, I had 2 hours and barely made it again. Heathrow is an absolute nightmare and I will avoid at all costs. For my next trip in September, London is my final destination but decided to connect via Frankfurt to fly into London City Airport instead. 
 

Finally as a previous poster #6 had said, they are not playing with the liquids. I took the amenity kit off the plane and I forgot there was a 1 1/2 inch tube of toothpaste in there, they made me empty my backpack and my carry on bag (yes, it was my fault but I honestly did forget). 

[Techno123]

It is as @FLPirate says, when you are rushing to make a connection you can forget things in your hand baggage and that slows things up. We had bought a glass octopus and had packed it into my hand baggage. On our (very) tight connection at Heathrow my bag was searched as I had forgotten to take it out but, in fairness, I could have had an endangered animal in there.

[HotRoot]

Our Heathrow experience was on TAP.  Mechanical in the US made us have to reroute.  We were going to Lisbon.  In Heathrow they made us pay again for our luggage.  When we got to the gate they asked to see our credit card.  We watched the girl write down the three digit code on the back of the card.  We questioned her.  She told us if we did not go right then we would miss our flight.  Checked into the hotel in Lisbon and had a call from the credit card company.  Our card was used all over Heathrow.  We denied all charges, even the one for luggage.  It all worked out ok for us but we will never fly TAP again.