Heathrow as a layover between Copenhagen & Chicago

[Joanne G.]

A friend and I are on a cruise next year that ends in Copenhagen.     The return flights on our preferred airline have layovers at LHR.   Will we have to retrieve baggage and go through passport control before re-checking bags and continuing on to Chicago?   If so, it's hard to estimate what's a reasonable length of time for a layover. 

 

Would a flight from Copenhagen to Chicago with a layover in another EU country be simpler by eliminating passport controls during the layover?   Another airline has layover options in Brussels, Frankfurt, Munich, and some others.

 

The only airline flying nonstop from Copenhagen Chicago is SAS, but they don't have a non-stop to Heathrow, which we need as our cruise departs from Southhampton.

 

Thanks for any insight.  I am not familiar with procedures between airports in Europe.  I hate layovers, but if there is no other choice, I prefer a layover on the way home rather than on the way to my vacation, and I would like to be able avoid passport lines until I return to the U.S., if that's possible.   

[gumshoe958]

As long as you’re booked on one ticket from Copenhagen to Chicago, your luggage will be checked through regardless of whether you transfer in London or the EU and you won’t have to retrieve and re-check it.

 

If you choose Heathrow, you’ll be able to stay airside and won’t have to clear passport control. You will have to clear security again, and you may have to change terminals depending on which airline(s) you use, but that’ll be by bus and you’ll stay airside.

[Globaliser]

20 minutes ago, Joanne G. said:

Would a flight from Copenhagen to Chicago with a layover in another EU country be simpler by eliminating passport controls during the layover?

 

If you fly from Copenhagen to another EU country that's within the Schengen travel area, and then connect on to Chicago, you will clear Schengen exit immigration at the connection point, but you may be able to avoid clearing security a second time at the connection point.

 

If you fly from Copenhagen via London to Chicago, you will clear Schengen exit immigration at Copenhagen before the first flight and there will be no immigration control at London, but you will have to clear security a second time there.

 

As gumshoe958 says, this depends on Copenhagen to Chicago being on one through ticket.

[Joanne G.]

Thank you, both.  I got to wondering because I recently returned to Chicago from Paris, and the announcement on the plane before landing was that everyone had to go through passport control/immigration/customs at this entry into the U.S. and retrieve their bags.   Those continuing on from Chicago then had to recheck their bags.    I thought that sounded like a pain that I would like to avoid if possible, but I had no idea of the regulations and procedures in other countries.    Any of those layover options from Copenhagen seem manageable.  I appreciate the information.  

[gumshoe958]

9 minutes ago, Joanne G. said:

Thank you, both.  I got to wondering because I recently returned to Chicago from Paris, and the announcement on the plane before landing was that everyone had to go through passport control/immigration/customs at this entry into the U.S. and retrieve their bags.   Those continuing on from Chicago then had to recheck their bags.    I thought that sounded like a pain that I would like to avoid if possible, but I had no idea of the regulations and procedures in other countries.    Any of those layover options from Copenhagen seem manageable.  I appreciate the information.  

Yes, the US requires you to reclaim your baggage and clear customs and passport control at the port of entry before re-checking it for your onward flight.

 

The procedure in the UK and EU is different.