Airline connections - Heathrow

All I can say is Yikes!
Definitely do carry-on only, unless you would prefer to pay the walkup prices for a new ticket. I am sure that whatever you might need to buy along the way would cost far less.
I do not think this sounds plausible, and I have used Heathrow a lot, but I will let someone with exact knowledge of these terminals comment, since I have not been to Terminal 5.

I can't comment on your chances at making that connection, but if you can't do carry on only, then make sure you have everything you'll need for a few days in your carry on incase your checked bags don't make it to your flight.

*If* you can make that connection, including getting and rechecking your bags (assuming that's required, I have no idea), you're going to be cutting it to the absolute wire. I'm no expert, so please take this with a grain of salt, but I would highly suggest changing your tickets or going carryon only. There are quite a few posts on here about going on long trips with only carry on bags. Can you do laundry part way through your trip, or wash clothes in the sink/bathtub?

Good luck

carry on-only probably isn't an option. VS only allows 6 kg (13 lb) for cabin bags. BA no longer weighs carry-on's so that isn't your problem. I haven't done a T2-T5 connection so not sure - but there are lots of other LHR experts on here who can give you the best advice.

But don't be so sure you can't check your bags through. BA is a pig about this - they are really bad about inter-lining. BUT that is when they are on the front end of the itinerary. They won't be an issue. The VS agent at your departure airport very well may check them through for you . . . .

I know...it's the weight requirement that steered me away from carry on. With the dimensions, I thought..no problem (I give new meaning to the worked "packed." But when I read the weight restrictions of 13 pounds... I think my PURSE weighs 13 pounds. So, it sounds like they do weigh at check-in.(I was considering sneaking in a few extra kilos!) I know I've seen big hulky guys straining at lifting their bags into the overhead. Well anyway, it sounds like carry on is the way to go. I have no problem with doing a little laundry, or even having it done (at a premium) especially when it helps us stick to our travel mantra..."no stress"...) Besides, travelling or otherwise, my philosophy is generally if you don't have it, you probably don't need it.Money, tickets, and camera...the 3 only essentials. (Yes, I am female.)

Uhhh...make that "word" .(note to self ...always preview...

if you want to try carry on - they won't weigh your handbag (unless it looks like a suitcase and you don't look like a pack mule carrying it )

When I fly VS I put the heavy things in my purse (usually a large-ish le Sport Sac- very roomy but still definitely a handbag and not a duffle) - paperback, my qt zip lock baggie, flat iron, pair of shoes in a shoe bag, toiletries, any electronics, camera, etc. My handbag will weigh around 8-10 lbs and the carry on just about 6 kg. Then after I'm through check in and security I rearrange things so my hand bag is lighter.

VS fly ino T3 - on arrival go to the Flight Connections desk & they will advise. 2 hours is a very short connection considering the distance between T3 and T5 but T5 does not seem to be as busy as the other terminals, at least not when I've flown from there.

Remember, you will also have to go through passport control (anything up to an hour) and customs (just walk through green channel) in T3, and clear security in T5, which can take time, depending on how busy they are. If you are taking a morning flight, expect long lines. Pay heed to liquid rules - strictly enforced.

Can you check into your BA flight before you leave home?

What are the consequences if you miss the BA flight? I would be quite afraid of my whole vacation being ruined.

That is NOT a generous provision. Two hours is the minimum connection time at Heathrow - and I've made it a couple of times only because I was staying airside, had only a carry-on and jogged a good bit of the way.

If you have to go through immigration, then pick up your bags, then get to another terminal and through security again I would think you chances of making this are VERY slim.

If your luggage is checked through and you can stay airside - avoding immigration - you may have a decent chance.

Like I said, I've not transfered to T-5 -- but I'm pretty certain they won't have to go through immigration. They are not entering the UK but just transiting through.

But there will be security screening at T-5

You only stay airside - and don't have to go through immigration - if you only travel with carryons or your luggage is through checked. If you have to retrive your luggage and check in again, you have to go through passport check and customs.

Oh - yes that would make a difference. I only ever travel carry on so I hadn't thought about having to collect the bags and re-check them.

If the bags aren't checked through then you will go through immigration, collect luggage, go through customs, then get the Heathrow Express to T5 and recheck your bags before going through customs. I don't know where in the US you are arriving from but bear in mind that lots of flights from the same area, with different carriers, tend to arrive at a similar time, which can make the queues for immigration very long.

I think you should try and find out from Virgin whether they can check bags through onto a BA flight for you. Otherwise I would to change the second flight. Even with only hand baggage, and using the transfer bus, it is a tight connection.

I apologize for the brief interruption but . . . does that 2-hour minimum for connections still apply if you fly in and out on BA---probably T5 for both? We haven't flown BA since T5 was completed so I have no idea how well it works. I haven't booked the tickets yet and want to make sure I get it right. Thanks.

enzian: You are flying all on BA, all on the same ticket, and all in T-5 so you would be fine (and even if you landed late, you are protected and BA will put you on the next available flight).

The bags will be tagged to LHR only - if flight arrives at noon it is likely to be from LAX. Check in online with BA to save time. I've flown from T5 couple times and it was a quick process to drop bags and early afternoon is not exactly peak time.

Thanks for the input. We are going to check on moving to a later BA flight. We can't check our bags all the way through, as we booked and ticketed the two legs separately. We had planned on carry on only, until we learned that VS only accepts 13 lbs.

"We can't check our bags all the way through, as we booked and ticketed the two legs separately. We had planned on carry on only, until we learned that VS only accepts 13 lbs."

Two points - you still might be able to check your bags through. I've often had one airline check my bags through even when the next flight was a separate booking. BA won't do it for sure, but I've flown BMI, VS, and maybe 3 or 4 other airlines when the bags WERE tagged trough to the final desrination.

And - you might be able to do carry on even w/ the 6 kilo limit. I've done it several times. See my post tagged Jul 5, 09 at 06:42 PM

Talk about a scary posting!!!!

I arrive in LHR at 12:15pm and fly to Prague on BA at 3:00pm. When I booked this, I thought I had plenty of time to make the connection.

After reading this, I am getting a little worried!?

Should I be?? Thinking about spending a couple of hundred more bucks to book the later flight as "insurance." Cheap fare tix allow no changes.

Very unlikely that VS will only tag the bags beyond LHR when next flight is on BA.

2:45hrs for connection shd be fine.

Masterphil - OP is travelling on separate tickets with no chance of checking luggage through. Therefore they will have to go through UK immigration, collect their luggage, change terminals, check-in and go through security - which in 2 hours is really pushing it ESPECIALLY as BA at T5 require you to be at the gate some 35 minutes before the flight departs

If they had had a through ticket, hand luggage only or managed to get their luggage checked through so would just have to go to the Flight Connections Centre avoiding immigration & luggage collection. In which case 2 hours is more than enough plus with a through ticket you'd be covered "if things went wrong"

Can I check luggage "through" from US through Heathrow onto Prague with two different carriers? (United and British Airways?) (No way I can do hand luggage only)

Well, after careful consideration, calls to VS to see about checking the luggage through ("No")and any exceptions to the 13 lb.restricion ("No") and after reading all the input here, we've decided to change our connecting flight. It is just 4 hrs. later. The cost to change will be about $80 ea.,but I think we'll find it worth it to avoid the stress and hassle of trying (and probably failing) to make that connection. We wanted to arrive in Rome a little earlier...but later that night sure beats the next day! Thanks for all your input.

Wise choice and not all that expensive for 'lessons learned'!

Glad you changed the flights, and $80 each really isn't that much for peace of mind.

Have fun

5 times I've flown into Heathrow (this was BA not Virgin), we always seem to sit on the tarmac for a LONG time after landing (like 1/2 hour), before we are able to deplane. So I never go thru that airport with less than a 3 hour connection. There's plenty to do there to pass any extra time you end up with.