Clifton

I know I saw a thread on a similar question but darned if I can find it.

Flying US on American, connection at Heathrow to a BA flight on to Budapest. Same route back. Checked 22" rolling luggage due to BA's more restrictive weight limits.

What are the procedures for moving through Heathrow? It's an interline agreement between the airlines, I know but do we need to claim the bags and go through customs/immigration or do the bags go through the Hungary and get taken care of there?

tashak

If you check your bags through to Budapest, you can stay within Heathrow as a "transit" passenger and avoid going through immigration and collecting/rechecking your luggage. Just make sure you follow the "transit" / connecting flight signs!

Clifton

Thanks tashak. That sounds simple enough.

Debs

One additional comment-if your US flight arrives at one terminal(say 3)and your flight to Budapest departs from another terminal (say 4), you'll be able to take a free shuttle train between the two terminals-as previously stated-just follow the 'in transit' signage and you won't experience any problems. It's clearly marked, which makes it very nice and easy. Enjoy your trip!

flanneruk

The only free train between terminals (and it goes from T4 to a combined station for T1-3) is landside - ie OUTSIDE the secure area. So to use it you need to go through Immigration. And if your bags are checked to your next destination, you really do not want to go through Immigration.

Forget about trains. How you get from one terminal to another varies airside - ie without going through Immigration - varies: you walk from T1 to T2, but need an airside bus to and from T4, for example. Just follow the airline's instructions.

Weadles

A few weeks ago, we connected through Heathrow to Nice, France, on a BA flight. Our bags were checked straight through to Nice. We didn't receive the bags for nearly two days, since they were lost in transit at Heathrow, but hopefully, this won't be your experience! ( I would suggest, however, that you pack a change of clothes in your carry-on bag just in case...)

Anyway, you will need to carefully follow signs or ask directions to the BA terminal. It is really badly posted. Also check that you've been given the right gate number. We were misdirected by two BA agents.

Good luck!

Clifton

Hmm, good point about the terminals. I just did a little checking. It looks as though the trans-atlantic portion will be utilizing Terminal 3, and the LHR-Budapest leg will depart from Terminal 1.

I've only had the good fortune to use LHR as an arrival point, rather than transit, but I recall T4 being the orphaned terminal and from outward appearances, that T1-T2-T3 seemed to be in sort of a small circle. I take it that there are walkways between the secured areas in different terminals and that only T4 forces you to go outside those areas. I'll look for the "In Transit" signage.

And Weadles - we just pulled out a small backpack kind of thing for that purpose last night. We've had them lost before, so it's good advice. Hopefully we'll be in Budapest long enough for the bags to find us before our road trip our of the city! As long as I've got the camera, passports and some clean, ahem, the rest I'm not that fussed about.

Thanks everyone

Clifton

Just stumbled on a page from the Heathrow site itself, in case someone in the future looks for this info.
http://www.baa.co.uk/main/airports/h...ons_frame.html

The specific page for T3 to T1 was:
http://www.baa.co.uk/doc/88ca0522557...10e6_main.html

Patty

You'll want to follow the signs that say "Flight Connections" and take the airside shuttle bus to T1. I didn't think it was poorly marked. Just make sure you don't follow all the passengers heading toward immigration.