changing terminals at Heathrow
 

Hi,

I'm coming into LHR from Philly and departing LHR to fly to Paris, Orly. Do I need to change terminals--and if so, how big is the hazzle? I've been in LHR before, often, but never flown to the Continent from there. Thanks!

Can you provide a clue as to what airline you are flying PHL LHR on and which airline you are flying LHR ORY to?

What Odin said. The times of arrival and departure are also important, and whether you can check your bags through to final destination, or have to pick them up when you arrive. are you flying on ONE ticket, or two separate tickets?

I'm flying British Air, one ticket from Philly to Orly. Would have about two and a half hours between flights at LHR. Should be able to check bag thru or even carry it on.

Thanks!

You can check the BA website to see which terminal PHL-LHR uses and which terminal LHR-ORY uses. If you're lucky, they're both Terminal 5 … in which case 2.5 hours is enough. But bear in mind that the security check at Heathrow has very long lines, so don't dawdle!

If it is a BA service and not codeshare, the flight to PHL will arrive T5. BA flights also depart T5 for Orly, again, assuming it is not codeshare. There is no need for carry-on, you can check your bag thru to Orly.

Is the terminal information not on your confirmation? I have looked at some old BA eticket receipts of mine and I can clearly see the terminal information.

If it is a codeshare on USAirways after 24 June you will arrive at Terminal 3.

So here's your partial answer based on the information you've divulged: (1) if you're traveling BA all the way, you don't have to change terminals; (2) if you're on a BA codeshare operated by UScAir after 24 June, you need to change from Terminal 3 to 5.

And that latter option will not be fun - it will be a big hassle. Have no clue if it will also be a hazzle.

If you are checked through you can use the Airside connection buses, follow Flight Connections signs, and don't need to go through customs and immigration

Follow the relevant links http://www.heathrowairport.com/heath...ween-terminals to find the specifics for your connection.

Maybe it's more difficult to get to Terminal 5 from Terminal 3 than when we went back in '08 shortly after Terminal 5 was open, but we found it to be a snap. Below is what I wrote on the Trip Report (and I say 'Customs" but maybe it's "immigration"…I never know the difference…I just know I need to get my passport out).

"The flight arrived about 12:45, and we scurried off the plane searching for information on which terminal we should go to for the London to Prague leg of our journey. “Terminal 5,” we were told. We cringed.

“Oh no, Terminal 5 is the new terminal having all those problems.” Could we be doomed already? The answer turned out to be an emphatic, “No.” So much for all the doom and gloom stories of Heathrow that we had heard and read about before we left. They proved to be fiction (at least for us). We walked from the plane to where we would be transported from Terminal 3 to Terminal 5, hopped on the bus and soon we were at Terminal 5.

When we walked into Terminal 5, Tracy said, “What’s all the fuss about? There’s nobody here.” Sure enough, there were only about ten people waiting to go though Customs. One of the information people saw our amazed (and relieved) look and said, “Yes, the nightmare of Terminal 5 is grossly overrated.”

We zipped through Customs and less than an hour from landing, we were inside terminal 5 looking for Kim, Mary and a drink."

((H))

Immigration - concerned with you
Customs - concerned with your luggage and any goods you are carrying

Unless you are going to a destination in the UK or Ireland then you won't pass through either.