Chele60

I just received notification that my flight to Spain has been confirmed. The air fare is a result of a win on a radio station, so I had very little input into how the flight was arranged. Also, this will be my first trip to Europe and I do apologize in advance for all the stupid questions I'll be asking in the upcoming months while I plan this trip!

Okay, the question(s). I'm flying BA from LAX to Heathrow and then connecting to continue on to Madrid. (Returning the same way) I'm completely unfamilar with Heathrow but have heard it can be very congested and difficult to find one's way. I've found maps of the terminals, but that doesn't always give one a true sense of what to expect. Time between connecting flights is 1 hour, 40 mins - if the flights are on time. Going to Spain, we arrive in Terminal 1 and must get to Terminal 2 for our flight to Spain. (Reverse order going home) We are arriving on a Monday and leaving on a Thursday, if this makes any difference.

How easy/difficult will it be to get from one terminal to the other? From what I can find there is a train between terminals and also moving walkways - is this true? Do these make getting between terminals feasible in this time frame? Also, exactly where would we go through customs? At Heathrow? (Thinking there wouldn't be enough time) Or at our final destination of Madrid?

Normally these are not things I would concern myself with overly-much, but my S/O likes to know what to expect about those things we can learn from others. Thanks for any and all replies!

Grasshopper

Relax, Heathrow is a pretty easy place to make connections. You will follow the well marked signs for connections and hop on a shuttle bus that will take you to the correct terminal. Then you'll go through a quick security line and follow on through to your gate. You should have plenty of time.

Check your bags through if possible. You'll go through customs in Madrid.

Walter_Walltotti

You'll probably be able to check your luggage right through to spain.

Terminal 1 is next door to terminal 2. If you have to collect your luggage and clear customs and recheck in at Terminal 2 it's a 5 minute walk at most.

If your luggage is checked through, I believe there is a bus that connects the terminals airside and runs every couple of minutes. It should be fairly well signposted airside how to connect to other terminals. There is usually a help desk airside to assist.

Heathrow can be very congested particularly early in the morning when a fair few long haul aircraft land close to one another. There are often delays getting to the gate after landing due to congestion. That said, if your plane is on time, 1 hr 40 between terminals 1 and 2 seems plenty.

suze

In my experience, Heathrow may seem complicated trying to plan it out by a map ahead of time, but actually is quite straightforward once you are there and doing it. Basically just follow the signs, follow the crowds, do what you're told. As long as your first flight lands and unloads on time, you should be fine.

Congrats on the contest win!

suze

And getting your bags checked thru all the way to Madrid, so they don't come into play at all in Heathrow. I noticed mine have even been marked with an extra tag that says "Short" by the airlines for a tight connection.

flanneruk

If you're getting a bus in all this, you've messed up.

T1 and T2 are actually physically connected. Follow the signs (on foot) to the Flight Connection Centre if you've got a through booking, collect an onward boarding pass if you haven't got one, then walk (airside - ie without going through Immigration - though you have to go through another security check) to the departure gate. It's all clearly signed. Since your onward flight in on Iberia, which is a One World partner with BA, you should have a through ticket and BA should have given you your Madrid pass at LAX

Shouldn't take more than 30 minutes max. In fact, there's a secret route from the T1 arrival gates to the T2 departure gates which takes about ten mins max, but it'd take a couple of hours to explain, and you might not want to try to get too clever.

highledge

what you need to remember is to look at the many yellow overhead signs for the flight connection center. Don't just follow everyone else! Check your ticket. If the spain portion is on BA then not to worry as you can always get on their next flight out.

Chele60

Fodorites come through once again! Thank you all, and it gives peace of mind that all are in agreement.

And thanks for answering a question I had as yet left unasked: to check baggage! I will be packing light, but wasn't looking forward to making my way through airports rolling luggage behind us. So, check bags, connections should not be a problem, and go through customs in Madrid. Got it! Thanks!