Heathrow & customs lines?
 

We are flying into Heathrow Saturday, 8:00 pm arrival. Have arranged for pick up via Ray Skinner's service (thanks to this forum). The car service will wait for an hour & we're supposed to call if we think it will take longer to clear customs (no reason, but you never know). Our cell phone won't work in the UK - is there access to public telephones in the customs area? Seems unlikely. Here in the US public phones are increasingly scarce.

There are no "customs" lines -- you mean immigration (passport control). Don't worry, Ray will monitor the landing time of your flight and not show up until the right time.

The last place you will be before exiting to the meeting place is in the baggage claim area and there are pay phones there. It shouldn't take more than an hour but if it does, and you are delayed getting your bags - you can ring him on a pay phone. He will be standing just outside the exit door w/ a sign w/ your name on it. You will like Ray . . . . .

Thanks for the info. We only travel with bags we can carry on, so hopefully it'll be quick.

Last June (2008) we were through the Immigration at Heathrow in about 10 minutes.

"<i>Last June (2008) we were through the Immigration at Heathrow in about 10 minutes.</i>"

I've gotten through in 5 mins and in 90 mins (and everything in between).

Another day (or even just another time of the same day) and you could could have had an entirely different experience.

The last time we used Ray Skinner our luggage took forever to get on the carousel.

We had to call Ray Skinner and ask him to wait as he <B>was about to leave</B>.

Your flight arrival time has NOTHING necessarily to do with when you actually retrieve your luggage as this instance proved.

If this happens to you send one person on ahead to call.

OP said they will only have carry on luggage.

Having a mobile phone that will work at your destination seems like a good idea, regardless if you will actually need with regard to this specific problem.

"<i>If this happens to you send one person on ahead to call.</i> You don't have to send anyone - there are phones right there in the baggage area. Plus the OP says they are doing carry on-only.

We don't have a mobile that will work in the UK.

Thanks for letting me know about your experience, Dukey - If we get held up will do our best to find a phone & call.

Baggage isn't the issue. If you are held more than an hour, it is usually because of hold-ups at immigration. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be too much rhyme or reason as to whether it is 10 minutes or an hour. When it gets bad, it gets bad.

Keep your fingers crossed - it is about all you can do. But I would think you shouldn't have too many problems.

To use a pay phone, you need British coins (some also take certain euro coins). If it takes credit card, remember there's a minimum charge of around £1.20. To call a mobile phone from a pay phone is often quite high - around 60p a min - just dial all the numbers given such as 07789 123 456.

Fingers will be crossed. Appreciate the reminder about the British coins. Thanks all.

If you have an unlocked cell phone (I asked AT&T for the codes to unlock ours), I bought a SIM with five pounds on it from Lebara before I left the states. They shipped it to me and it arrived within a week (four SIMS, one for each of my family).

Baggage and/or immigration can be issues. 8pm on a Saturday-depends what else is coming in from parts of the world that would clog up immigration.

In my limited experience, LHR immigration lines are much shorter at night, than early AM.