Heathrown:changing from Terminal 4 to T2.Help!
 

We are arriving at Terminal 4 from Australia. Our luggage will supposedly be booked through all the way to Paris but we have to change from Terminal 4 to Terminal 2B to fly on to Paris.We have 3.5 hrs to do this but please advise HOW we change terminals...can we walk through or must we bus/train through to T2B? Heathrow Express isnt clear about whether there is transport between these two terminals as such.

terminal 4 is <u>very</u> remote from the other 3 terminals - practically in a different county. The Heathrow Express train connects the two - and is free.

Are you sure what you've said's true?

There's no terminal 2B at Heathrow. 2B is the PARIS terminal BA arrives at. Terminal 2 is the HEATHROW terminal from which Air France flies to Paris.

If you're on BA from Australia to Paris 2B, you will depart from Heathrow T4, just as you arrive. Your bags get trasnsferred automatically, youdon't go through immigreatiopn or customs and you've nothing to worry about.

If you're on BA to London, then Air France, your bags WON'T be transferred automatically, The likelihood is you'll have to go through immigration, collect you bags, go through customs to the Heathrow EXpress railway station, take the free 5-min train to the T1-3 station, walk to T2, then check in for AF. You should do it in 2 hrs.

If you're on Qantas (or any other airline, like Lanka or KLM, that uses T4) then AF, your bags MIGHT be through checked. In which case, follow the signs when you get off the plane to the Flight Connections Centre, check in for the AF flight then get the free bus to T2. No customs or immigration. If they're not checked through, then go through immigration, collect them and get the train as in the previous paragraph.

yep - I saw the 2&quot;B&quot; bit - but couldn't imagine someone mixing up T-2 at LHR and T-2B at CDG and just assumed she meant T-2. But what you say makes sense . . . .

Suedee: Please clarify -- did you mean T-4 to T-2 at Heathrow, or possibly T-4 at LHR to T-2B at CDG?

Note even if you are transferring T4 to T4 you will still have to pass through security and you will be restricted to one piece of hand luggage.

If your luggage is checked through all you need to do is follow the signs to &quot;Flight Connections Centre&quot; regardless of which terminal you need to end up at

Sorry..got mixed up ... just checked again and should be: arrive Heathrow Terminal 4 and Depart Heathrow for Paris from Terminal 5. Qantas advise luggage can be transferred as we fly Qantas to London then BA to Paris and BA/Qantas will accept each other's baggage apparently. Quite right, 2B is CDG..Apologies for the mix-up. Your replies greatly appreciated.

Well you are going into uncharted waters as T5 doesn't open until the 27th March 2008 and no-one knows what's going to happen.

It SHOULD be a case of following the signs to Flight Connections Centre but...

Nobody can really answer the question yet...but as Qantas currently uses Terminal 4 along with BA, perhaps Qantas too will be using Terminal 5 when BA moves lock stock and barrel to terminal 5....or perhaps Qantas will remain at Terminal 4 in which case it will be as noted follow the signs to Flight Connection and a bus to Terminal 5 with a security check and th eidiotic one carry on rule (can't the Brits relent on this; even the Americans allow a lap top or brief case in addition to the one carry on and the Europeans have not followed through)....but like everybody has said this is all up in the air until Terminal 5 actually opens.

Well, we do know a bit.

Qantas will be flying into T4 for a while after March 2008: BA will start flying from T5 in March. It sounds as if you're taking this flight after BA has moved its Paris flights to T5, but before Qantas moves to T3, as it will later in 2008.

You'll get your onward boarding pass in Oz: just follow the connection signs at T4. You'll go through security again (but not immigration), then get bussed to T5.

Forget about the Heathrow Express, which operates outside the secure area.

PS: The real point of your question.

3.5 hours is likely to be fine, but even if the incoming flight's late, you'll be booked onto another. There are still lots of flights from Heathrow to Paris, though the numbers are likely to be significantly cut back next year.

The precise details of the transfer do depend on the timetable for the massive terminal switchover (and reduction in flights to Paris) that starts happening from March next year. Although details have been released, any number of things might happen in the next eight months to change things. So come back here in March to check on the details.

In the meantime, just relax and invest your energy into researching what you're going to be doing in Paris.

Thanks all ... only reason was checking so early was in case this particular terminal change was too difficult to contemplate, in which case would have tried to change airlines for an easier transfer and as am doing flights on frequent flyer points this has to be booked now!! We are in fact only going early July (guess Qantas may have advised a terminal change by then anyway) but as it seems most terminal transfers are reasonably manageable I will check this site for updates/experiences after March 08 iro Terminal 5.... Many thanks flanneruk for so much helpful input so fast!! (Was in Paris briefly two years ago and lived there for a few months many (too many) years ago so look forward to a trip down memory lane!)