Paulo59

I have to switch from United's Terminal 3 to a flight on British Airways in Terminal 1 at London Heathrow. Is 2 hours enough time?

My United flight arrives at Noon and there's a flight on BA at 2 pm I want to catch to Italy in the end of September.

United told me they can forward my bags to British Air which I was surprised at. The LHR website says that I will have to take a shuttle to their Flight Connections Center to go through immigration then to my airline counter there then walk to Terminal 1 to my gate. The site suggests to leave 55 minutes for this.

Does that make sense????

Thanks.

crefloors

Unfortunately, yes it does make sense. I had to go from Terminal 4 to I think it was Terminal 2 last December. The estimated time was 75 minutes. My sister-in-law has severe arthritis so my brother had ordered a wheel chair for her and even though we got to break through lines etc, it still was almost an hour. Also, the lines at Immigration and security just happened to be very long that day, so I'm sure we would have needed every minute of your layover time. I think we had about 2 1/2 hours. There is a lot of walking involved. If your plane is on time, you should be able to make your next flight.

Gardyloo

You won't go through immigration before the FCC, you'll go through security.

Yes, as described. Follow the signs for "flight connections" when you disembark at T3. Most of the time it shouldn't take 55 min., depending on the lines for the buses and security. You'll probably need to get your boarding pass for the Italy flight at the BA desk at the FCC.

Immigration, bag claim and customs will be in Italy.

Kate_W

I do terminal transfers at Heathrow all the time. I don't think you have to go through Immigration at Heathrow, but you do have to go through Security again (in this case, through a Security screening procedure solely for passengers in transit).

Two hours should be enough time, provided that your United flight arrives close to its scheduled arrival time. This is how the minutes can add up. Flights often depart late (although they often make up time in the air over the Atlantic). Once the plane gets to Heathrow, though, there can be a traffic jam in the sky and the plane can end up circling for 5-30 minutes or more (usually not for more than 10-15 minutes unless you've missed your landing slot by being very late). Once on the ground, there can be delays if the jetway the plane is scheduled to use is not free, or if the jetway doesn't work, etc. Once the doors open to the jetway, all the first and business class passengers get to get off first. If you're at the back of the plane, it could take you 10 minutes to get off the plane.

Then you've got to walk inside the terminal to the departure point for the bus (5-10 minutes), wait for a bus (0-10 minutes), take the bus to T3 (5-15 minutes), get off the bus and walk up to the Flight Connections Centre. There, you will have to go through security (usually 5-10 minutes, but I once spent 30 minutes in line). If your connecting flight is almost ready for departure, you can sometimes ask the security agents to let you through ahead of others, but not always. Then it's a 5-15 minute walk to the plane to your next flight.

Don't forget that not just you, but your bags, have to make that connecting flight. So don't cut it too short. Consider the possibility of travelling only with carry-on (although BA is reducing its carry-on limits, so this will be harder).

suze

My experience is as Kate describes. I've never had difficulty making the transfers required once I was in Heathrow, but my plane often has sat on the tarmac up to 30 mins. after landing waiting for a gate to open up so we could get off the plane.

alanRow

If OP's ponward flight is to the UK or Ireland then they will pass through Immigration & Security. elsewhere it's just Security.

If your flight is to the UK or Ireland it might be quicker just following the crowds rather than using the Flight connections Centre as you'll have to go through immigration anyway.

alanRow

Just had that "on-no moment" (the shortest possible duration oftime) between pressing the enter key & realising that OP is heading to Italy.

namaka

I am in England right now and started my journey last month. We flew Virgin
from SFO to Heathrow, with a connecting flight to Paris on BA. We were told by numerous people that our bags would not be checked through, but we also told by numerous people (at both VAA and BA) that the bags would be checked-through. When we checked in for our flight in SFO, we were told the bags would in fact be checked through. What a relief! We had 1 hr 35 min to make the connection and to also change terminals. And although we touched down on-time, we sat on the tarmac for over 1 hr waiting for a gate at which to go to. Once we were finally off the plane, we had only 20 min to make the flight; There was no way that would happen. We ended up getting put on a later flight (3 hrs later) that also left an additonal hour late. To top it all off, our bags didn't make it with us. We got 2 the next afternoon and the last one 3 days after arriving.

So, IMO, I would give yourself a little more time- just in case.

nibblette

It really depends if you are on one ticket or 2 tickets. If one ticket, 2 hrs should be no problem as long as the first flight arrives on time. You only have to go thru security and since United is not a partner of BA, the flight connections desk of BA (immediately after security) for your BA boarding pass.

If you are on 2 tickets, you need to be careful. BA is very strict about allowing bags that are not on partners or on one ticket to be thru-checked. You should verify that your bags would indeed be checked through.
When you are at the check-in desk, make sure the correct final destination tags are on the checked bags.

If you cannot check your bags thru, you will need more than 2 hrs. You will have to go thru immigration, pick up your bags, and go to the departures desk/kiosks from BA for check-in, then go thru security again.

nibblette

Just an aside, BA's carry-on policy is now more GENEROUS for coach than previously. As of July 5, you are allowed 1 bag that is no more than 22x18x10 inches and one personal item (hand bag, laptop, briefcase or equivalent) that must fit under the seat in front of you. There is no longer a weight limit. But you must be able to put your suitcase into the overhead locker unaided (FA will no longer help). If you cannot lift your bag, it will have to be checked.

If you are not getting good answers to the thru-check, you may consider doing only carry-on.

Kate_W

I'm not sure whether you have the option of taking a later flight or not. I usually try to have at least 2.5 hours between scheduled arrival and scheduled departure at Heathrow, to be on the safe side. Also, while hanging out in an airport after an overnight flight is not fun, if you've got to to do, Heathrow is a relatively pleasant place to spend some time. The shopping (even if you're just window-shopping) is quite good, there are decent cafés, the terminals (at least T4 and T1) are in good shape, etc. (Of course, it helps that I have lounge access ...) So, if you're stuck with even as much as a 3 hour layover, it's not the end of the world - and it will increase the likelihood that you and your suitcase will both make it to Italy (on the same flight).