richardab

OK, here is the scenerio...

I am flying from Vienna to Newark (ain't that a match), via London. I arrive on Austrian Airlines in Terminal 2 at 8.45am. My connecting flight to Newark is on United from Terminal 3 at 10.05am. That allows 1 hour and 20 minutes to transfer, providing I step off the jet at 8.45am (which will not happen). Technically it's a legal connection. Will I make it? What can I expect?

Deloris

My vote is NO!
Heathrow is one of the most intense security sites in the world. At best, you will need to get to the transfer shuttle, then you will go thru security again, then you might have to go thru security near your gate. Heathrow has several security checks after the main one at check in #1. I will say that all checked in bags from point of origin might be easier as your carry ons and YOU will be intensley checked and zapped. Experts are not kidding when they say allow AT LEAST 2 hours for international check ins in this iffy international climate. We are going thru Heathrow this summer and have to stay over night at an airport hotel for our LAX flite due to connection glitches from Italy that do not give us at least a 2+ HOUR WINDOW and no back up flite that day. Work it out to get more time and save yourself stress and massive aggravation!
Bon Voyage

janis

Not only is Deloris' info correct - even IF you did touch down at 08:45 you would still be a looooong way from the terminal. Count on 10 to 15 minutes taxi time, delays at the gate, deplaning and walking a long distance into the terminal before you can take the shuttle or walk over to Teriminal 2. A landing at 0845 would likely have you inside T2 at around 0915 or later. And you would still have to clear security at T3.

msjenny

Any of the many times I've been at Heathrow, Christmas, Summer, Saturdays, Weekdays, early mornings, afternoons, it has always been extremely crowded. I've waited in lined to get through security for up to 90 minutes. Other times, we've gotten in ahead of schedule in the early morning, and because of the noise ordinance, we had wait 45 minutes to be 'towed' to the terminal.

Genesea

I've never had to transfer terminals, but when I flew out of T3 on the 29th of April [Monday] at 3pm, the airport wasn't busy at all ... the security check only took me 20 minutes or less to get through.

flanneruk

You'll get a boarding card for the UA flight when you check in with Austrian. The connection is entirely inside the first security ring, so you go through the airside security lines to get into T3 (relatively short) and whatever security UA imposes at the gate (can be lengthy, but that doesn't matter, since it'll be more of a problem for UA to unload your bags than to hold the plane while the fourteenth security person at the gate asks you if you packed the bags yourself)
So IF the incoming flight's on time, probably not a problem. But why ask us? The experts are at Austrian, who fly planeloads of connectors into LHR every day. Why not ring them and ask?

richardab

Some say that connecting from T2 to T3 requires leaving security and taking a shuttle and other say it is within the security "ring". In fact I really don't care if I make it or not because I am sure United will accomodate me on another flight.

United qualifies this as a legal connection and hopefully Austrian will give me my United boarding card when I check in, although sometimes when I've traveled from inter-euro flights to overseas flights, they did not give the boarding pass.

But.... If my luggage makes it onto the plane and I don't, they cannot leave without removing my stuff from the plane.

Hmmmmmm.......

Kate_W

If you were doing these flights the other way around (eg coming in from the US, and then continuing to Austria), the connection would be more manageable because the overnight flights from North America often get you on the ground exactly at the scheduled arrival time (even taking into account taxiing, deplaning etc) or even half an hour or so early.

opaldog

My experience is on the airline forum under Beware of Orbitz. It deals with connection time at LHR. I would never connect thru LHR without 3 hours, for my peace of mind due to my experience.

coco

I'm agreeing with points made by Flanneruk...once you are inside the security ring your only further security will be at the gate. There are shuttle buses INSIDE the secure zone to transfer between the terminals. Walking or bus (include waiting time) is about half hour between terminals (I ususally walk). I've never flown in from Austria but Nice, Lisbon, Milan and with hour to hour and half connections have always been fine.

This is all based on getting your United boarding pass when you check in at Vienna; otherwise you will indeed have to exit and re-enter and get boarding pass and there is no way that's going to happen in 1 hour and 20- minutes.

mes10

I've done this several times, but make sure your luggage and ticket are booked through the final destination. You simply follow the flight connections signs when arriving at the Heathrow terminal. You will come to a desk and a small lobby. They will look at your ticket and tell you when the next bus will be arriving. Board that bus and go to the desired terminal. Upon arrival you will be screened - takes a minute or so and then you proceed to the terminal and check the screens for your gate. It usually takes me no more than 20-30 minutes, so you should have plenty of time to do some duty-free shopping.

richardab

My fear is that the ticket I am using on Austrian is a unpaid "paper" award ticket vs. a "electronic" paid ticket on United. Since the two tickets aren't directly connected I may not be able to check in for the LHR-EWR flight in Vienna. If that happens it will be a disaster. When I made a few calls United says Austrian will check me in, but Austrian says they will not, unless I ask and the gate agent in VIE does it as a courtesy. A courtesy? Geee thanks.

Ann41

If you're late when you get to security, just go up to one of the guards and explain that you're late. They're very good about bringing people up to the front to catch a flight. Can't say the same about the airlines, though!

richardab

I'll try that!

richardab

I am back and the trip and transfer was successful. It was a stretch but I made it. My flight left Vienna 30 minutes late but still arrived at Heathrow on time. Unfortunately Austrian Airline could not check me in for my London to Newark flight on United Airlines when I checked in at Vienna. That made it all the more stressful. Once I arrived at Heathrow I waked thru endless corridors, waited in security, checked in for my flight, took a bus to another terminal, walked thru more corridors, passed thru gate security again and got on my flight. I think this all took about 30 minutes. Close, but i made it.

francophile03

Glad you made it! Taking the shuttle buses are stressful-it's like you are driving forever and hoping you don't miss your flight.