RisingSun

Hi,

I am traveling from Bangalore (INDIA) to Newcastle (UK) on a students VISA.
I have booked my flight with British Airways (from Bangalore to London Heathrow and Heathrow to Newcastle) Its a single ticket, though ill have to change the flight at LHR airport.

Now my question is where will the immigration check take place, at London or Newcastle ?
coz my connecting flight gap is only 1 hr 10 min, same terminal (Terminal 5).

Didnt realize this question till now when a friend asked this... so now i want to know more about it because if required then will have to change the connecting flight.

Thanks in advance.
RisingSun

alanRow

London. It's a tight connection but if you miss it it's BA's problem to get you to Newcastle.

As an alternative consider flying Emirates so you have immigration at Newcastle - though on current timetables it's an overnight stay in Dubai

RisingSun

I was really hoping not to get the answer as london ... any way ill check again with BA tomorrow. One of my friend told if the baggage's are booked directly to Newcastle then you will have it there itself.. and I have confirmed that baggage's will be collected only at newcastle and not at london.

jamikins

Yes you will enter the UK in London and go through immigration there.

nytraveler

The flight from LHR to Newcastle is domestice - so you will have to go through Immigration in London. If you can change your ongoing flight to a later time I would do so.

At a minimum make sure you are at the front of the place, get off quickly and trot to Immigration to get there as quickly as possible

RisingSun

Hello friends,

I talked to British Airways and they have confirmed me that the immigration check will happen at NEWCASTLE only.

I didnt reply here to tell you people were wrong but just to make it a point so that if someone else is looking for it, then they have the right answer.

None the less.... thanks for all your replies.

jamikins

I don't understand that. As Nytraveller points out the flight from London to Newcastle is domestic so they won't guide passengers through immigration there. Your international flight will end in London so that is where immigration should happen....?

Heimdall

Just be sure you are being given information about passport control rather than customs (luggage check). They are often confused.

The Heathrow Airport official website states: "Please note that it is a Border Force requirement that all passengers entering the UK must present themselves to Immigration at the first port of call." That would be Heathrow. See: http://www.heathrowairport.com/heath...-and-passports

Alec

Yes, I suspect BA was thinking you were talking about customs (baggage) check, which will indeed be at Newcastle when you are reunited with your luggage (not that there is anything at Newcastle; you will arrive at domestic terminal and there is usually just a customs telephone to use for any queries or if you have something to declare. Spot check is still possible, though. Contact BA and ask this time specifically about passport check/border control.

I've been through Heathrow dozens of times, and coming from an international destination you always go through passport control (and security) before catching a domestic flight. Only when catching another international flight (other than Ireland) will you stay airside and don't go through UK immigration.

Pepper_von_snoot

Well, you are in for a rude welcome when you land in the UK as you will indeed go through Immigration at Heathrow.

I don't care what BA told you. Cos that is BS.

Her Majesty's Government decide where you go through Immigration not British Airways; they have nothing to do with the situation.

In fact, I think they are outright lying to you so you don't rebook or cancel your flight.

I am shocked that you are ingenuous enough to believe anything an airline would tell you.

Thin

janisj

RisingSun: Sorry, but the info you received is almost certainly incorrect (and I also suspect the BA rep was explaining about Customs).

There could have been some sort of language issue (the same words sometimes mean different things on opposite side of the Atlantic). Perhaps s/he didn't understand you or you misunderstood him/her.

You will go through both passport control and security at LHR, and customs (assuming you check the bags through) at Newcastle. We aren't trying to rain on your parade -- we have all transferred through LHR from international to domestic and that is the way it works.

Heimdall

The good news is: if you booked your flights together and miss the one to Newcastle because of delays at Border Control, BA will be obliged to get you on the next available flight. When I have been waiting at Border Control, and there are flights arriving from the Indian subcontinent, it seems to take forever to get through. Perhaps you should go back to BA and arrange a later connection to Newcastle.

nytraveler

BA is responsible only if both flights are on a single ticket. If you bought them as separate tickets they are not responsible for your making your ongoing flight and you would be considered a no show and have to buy another ticket to get to Newcastle. (I am amazed that such a short connection is legal at LHR).

And yes, you WILL go through Immigration at Heathrow - the person you spoke to was probably talking about Customs.

sofarsogood

I wouldn't worry about it - you're baggage won't go to Newcastle without you (for obvious security reasons). And as its a "legal" connection then BA expect it to be OK. If not, then they'll just put you on a later flight.