Are Terminal 4 and 5 connected at Heathrow?

Terminal 4 and Terminal 5. Transfers are slightly more complicated as there is no direct connection. You can take the Elizabeth Line, the Heathrow Express, or London Underground. With all options, you need to transfer trains at Heathrow Terminal 2/3. These connections take longer, allow around 30 minutes.



Heathrow Terminal 4 and Terminal 5 are not physically connected by a walkway; they are on opposite sides of the airport's southern runway. To travel between them, you must use public transportation, but the good news is that these transfers are completely free. The most efficient way is to take the Elizabeth Line or the Heathrow Express trains. You simply tap a contactless card or Oyster card at the barrier (no charge will be taken for travel between terminals), or get a free transfer ticket from a machine. The journey takes about 15 to 20 minutes including waiting time. Alternatively, you can take the London Underground (Piccadilly Line), though this requires a change at "Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3." For those who prefer the bus, the H30 bus also runs between the terminals for free. If you are a "self-connecting" passenger with luggage, allow at least 60 to 90 minutes for this transfer, as you will need to clear security again once you arrive at your new terminal. In 2026, terminal hopping is a seamless process, but it does require moving through the airport's rail infrastructure.

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We recommend that you allow the following minimum connection times: 1 hour for connections within the same Heathrow terminal. 1 hour 30 minutes for connections that require travel between terminals at Heathrow.

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Most (but again, not all) airports connect international terminals airside. When you're connecting from an international flight to a domestic one, you'll always have to exit and reenter security as you'll need to go through customs and immigration (unless you have gone through preclearance aboard, which is rare).

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You will need to go through passport control (and customs if applicable) and then check in again as normal for your connecting flight, so please ensure you have enough time.

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You do not have to pick up your bags if they have been labelled for your next flight. If you need to collect a boarding pass, please follow the purple signs for Flight Connections and visit the Airline Desks to pick up your boarding pass.

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EEA immigration waiting times are meant to be around 25 minutes or less. In March 2022, Terminal 2 was running at 87.68 per cent efficiency whilst Terminal 3 was running at 96.51 per cent efficiency and Terminal 5 at 98.75 per cent.

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We recommend getting to the airport three hours before your flight if you're travelling internationally, or two hours if you're travelling domestically or to Europe.

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Heathrow Express trains stop at Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 and Heathrow Terminal 5. Passengers travelling to Terminal 4 should change on to the free transfer train at Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 (connecting trains every 15 minutes, journey time four minutes).

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If your itinerary was purchased as one ticket (as in: you have only one itinerary and one confirmation number), and the connection time was too short and you miss the second (or third) flight, you can rest easy, no matter what happens. The airline will simply put you onto the next available flight, free of charge.

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When layover flights are booked with the same airline, your baggage will be automatically transferred through to your final destination. However, if the two flights are with different airlines, you may have to claim and re-check your baggage during your layover.

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You might have to go through customs during a layover, especially if your layover is in the Schengen Area (which consists of most countries in the EU). For example, if your final destination is Paris, France, but you have a layover in Madrid, Spain, you will actually go through customs in Spain, not France.

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If you miss your connection booked with the same airline that your were on for your first flight, and the issue is due to a delayed take off or anything else that's in the hands of your airline, it's the airline's responsibility to rebook you on the next available flight.

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We recommend that you allow the following minimum connection times: 1 hour for connections within the same Heathrow terminal. 1 hour 30 minutes for connections that require travel between terminals at Heathrow.

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What is a good connection time? Travel advisers say there's a lot to take into account when booking connecting flights, but a general rule of thumb is 60-90 minutes between domestic flights and at least two to three hours for international itineraries.

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Yes, there might be exceptions, but most often than not the airline won't wait. What you can do is to try to avoid missing your connection. But if you do miss your connection, don't worry, the airline will book you on a new flight for free (if it's an airline-protected connecting flight).

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A connecting flight is two or more subsequent flights. To put it simply, having a connecting flight means you will have to change planes. You will not be flying directly from A to B, but there will also be C. You will fly from A to C, and then from C to B.

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The recommended layover time for domestic flights is normally one hour. However, as previously stated, you may require longer if your flights are booked with two different airlines, if you are traveling to a very busy airport or if you require special assistance.

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