We recommend that you allow the following minimum connection times: 1 hour for connections within the same Heathrow terminal.
People Also Ask
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.
When to arrive. 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.
My normal arrival time is 1:30 and after de-boarding, the 15 minute walk to immigration, a short wait and processing and then the walk through customs and into the arrival area takes around an additional 15/25 minutes. The walk to the Express takes 5/10 minutes followed by as much as a 15 minute wait.
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.
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.
The Long Stay car parks at Heathrow offer 30 minutes parking for FREE, making them ideal if you're picking up or dropping off passengers. Blue Badge holders can park for free for 2 hours.
Although some of the terminals are a fair distance apart, Heathrow runs airside transfer buses between terminals for those passengers who have to transfer from one terminal to another. These buses depart every six to 10 minutes.
Overall, passengers usually have to re-clear security for connecting flights, though there may be some exceptions depending on the airport and flight itinerary. To make this process easier, checking with the airline or airport ahead of time is recommended.
Everyone who boards an aircraft at Heathrow has to be security screened to UK government standards. Even if you've already been through security checks at another airport, we're obliged to screen you again before you fly from Heathrow.
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.
Customs and immigration are usually required at the connecting airport for international flights. You don't always have to for domestic flights. In most cases, passengers on layover flights must clear customs and immigration at the first point of entry.
The fastest way to pass immigration quickly is to use the electronic gates wherever possible. I recently passed through Terminal 5 in less than two minutes this way. U.S. passport holders have been able to use U.K. ePassport gates at major U.K. airports including all London Heathrow terminals since 2019.
London's Heathrow Airport has launched a six-month trial—aptly called “Heathrow Timeslot”—where travelers can pre-book a security slot, meaning that you may be able to avoid facing any lines whatsoever at security and effortlessly zoom straight through to the lounge.
If a delay in your first flight is the reason you're missing your connection, don't worry too much. Usually, most airlines will rebook you on the next flight, and that too for free. Although, you might have to fly on standby depending on seat availability.
Use the eGates for quicker entrya national of an EU country, Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland or the USA.
The London Underground (aka 'the Tube') gets you from Heathrow to central London in under an hour, with trains running every 10 minutes. Heathrow has three underground stations, at Terminal 2/3 and at Terminal 4 and 5. Prices start from £5.50, making it one of the cheapest travel routes to London from Heathrow.