Being picked up from LHR Terminal 1

[ExXB]

Haven't been through T1 for a very long time and am hoping for advice from a PPruner or two ...

We're arriving at LHR T1 midday on a Thursday in August. The Brother-in-Law has kindly offered to pick us up at T1. We've set a conservative meeting time (1 1/2 hours after scheduled arrival) and our respective cell phones will be in use. I think that cars are no longer permitted to drop off or pick-up on the forecourt.

Besides the short term parking (recommended by Heathrow at £2.70 for 30 minutes) is there a place that we can be picked up? No palaver, just roar up, open the boot, shove in the wife, open the car door, shove in the baggage, jump in and roar off.

One thought is that (I think) certain transit buses are free at Heathrow - perhaps we can catch one from T1 and get off a the 1st stop the other side of the tunnel. Any inside information on that? Might reduce the shoving, but not the roaring (you have to know the B-I-L!)

[cavortingcheetah]

As far as I remember.....
There are no cars allowed at the arrivals section of Terminal 1 which is on the ground floor (British style). The departures upstairs on the first floor, by road, through the tunnel, keep in the left lane and straight up the ramp, has limited drop off only. There used to be valet parking there. You could go upstairs to departures and take a chance of liasing with your pick up. Personally I'd send him a tenner. £4.50 for an hour's parking Terminal 1 Short Term and £15.50 for two disgusting cups of coffee and a flatulent croissant while they wait for yoiu.

[TightSlot]

Make Mobile Phone contact when through Customs Hall (Ground Floor) and arrange to meet at Departures (First Floor) Drop-Off point.

[PAXboy]

TS you're not supposed to tell everyone that the Drop Off point on the upper level is the best Pick Up point. Now they all know! :eek:

[Chidken Sangwich]

Agree with Tightslot.

I did this last Thursday. Come through arrivals (after customs channel), turn right and across to the lifts. Go up one floor to departures, turn right out of lift and out of the terminal. Cross the first two lanes and there are a further 3 lanes on the lower level behind these that aren't particularly busy.

Would guess that when your driver comes up the ramp to departures you advise him to stay in the left lane so as to get into this area instead of the immediate first two lanes (it may even still be signposted valet parking as looked as if there was an area for that at the start of these three lanes).

[ExXB]

TS you're not supposed to tell everyone that the Drop Off point on the upper level is the best Pick Up point. Now they all know! :eek:

Don't worry PAX, I won't tell anyone.

[TightSlot]

Good Point - I had forgotten - I won't tell anybody else either

[WHBM]

As nobody else does this either, I won't add any supplementary comments like :

1. Despite you saying "Departures" half a dozen times or more, a good proportion of such people being met will still go and wait outside arrivals. You have to go through specific instructions for the Top Floor and get them to acknowledge back, just like doing ATC.

2. The security people constantly in the departures roadway are fine with picking up people who are ALREADY waiting and you stop next to them, but if you're picking up some prima donna who has to sit in the cafe until you come inside to get them, or suddenly has to go back to the toilets - forget it.

3. The drop off area is in two parallel sections, the (quieter) one further away from the terminal is half a floor lower down. Make sure the people you are collecting understand this. You need to decide which one you are driving through before you can see the people waiting.

4. Try to avoid picking up imbeciles if you can. One called me and said they were standing "by the Coke machine". I wonder how many Coca-Cola vending machines there are in Heathrow ? :rolleyes:

[Dawdler]

That might work at Heathrow, but not at Birmingham. The only way you can pick up (or drop off) anyone there for free is to do it in the Long Stay car park. It still requires immaculate timing though. BHX is just milking "security" to get your money.

[ExXB]

3. The drop off area is in two parallel sections, the (quieter) one further away from the terminal is half a floor lower down. Make sure the people you are collecting understand this. You need to decide which one you are driving through before you can see the people waiting.

The further (and lower) level is where I was thinking of being picked up. If I was to instruct the B-I-L to keep left, keep left! KEEP LEFT YOU B***** FOOL, would he end up where I want him to?

[WHBM]

Yes, but only if he actions this command once he is going up the Departures ramp. If he Keeps Left before starting up the ramp he will end up entering the car park at ground level.

I realise I've written my notes above from the viewpoint of a pick-upper rather than the pick-upee, but they are still relevant I hope.

Heathrow won't allow Google Streetview to take images at Heathrow (presumably they won't offer enough money) but they did manage to get overhead shots before the BAA anti-aircraft guns opened up on the Islander bearing the cameras. Here it all is

Google Maps (http://maps.google.co.uk/?ll=51.471854,-0.451319&spn=0.001524,0.004801&t=k&z=18)

Approach heading SE, departures ramp goes up from the middle turning through 270 degrees, to those three parallel roads heading NW, nearest the terminal is absolutely for buses and police cars only, you will NOT be welcome there, beyond the wider canopy is the first drop off road, then beyond the narrower canopy is the second drop off road we are recommending.

[PAXboy]

What's with the we are recommending. bit? I thought that we had all agreed that the third lane on the left was the WORST place to pick up from T1? Also, the picture you showed is out of date, that is actually T1 at Narita. :=

[Juno78]

That might work at Heathrow, but not at Birmingham. The only way you can pick up (or drop off) anyone there for free is to do it in the Long Stay car park. It still requires immaculate timing though. BHX is just milking "security" to get your money.

Alternatively, get them to take the electric train thingy over to Birmingham International railway station, and park in the "pick-up" car park at the back in which you can stay for 20 minutes for free.

[GroundedSLF]

Totally agree - pick up from the far road. Tell your driver that this is still posted as valet parking (as of 10 days ago) so not to panic and make a sudden swerve into a "nearer" lane at the last minute...