LHR transfer between terminals 4 and 1

[aaaaa]

It is a long time since I have been at LHR and would just like to know the procedure for transferring between T4 to T1. I will be coming in on BA from ZRH and then off to HKG on BA the same evening travelling J class.

Presumably there is a transfer bus and that one stays airside without the necessity of going through immigration.

aa

[Gonzo]

I may be way off here, but I thought that Zurich was now one of the T4 services?

[aaaaa]

Hi Gonzo

You are totally right but sadly HKG has now moved to terminal 1, can't see the logic in it myself but that is where they are going from :ugh:
aa

[wub]

Follow the signs in T4 for Flight Connections Centre and you will be led to the bus which takes you to T1. It does stay airside but you will be subjected to a security search before you get to the terminal proper.

[hafez]

To be honest its very easy. I have been doing it for years and did it on my own this year (i'm 15). Just follow the signs for Flight Connections Centre and its all very easy from there. If you have a problem the staff are really helpful (different from airports such as schiphol-very unhelpful people there!!! and shannon :rolleyes: ) The bus takes about 5-10mins and is airside, you just hop on and when its nearly full the bus makes the short journey. You just hope off then and follow the signs again and your into the terminal :ok:

Have a great trip :cool: ;) ;)

[Gonzo]

D'oh! I knew that!

[aaaaa]

Hey all of you, thanks for the help. I used to know LHR like the back of my hand but things have moved on a bit since those days. It sounds as if I should be able to cope with it and as I will be doing it on Christmas day I expect a bit of Christmas spirit will be there to help me on may way!!!
:ok:

aa

[Gonzo]

Ah, it will be nice and quiet then! :ok:

[PAXboy]

The best times to travel are christmas day and New Year's day - either on the ground or in the air!

--------------------
"I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you any different." Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

[Globaliser]

Hey, we forgot the most important bit: After leaving the FCC into T1, head for the BA lounge and go straight to the Spa to see if you can get an appointment for a massage. The T1 lounges are very nice now, after the revamp. And don't forget that champagne is available on request, if you feel like a glass of bubbly.

[bear11]

Can I be devil's advocate, pretty please? It all sounds so lovely the way the rest of you describe it, whereas from my perspective of having done it many times over the years and being well acquainted with transfers and Irish flights to and from T1, to be honest I'd rather have an enema.

Travel agent's rule of thumb has always been to give you 2 hours minimum between flights to make sure that both you and your baggage make it through Heathrow. The extra security measures taken in the last few years make it an altogether lengthier and even more unpleasant experience than it was, with queues to security to get to the "Flight Connections Centre" out the door at many times. I have to disagree with Hafez, in that anytime I've needed assistance I couldn't find anyone, and if I did they honestly couldn't give a toss for your troubles. You're looked on as if you're a halfwit for being in the wrong place or not knowing where to go - if they had to experience the awful signage and confusion for themselves, they'd have a lot more empathy.

I have lost count of the number of times I have got off a delayed flight with other passengers running off in a panic to get to another terminal to make a flight when I know in my heart and soul that they won't make it, and neither will their bags. It's always worth running, though, as flights into and out of the airport are frequently delayed due to the amount of traffic and ATC. Basically, Heathrow is a depressing kip, and is universally hated by Irish people who use it for onward connections, to the extent that I actively try to avoid it and use CDG (not much better), or Schipol (much better), or better still, the likes of Birmingham or Manchester if I can.

[aaaaa]

Glass of bubbly and a massage .......................... now that would be a top of the range Christmas present - can't wait. Think I will book the later of the three flights so I can get this all in.

:D :D

aa

[Rollingthunder]

The best times to travel are christmas day and New Year's day - either on the ground or in the air!

Except if you're in London and want the tube or a bus or a train. One of the largest cities on the planet virtually shuts down on these days. Have I told you about my GBP140 taxi ride from Paddington to Oxford?

[striparella]

The minimum conx time for a thru tickets pax is 1 hour 30 mins.

Now, anyone who has ever seen LHR knows this is a joke.

To get from T4 to T1 you need to follow the signs to "Flight Connections". It'll be in the same direction as Arrivals and Baggage Reclaim but just before immigration you'll go off in another direction.

Then you need to get on a bus to T1. It's all very well sign posted and a lovely man (or woman) from the BAA will be there to help you out if you really can't find the right bus.

When you get off the bus you'll go through security then go to an area called 'Flight Connections Centre'.

It's a big ole room with loads of check in desks. Go to the airline you need and if you're not late, they'll check you in and add your bags into the system.

The follow the signs for Terminal 1 departures and then you'll soon be in the duty free shops of terminal 1.

This may sound simple enough but you cannot believe how many passengers get it wrong, and if you haven't been thru-checked, you have to bear in mind the time an airline will close it's flight before departure.

For example as VS we close our flights 60 mins before departure - no if's, but's, weddings, funerals can change that. So in reality, that gives you 30 mins on a minimum conx ticket to get to the next terminal from the time the flight is scheduled to land and the time the flight closes.

And at LHR they do make you like to queue whether it be in the air, when the aircraft is down or when you're going through security!

So run, RUN LIKE THE WIND!