LHR T5 - T3 Xfer

[ZFT]

I am flying into LHR T5 on BA and departing T3 on TG on separate tickets next week so I’m assuming I won’t be able to check right through. Again assuming not, how do I transit landside and how long does this typically take? I have 3 hours between ETA and ETD. (I tried looking at the BAA website but it is being totally uncooperative on the transfer between terminals link from here).
Thanks.

[edi_local]

BAA Heathrow: Travel between terminals | Heathrow terminal transfers Has a fair bit of information.

It is quite straightforward to move between terminals both landside and airside. The train is the fastest way, so if time is tight then go for that.

[ZFT]

Thanks - that's the link I can't get to open, hence the query. When I click on "Terminal 1 or 3 to Terminal 5" it doesn't link.

[McGoonagall]

Don't click it, just scroll down.

[ZFT]

Oopps - Thanks

[wiggy]

The train is the fastest way,

Spot on...Heathrow Express ("HEX") is the way to go. Exit T5 arrivals, turn right and the lifts to Trains are on your left towards the end of the building( but do not get on the Underground by mistake).

T5-T3 in 15 - 20 minutes, much less if you get lucky with timings and ....it's free.

[PAXboy]

Rather than start yet another thread about T5, I thought I'd tag on here. A letter in The Independent 22nd Feb.

QUOTE
Hamburg to Heathrow last Saturday evening: 1 hour 40 minutes. Heathrow arrival gate to passport check: 1 hour 40 minutes. Most of this time I spent standing with a thousand or more other people in the long passage between the arrival gate and the immigration area proper, queuing up to be allowed to join another queue to have our passports examined by one of the four immigration officers on duty.

Unable to decode any of the inaudible announcements, I asked an airport worker what the problem was. "It's all the people," he told me. "A lot of planes landed at once."

Well, you do have to see things from the point of view of the Terminal 5 airport and immigration staff. There they are, getting on peacefully with their work on a Saturday evening, when suddenly a whole lot of planes land and passengers get off, taking them completely by surprise. As in many other service industries, everything would be fine if it wasn't for the customers.


Michael Swan
Chilton, Oxfordshire

[radeng]

It is actually fairly obvious that if you have a business that handles people, a lot of people to handle means you need a lot of employees. Sadly, not to the 'managers' of UKBA, who have allowed attrition and redundancy to cut staff numbers.

Although the head got forced out last year (and the staff opinion of him was that he was lousy in competence and approach), they haven't got to grips with it yet. Now if everybody wrote to the Home Sceretary and complained (and especially where they have a Labour MP to him), the government might get embarassed enough to do something.

Only might.....

[wiggy]

Having seen the queues at T5 at the weekend I wondered when this would come up...

It's not really due to

"It's all the people," he told me. "A lot of planes landed at once."

As radeng says it seems that in the wake of Teresa May sacking at least one very high ranking Border Control official everybody in Border Control has suddenly decided to be extra extra vigilant in examining passports.....given the buck passing that went on I can't say I blame them.....

(It doesn't help that IRIS is/has been decommissioned and the biometric gates didn't seem to be working well the other day)

[LondonPax]

It's an absolute disgrace. Maybe the Olympics will shine a light on it, but I'd be prepared to bet that they will have all staff on duty at all times so that it all looks rosy. I dread flying into LHR now.

[PAXboy]

Agreed about Olympics. One can bet that two years ago this issued a 'no holidays' ban and that the offices will be denuded of staff, all paperwork will fall behind.

[WHBM]

Originally Posted by PAXboy

I asked an airport worker what the problem was. "It's all the people," he told me. "A lot of planes landed at once."

Heathrow has been operating at runway saturation of around 40-45 arrivals per hour for a generation now, so it really can't be that much of a surprise to get multiple arrivals. What a good thing that BA Europe got rid of the 757 fleet and downsized to A319s, otherwise we'd all be there all night.

I think it is significant this was a Saturday evening, surely an inconvenient time to work (and especially for the management, who would never be there to see it). I'll bet mid-week mid-afternoon there are more than four officers on duty, and no real queue to speak of.

Regarding the Biometric gates, they seem constantly to get closed off for a "shift change", so much so that BAA has to deploy staff on the queueing side to redirect everyone. Quite why there needs to be a "shift change" seemingly every 10 minutes at the things, I cannot understand.

[ConstantFlyer]

Like many others based in the UK's regions, I have found an ingenious way of avoiding transfers and terminal changes at Heathrow: Fly via somewhere else. Apologies for any hint of flippancy, but I do realise that in some circumstances there are just no alternatives to a change of planes at Heathrow. However, I believe that with a bit of creative planning, there can be viable alternatives, both on price and convenience. Happy to make suggestions for any trip.

[PAXboy]

I suspect that one of the key problems is that all the politicians and mangers, shareholders and non-execs that have any say in ANY of LHR's goings on - do NOT transit through. It is the terminus!

I have lived in West London and West Hertfordshire for 32 years, always within 40 mins drive of the place. Before that, with going to South Africa a main destination, I have been using LHR for 46 years but only ONCE have I had to transit through it.

On that occaision (1999) knowing what the place was like, I caught an earlier inbound to allow the time and actual came landside to see people. On the return I did not but waiting in T2 to go back to MUC, the roof in the main departure hall was leaking ...

So, I don't mind LHR - because I don't us it for Xfer. Some of their bosses should try it!

[Tableview]

I did an airside transfer last week from T5 (BA)- T1 (SA). Only went through one cursory security check and was not asked at any stage to show a passport. So much for needing visas to transit. It was quick, easy, and free. I'm not a great fan of Heathrow but this was definitely a positive experience.