How Much Time to Allow for Connecting Flight

Ms_Chocaholic

Hi

Due to fly into LHR and want to book a connecting flight oop north - if we land at 3.30 pm do you think a 6.10 pm flight would be okay.

Thanks
Ms Choc x

luci

That should be plenty of time. However check on the LHR website to check how long they suggest if you have to change terminals.

If it is all booked on one through ticket then your luggage should be sent to final destination without having to pick it up at LHR. If not then you will have to allow time to collect it and check it in again.

Boozer

I would say no matter what terminal you arrive and have to leave, that is more than enough time for it.

mogadon

It depends, if it's all booked on one ticket and you are going to transit without baggage, you should be fine. (Although officially the minimum allowable time varies, so you would check it with the airline). But if you are booking your own regional flight, then unless it's flexible, you could easily get caught out, especially if there is a delay on your incoming flight, and an hour delay on a long haul is nothing. Then you have to collect your bags, clear customs, etc, get to the new terminal (which is a trek if it's T5), check in again, clear security again.

If everything goes smoothly you will easily make the connection, if there's a couple of minor hiccups you might just make it, if there is a major screw up (big inbound delay, slow/delayed baggage off the inbound, hold ups at security or customs anywhere along the line), you could easily miss it.

I've had a 2 hour transit at Heathrow nearly go belly up just because of the huge queues at passport and security, and that was without having to collect luggage.

silvercar

Each airport has MCTs - minimum connection times.

Heathrow's are:

LHR (Heathow)
Terminal 1
Domestic to Domestic - 45 minutes
Domestic to International - 45 minutes
International to Domestic - 45 minutes
International to International - 45 minutes
Terminal 2
International to International - 1 hour
Terminal 3
International to International - 1 hour
Terminal 4
International to International - 45 minutes
Terminal 1 to 2
Domestic to International - 1 hour 10
International to Domestic - 1 hour 15
International to International - 1 hour 15
Terminal 1 to 3 - 1 hour 15
Terminal 1 to 4 1 hour
Terminal 2 to 1 - 1 hour 15
Terminal 2 to 3 - 1 hour 15
Terminal 2 to 4 - 1 hour 30 minutes
Terminal 3 to 1 - 1 hour 15
Terminal 3 to 2 - 1 hour 15
Terminal 3 to 4 - 1 hour 30 minutes
Terminal 4 to 1
International to Domestic - 1 hour 15
International to International - 1 hour
Terminal 4 to 2 - 1 hour 30 minutes
Terminal 4 to 3 - 1 hour 30 minutes

silvercar

British Airways advice on connecting flights at Heathrow:

http://www.britishairways.com/travel/airpflcnxlhr/public/en_gb

and Heathrow airport's guidance (but no times):

http://www.heathrowairport.com/portal/page/Heathrow%5EGeneral%5EAirport+information%5EFlight+Connections%5EConnections+FAQ/929c7a2b37315110VgnVCM10000036821c0a____/448c6a4c7f1b0010VgnVCM200000357e120a____/

markandkate

Much will depend if you are travelling on both sectors with the same airline. If you are then you will be given boarding cards for both sectors at your first check in. The airline will sort out your baggage too so when you get off the first flight all you will have is hand luggae and your cases will be transferred for you.

We had a connceting flight and there was a delay and we only just made the flight but would not have done if we had been with different airlines as we did not have to wait for baggage or check in again.

If you miss a connecting flight and you booked it all with one airline then they have to re route you and sort it out so there is obviously a great incentive for them to make sure they don't have to.

mikey72

If you have a uk passport you should be ok.
(although I remeber one flight out of Finland we had an hour, from an internal flight to an international one, 4 of us running through the airport, jumping up and down at passport control trying to see past the queue, through security and then just made the flight. The luggage came about two days later though, delivered by courier to the doorstep)

Ms_Chocaholic

Thanks for all your advice. Unfortunately we don't have a flight with the same airline for the entire journey. We are travelling into LHR with Olympic Airways and then with BA to the regional airport.

I've never travellled from LHR for a long long time and sorry if this seems a stupid question but do all BA flights (even regional ones) fly into/from T5?

I'm just off to see what Terminal Olympic fly into to help make up my mind.

Thanks

mad_rich

Ms_Chocaholic wrote: »

I've never travellled from LHR for a long long time and sorry if this seems a stupid question but do all BA flights (even regional ones) fly into/from T5?

No. A small number of BA flights are at T3 (routes to the Iberian peninsula, Helsinki, and Sydney via Bangkok)

But the rest - including all domestic flights on BA - are definitely T5.

Further to earlier answers, there is no 'safe' time to leave between flights. Who knows if your inbound flight will be on time, or delayed by several hours (or days, with volcanic ash about!)?

That said, I probably *would* book the itinerary you propose. But I would make sure I had a backup plan (since I'm guessing your domestic flights will be non changeable and no refundable). Don't expect any sympathy from either airline if you miss your connection.

For what it's worth, Flight Stats gives that Olympic flight a fairly good rating - 89% on-time, with an average delay of 23 minutes*.

-

*I've never worked out if this 'average' is of all flights, or jut on those in the sample that are not 'on-time'.

katiestar1

That sounds like plenty of time. You must remember that airports - especially one as busy as Heathrow, do aim to make it as easy as possible to get connecting flights.

As mad_rich stated - I would also have a back up plan just in case things do not pan out the way you intend.

Good luck to you and hope it all works out.