Cutting it fine Heathrow T5

martindow

I'm getting a 7am BA flight to Germany on a Thursday soon. I'm tempted to get a bus which is due to arrive at 5.38. BA's site mentions check in closing 45 minutes before departure so it sounds all right but does that give enough time to drop bags, get through security and walk to the gate?

The alternative is to get the bus an hour earlier which is not at all appealing.

duchy

Depends where the bus is from and the route it takes.
Missing the flight could be even less appealing.

mgdavid

as long as the bus runs you will be fine; I can't imagine too many road holdups at that godawful time of the night/morning.
Afterthought - it would be a lot easier if you could manage with hand luggage only.

richardw

Is that 5.38 at T5 or the Heathrow bus station?

martindow

Thank you for your comments. It's the Railair bus from Reading which goes directly to T5. It would be unlucky to have hold ups on the motorway at that time I would have thought, so I think I'll risk a 5.38 arrival.

DomRavioli

Hi OP,

I thought 45 mins check in was for UK flights only - as far as I was aware it was 1 hour 30 for european flights, although this may have changed.

Please speak to them and get it in writing BEFORE you go, as I've known check ins to close early and people be refused boarding - always best to be on the safe side.

nickcc

Personally I would catch the earlier bus, I would rather be 1 hour early than be 5 minutes late.

Marmaduke123

I'd get the earlier bus too, if its on time you'll be able to have breakfast at T5. I would want to have a buffer in case of a breakdown or accident.

soolin

nickcc wrote: »

Personally I would catch the earlier bus, I would rather be 1 hour early than be 5 minutes late.

Same here, from the moment of arrival to plane departing your 5.38 am bus only allows 1 hr 22 mins, that doesn't allow for getting off the bus with everyone else pushing and shoving, finding the correct check in desk, queuing for passport control and security. I'd be happier with getting there 2 hrs 22 mins early and taking it slowly, and to sit and have a read if all the queues are light, rather than standing in line panicking that the gate is about to close.

Alan_Bowen

I will disagree with everyone here. The key time point is to be at security not less than 35 minutes prior to departure, this is not negotiable, if you miss this limit, then you will not be allowed to proceed any further. Check in is by machine, there are hundreds of them, just go to the nearest free one, better still check in on line 24 hours before departure, print your boarding pass, if you have no luggage to check in , you walk straight to security, if you have go to a bag drop point, there are dozens of them and although 5.40 is busy, it is mainly businessmen travelling without any luggage to check in. That just leaves the possibility of delays on the M4, I arrive at Heathrow a different way so I have no experience of that route but I can say is is 2 minutes walk into the terminal from the bus stop, then take a lift to the 5th floor for all the formalities, I admit I fly regularly and therefore know what risks to take but an arrival at 5.38 should be plenty of time to get to security by 6.25 am

nickcc

Don't think anyone's saying that insufficient time being allowed once you arrive at T5 so as long as you have no delays on your journey.