How long to clear Immigration/Customs at Heathrow T2

Murphy_The_Cat

In the near future, I need to collect someone from Heathrow T2**.  Their flight arrives at circa 7.00am - can anyone offer me an opinion as to "roughly" how long it currently takes to clear Immigration/Customs at T2. He's a Brit !

** yes its an essential journey.

TELLIT01

Very difficult to say in the current conditions.  When we are being picked up from any airport we call the person picking us up once we have our luggage.  That avoids the potentially very high cost of being in a short stay car park too long.

Murphy_The_Cat

Not knowing the lie of the land to well around T2, I've prebooked 2 hrs parking from 07.00 onwards, with his flight currently arriving at the 07.00(ish) mark each morning for the last 10 days or so.

I'm travelling down from the Lake District as stupid o clock, having a kip on the way down, collecting him at ?!!?!?!?!? then heading back North, taking a diversion for business on the way back, whilst they are open.

If he's into arrivals by (say) 09.00 (or earlier), then Happy Days.  If its much past 09.00, then not so much.

I fancy a kip break on the way home as well !!

Alan_Bowen

Should be a lot less than 2 hours, if the plane arrived at the main part of the terminal, it could be as quick as 20 minutes, depending on numbers and if the automatic passport readers are working. If it's on United or Singapore that arrive at the outer terminal, then it is a 20-minute trek just to get to the main terminal building, so possibly an hour.
According to the Unite union, on one day last week, 2 repatriation flights arrived at the same time with 500 passengers laden down with bags, all of which were put on a single baggage belt, chaos ensued and social distancing was replaced with a bun fight but unless that happens 2 hours should be plenty. The shops and cafes are closed so nothing to delay arriving passengers in the terminal

Murphy_The_Cat

The deed has been done !

If its helpful for anyone else, here is how it went.

United flight landed about 07.30 and went to the far end of T2.  My "pickup" walked through the arrivals door at 08.10.

The flight only had about 50 people on it, which nicely helped the job along.

Alan_Bowen

40minutes from the B gates is good going, have a safe trip back to the Lake District

Murphy_The_Cat

Alan_Bowen said:

40minutes from the B gates is good going, have a safe trip back to the Lake District

Thank you.  It all went very well and the trip was just over 4 hours each way. A surreal experience stopping at a services for a snooze and being the only vehicle in the entire carpark.  It felt more than a tadge eerie so I carried on trundling along to LHR

(as an aside.  Going down, I didn't overtake a single car and only 4 cars overtook me - or 5 cars if you count the Rozzer in the BMW who overtook me, going after overtaker #4)