Access to stores at Terminal 4

[cindep]

We will be (hopefully if the volcano allows) flying Delta to LHR arriving Terminal 4 in August. When we flew into LGW several years ago, we were "funneled" into passport/customs without seeing any of the terminal. Is this the same situation at LHR?

 

We would love to visit World of Whiskies after we land (after security in Terminal 4), but wondered if we would have access. We are not flying back to the US (transatlantic cruise back), so would not have access to this shop on a return flight.

 

Thanks!

[RachelG]

You are funneled right into passport control and customs, so cannot go back into the shopping areas of T4. They are after security--can't get back through unless you have a boarding pass for that day for an onward flight.

[John Bull]

We will be (hopefully if the volcano allows) flying Delta to LHR arriving Terminal 4 in August. When we flew into LGW several years ago, we were "funneled" into passport/customs without seeing any of the terminal. Is this the same situation at LHR?

 

We would love to visit World of Whiskies after we land (after security in Terminal 4), but wondered if we would have access. We are not flying back to the US (transatlantic cruise back), so would not have access to this shop on a return flight.

 

Thanks!

 

As Rachel's reply, World of Whiskies at airports is duty-free thus located in the airside departures area, only accessible when flying from the airport. There are only a few limited shops & eateries available land-side in the terminals.

Your trans-Atlantic ship will stock duty-free spirits etc. Or of course you can buy duty-free at your outbound airport or on the aircraft.

JB

[cindep]

That's kind of what I thought but wanted to make sure. We'll see how "good" the duty free shop is in Terminal E in Atlanta. This is only our second time "over the pond" and I wasn't familiar with the way they handle things at LHR.

[Globaliser]

We will be (hopefully if the volcano allows) flying Delta to LHR arriving Terminal 4 in August. When we flew into LGW several years ago, we were "funneled" into passport/customs without seeing any of the terminal. Is this the same situation at LHR?

You won't be able to access the shops in the departures area, as others have already said.

 

However, after you have collected your bags and cleared Customs, you will pass an arrivals shop before you go into the greeting area. This shop sells a limited range of goods, but they should be at the same prices at which they are sold in the main departures duty-free shop. Everything bought in the arrivals shop is actually duty-paid and tax-paid (although this is completely transparent to you: you pay the posted price), so you can buy as much as you like (if the shop has that much and you can carry it) without having any duty-free limits imposed on you.

 

But it's often a bit pot luck as to exactly what brands are available in the shop, so not reliable if there is something very specific which you must have.