Heathrow questions

[RM]

We are flying out at 10 am. How far ahead do we need to be at the airport?  How long would the drive be from the Westminster area to Heathrow on a Thursday morning? Trying to figure out timing for a car to pick us up. Any help is appreciated, thanks

[toseaornottosea]

Any reputable car service will be able to advise you on the time they recommend to pick you up.

[GastroGnome]

Best to ask the car company (and check with the airline) but most flights require that you have gone through security an hour before the flight time.  So - depending on how paranoid you are about missing flights, or how much you like airports... I would aim to be at LHR by 08.30.  Car from Westminster in the middle of London rush hour... 1hour 30?  Perhaps 2.  So aiming to leave 06.30/7am?

[turnip eater]

Which airline are you using? Also, the destination will help to check which terminal you will need to get to.

[RM]

American and flying to US

[Earl Rosebery]

0600 to have a cushion. 6:30 if you dare.

[ducklite]

Heathrow is known for very long lines for everything.  I am connecting there later this year from an EU country with my bag checked all the way through to the US and am still rather uncomfortable with my two hour connection time and no terminal change.  I wouldn't want to have less than three hours on arrival to check bags and clear security.  My experience is that lines for security are a bit shorter in T3 than T5, but lines to check bags can be a full 45 minutes plus.

[RM]

Thank you all for the advice.

[Cotswold Eagle]

8 hours ago, RM said:

American and flying to US

 

If you are on an AA operated service you will be out of T3. If a codeshare on BA metal, you could be either T3 or T5 depending on your actual destination. 

 

I am a very regular traveller through Heathrow and I despair at some of the advice given on these types of thread. I have leaned not to try to enter into debate, but I will just say I would be very comfortable leaving central London at 7 am for a 10 am flight. 

[turnip eater]

If it’s to Miami, both AA and BA fly from Terminal 3.

 

Are you flying business class, if so, CX ( Cathay Pacific) have a very good lounge in Terminal 3.  Also, Qantas’s lounge is good. Better that AA and BA.

[RM]

No we fly into Charlotte and then on to Orlando.

[turnip eater]

If it’s to Miami, both AA and BA fly from Terminal 3.

 

Are you flying business class, if so, CX ( Cathay Pacific) have a very good lounge in Terminal 3.  Also, Qantas’s lounge is good. Better that AA and BA.

 

 

OK....you still will be flying out of Terminal 3. (If that’s the correct flight number) Safe journey.

https://www.heathrow.com/departures/flight-details/aa731-charlotte-

 

BA fly direct to Orlando, from London Gatwick, on their old bangers B777s, but they are refurbishing them.

 

[Host Bonjour]

On 7/1/2019 at 4:23 PM, Cotswold Eagle said:

 

If you are on an AA operated service you will be out of T3. If a codeshare on BA metal, you could be either T3 or T5 depending on your actual destination. 

 

I am a very regular traveller through Heathrow and I despair at some of the advice given on these types of thread. I have leaned not to try to enter into debate, but I will just say I would be very comfortable leaving central London at 7 am for a 10 am flight. 

 

Three hours should be enough time to check in for most flights, international or domestic and has been for me too, in a lot of years of flying.

 

Two times three hours was not adequate: 

~last year en route to La Guardia....yes, of course I tried avoiding La Guardia, I live here. 

~ many years ago leaving Paris.

 

The La Guardia thing was on account of train delays so while I factored in problems to my three hour window, didn’t factor in enough of a problem! I made it to the airport and stressed the security lines but made the flight. Now I have Pre-check. Can’t fly from this area without it. 

 

The Paris thing was almost from a movie plot; torrential rain, Roissybus partial strike (enough to foil things grandly!) obviously no taxis, too much luggage to manage the métro/RER on my own. Got inside the airport as the door of the plane was closing. Had to come back into the city to get reticketed.....but from 😜 came good, a fun friendship developed via someone helping me out (actually many people did!) that stressful, rainy extra night in Paris. It could always be worse. 

 

Do what gives you peace of mind but the worst case, you rebook the flight. American would go to Miami from London (then do your Miami Orlando) too, so it’s another option though flight times surely change, it’s never that easy I know. My friend flies the 777s...their scheduling won’t ever make any sense to me. It only makes sense to the bottom line. 

 

This is time coming back from HOU I allotted more than three hours and it was two much of course for domestic but weather had not been great in Texas lately. I had soooo much time but had my laptop so 😉 I just can’t each barbecue in the morning. 

 

Everything works out. Have a great journey. 

 

 

[Cotswold Eagle]

4 hours ago, Host Bonjour said:

 

Three hours should be enough time to check in for most flights, international or domestic and has been for me too, in a lot of years of flying.

 

Two times three hours was not adequate: 

~last year en route to La Guardia....yes, of course I tried avoiding La Guardia, I live here. 

~ many years ago leaving Paris.

 

 

 

Neither of which appear to be particularly relevant to the OP’s question about flying from Heathrow...

 

OP, if you are still following, Google Maps is currently (0645 UK time) showing a 37 minute journey time by car from Victoria Street (its default ‘Westminster’ location) to T3 at Heathrow. 

Edited July 3, 2019 by Cotswold Eagle

[RM]

15 hours ago, turnip eater said:

If it’s to Miami, both AA and BA fly from Terminal 3.

 

Are you flying business class, if so, CX ( Cathay Pacific) have a very good lounge in Terminal 3.  Also, Qantas’s lounge is good. Better that AA and BA.

 

 

OK....you still will be flying out of Terminal 3. (If that’s the correct flight number) Safe journey.

https://www.heathrow.com/departures/flight-details/aa731-charlotte-

 

BA fly direct to Orlando, from London Gatwick, on their old bangers B777s, but they are refurbishing them.

 

Yes thanks for the info

[RM]

6 hours ago, Cotswold Eagle said:

 

Neither of which appear to be particularly relevant to the OP’s question about flying from Heathrow...

 

OP, if you are still following, Google Maps is currently (0645 UK time) showing a 37 minute journey time by car from Victoria Street (its default ‘Westminster’ location) to T3 at Heathrow. 

Thanks. 

[turnip eater]

You’re welcome.🙂

[bluesea777]

I can chip in and let you know that we have flown on AA out of Heathrow T3 to the USA many many times over the years.

 

We aim to be there 4 hours before, if not 3. There are multiple AA flights to the USA in the morning so the check ins are very busy, so you better allow extra time. This is now summertime when there are more flights than usual.

 

 

[wowzz]

On 7/1/2019 at 10:09 AM, GastroGnome said:

Best to ask the car company (and check with the airline) but most flights require that you have gone through security an hour before the flight time.  So - depending on how paranoid you are about missing flights, or how much you like airports... I would aim to be at LHR by 08.30.  Car from Westminster in the middle of London rush hour... 1hour 30?  Perhaps 2.  So aiming to leave 06.30/7am?

8:30 for a 10:00 flight! You must be joking! 

[Highpeaklad]

We usually aim for 1.5 - 2 hours before. Others may be more cautious- we turned up at Manchester 2 hours before the flight closed and we were in the last half dozen with the terminal being like a ghost town. 

[wowzz]

31 minutes ago, Highpeaklad said:

We usually aim for 1.5 - 2 hours before. Others may be more cautious- we turned up at Manchester 2 hours before the flight closed and we were in the last half dozen with the terminal being like a ghost town. 

Which is of no relevance whatsoever to the OP who is flying out of LHR at morning peak time.

[Highpeaklad]

I would still be happy aiming for 1.5-2 hours. 

[wowzz]

40 minutes ago, Highpeaklad said:

I would still be happy aiming for 1.5-2 hours. 

So,  allowing for 15 minutes to get through security, and another 15 minutes to get to some of the furthest gates, with the flight closing 15 minutes or so before departure time, with 1.5 hours you actually just have 45 minutes to check in. 

Too tight for me. 

[gnome12]

Is there a non-peak departure time for Heathrow? I'm departing on AC to Toronto (from T2) on Sunday August 4. Any suggestions on how early I should get there? Also, I will take the Piccadilly line from King's Cross/St. Pancras to the airport. I have checked that there are no planned works on that line, so it is a single (long) trip out. How long should I give myself for the tube ride? Ultimately, what time should I leave my hotel (Premier Inn St. Pancras) to get to Heathrow? I'm grateful that I don't have to rush; I don't plan on doing anything Sunday morning. I'll probably give myself extra time to have some lunch before departure, since I don't know when we will be fed. I'd just like to know the parameters.

[Cotswold Eagle]

Your hotel is a few minutes walk from the tube station, the Kings X to Heathrow T2-3 journey takes a tick under an hour (frequency every ten minutes or so) and there’s a bit of a walk from the station to the terminal at Heathrow. In total from exiting hotel to arriving in terminal it will take somewhere between 75 and 90 minutes. 

 

How early you should arrive at check-in is a very personal thing as you can see from above - varies from 90 minutes to 4 hours 😧 T2 has many self service machines to check in (if you didn’t already do so) and print your luggage tags, and then a shared bag drop zone.