Customs questions for LHR

[chloes nana]

I am flying British Airways into LHR nonstop from Denver (DIA) with a connecting flight to Rome (FCO), also on BA. And the return flights are the exact reverse. they are ticked on one ticket soo...Where do I have to clear customs, passport checks, etc.? and with terminal 5 being done now will we be landing and taking off from terminal 5? I am just a tad confused as I have never flown on an itnernational flight and this will be a first so need as much help as I can get.

[paul929207]

Nearly all BA flights now go thru terminal 5 at Heathrow.

[Gardyloo]

You will go through passport control and customs in Rome outbound, in the US on return. At Heathrow you will go through security, and your passport and boarding passes will be checked for your connecting flights, but no immigration or customs formalities.

 

Of course if you want to go outside security between flights, you'll have to go through UK immigration, but if you want to stay "airside" you can just enjoy the experience of the Heathrow Shopping Cent(e)r(e).

[fbgd]

You will go through passport control and customs in Rome outbound, in the US on return. At Heathrow you will go through security, and your passport and boarding passes will be checked for your connecting flights, but no immigration or customs formalities.

 

Of course if you want to go outside security between flights, you'll have to go through UK immigration, but if you want to stay "airside" you can just enjoy the experience of the Heathrow Shopping Cent(e)r(e).

 

The correct answer.

 

(Since a few of these kinds of threads have come up and despite factually correct info being posted others have then supplied contrary info)

[chloes nana]

You will go through passport control and customs in Rome outbound, in the US on return. At Heathrow you will go through security, and your passport and boarding passes will be checked for your connecting flights, but no immigration or customs formalities.

 

Of course if you want to go outside security between flights, you'll have to go through UK immigration, but if you want to stay "airside" you can just enjoy the experience of the Heathrow Shopping Cent(e)r(e).

perfect! so there is shopping and things to do. we have a 4 hour lay over so I have plenty of time and never have to leave terminal 5 correct? where do we go through security in relation as to where our next gate would be?

[Gardyloo]

perfect! so there is shopping and things to do. we have a 4 hour lay over so I have plenty of time and never have to leave terminal 5 correct? where do we go through security in relation as to where our next gate would be?

When you get off the arriving plane you'll go down a hall that will have a turnoff for "flight connections." Follow those signs, and you'll go through the security station before you're released into the main departures area of T5. Yes, T5 has plenty of shopping, in fact many would argue that air travel is close to a secondary activity at LHR ;).

 

If you're flying in business class by any chance, then you'll have access to the BA Galleries lounges in T5, which are very very nice. If coach, then you'll be stuck with the lumpenproletariat in the shopping mall. Bring money.

[FlyerTalker]

Yes, T5 has plenty of shopping, in fact many would argue that air travel is close to a secondary activity at LHR ;).

I remember an old line about LHR....something like it was the world's biggest ongoing construction project that just happened to have runways nearby.

[skf]

That's what Logan feels like when we are forced to go thru BOS.

Steve

[Globaliser]

where do we go through security in relation as to where our next gate would be?

Plenty, plenty of shopping. And eating and drinking.

 

To flesh out gardyloo's answer slightly, when you disembark your first flight, follow the signs for Flight Connections. These are now all in purple for easy identification. If you are parked at the satellite, you will be routed onto the underground transit to take you to the main building. If you are at a remote gate and are coached to the main building, or if you've parked at the main building, just follow the signs within that building. When there are options, make sure you follow the signs for Flight Connections Terminal 5. These will take you to the big hall where there is immigration for those entering the UK, and also the flight connections area. Do not go through immigration.

 

You will almost certainly already have your London -> Rome boarding pass. If for some reason you don't, stop at the transfer desk at the far right hand side of the hall (when you have your back to the windows and the airfield) to pick one up. You then need to go to one of the "conformance" desks for connections to international flights. Here your boarding pass will be scanned to make sure it's valid and that you have enough time to get to your next flight. (This won't cause you a problem unless your inbound flight is very late. If you are rejected at conformance, it'll simply be a question of going to the transfer desk to be re-booked onto the next flight.) After conformance, follow the route upstairs to the security screening point. Immediately after that, the shops and restaurants start.

 

Screens all over the building will show you which gate will be used by your next flight, as well as when you need to start going there. Do not allow yourself to get panicked by going to the next gate. From anywhere in the main building, it actually takes no more than 15 minutes to get to the furthest gate in the satellite. If you follow the posted times, you should have no problems. Until you need to go to the gate, relax in the main building, where the most plentiful facilities are found.

 

If your inbound flight is very late and you are parked at the satellite, there will be a screen showing "Time Critical Flight Connections" shortly after you disembark the aircraft and before you start going downstairs towards the transit. If your London -> Rome flight is listed as one of those, do not go to the transit. Rather, follow the other signs for Flight Connections within the satellite (I can't remember exactly how they're described) because you will then be able to clear security at the satellite and go straight upstairs to the gate/shopping areas in the satellite. There is a decent selection of facilities here, though obviously not as much as in the main building.

 

If your flight is not listed as a Time Critical Flight Connection, do not try this. You won't be allowed through the route, and it's not a good idea anyway because at that point you wouldn't know whether your next flight will go from the satellite or the main building.

[Globaliser]

I remember an old line about LHR....something like it was the world's biggest ongoing construction project that just happened to have runways nearby.

Or a very large shopping mall, to which a few aircraft seem to have attached themselves.

[KCcruisin07]

I agree. There were some interesting shops there: perfume, GB food items, and on and on. If you like to shop, you'll be happy there.

[chloes nana]

I agree. There were some interesting shops there: perfume, GB food items, and on and on. If you like to shop, you'll be happy there.

:)thanks all! the answers have helped immensely. one ,ore question and I guess this one goes to the person with all the answers:Globaliser. Is there a website that you can go to to see the inside of the terminaol and a map of how to get around so I can put the answers to pictures?? :confused:

[6rugrats]

:)thanks all! the answers have helped immensely. one ,ore question and I guess this one goes to the person with all the answers:Globaliser. Is there a website that you can go to to see the inside of the terminaol and a map of how to get around so I can put the answers to pictures?? :confused:

 

You can easily find information about T5 with a quick google search.

 

http://www.heathrowairport.com/portal/page/Heathrow%5EGeneral%5EAirport+information%5EAirport+maps/d5acad5e773f3110VgnVCM10000036821c0a____/448c6a4c7f1b0010VgnVCM200000357e120a____/

 

http://photolibrary.baa.com/viewcategory.aspx?page=1

 

It's very easy to get around and everything is clearly marked. You should have absolutely no problem.

[chloes nana]

You can easily find information about T5 with a quick google search.

 

http://www.heathrowairport.com/portal/page/Heathrow%5EGeneral%5EAirport+information%5EAirport+maps/d5acad5e773f3110VgnVCM10000036821c0a____/448c6a4c7f1b0010VgnVCM200000357e120a____/

 

http://photolibrary.baa.com/viewcategory.aspx?page=1

 

It's very easy to get around and everything is clearly marked. You should have absolutely no problem.

perfect!! thanks so much!;)