Is 70 minutes between flights enough at Heathrow?

I'm looking at a flight from Rome to Heathrow arriving 13:25 and then a connecting flight from Heathrow to JFK departing LHR at 14:35. Both are British Airways so would be T5 for both flights. Is this enough time between flights to be comfortable with? Can we book our luggage all the way through from Rome to JFK or will we need to retrieve it and re-check in London? Do we go through security again in London?

 

The only reason I am considering something this tight is because if I search for a flight from FCO to JFK on the British Airways website this combination of flights is available for booking. Would they list it if it was logistically impossible or improbable?

 

Appreciate any advice from those who have more experience with this than I do.

I would have no problem booking this.

BA minimum connecting time for those flights is 2 hours. If you try and book it on their website it will not accept it unless you book it as 2 individual tickets/trips. I don't know if they would even allow you to check your luggage all the way through with a 70 minute connection time. Plus booking that way is more expensive.

 

If for some reason you are delayed and miss the connection then you are virtually on your own - it is not BA's problem if you are late getting into Heathrow and miss your next flight.

 

If you book Rome to JFK via LHR as a single ticket with the minimum 2 hour connection allowed and you are delayed coming on from Rome, then BA will rebook you onto the next available flight. you can book your luggage all the way through. You do not have to collect it and re-check it after landing at Heathrow. you will have to pass through security again though so do not buy bottles of anything at Rome, high possibility you won't be allowed to take them through. Wait until you are at Heathrow if you want bottles of anything.

 

They will list all combinations on the website, however if you select them and 'continue' you will get a message to say 'itinerary not available, minimum 2 hour connection required'.

Edited October 13, 2014 by SwissDave

I'm looking at a flight from Rome to Heathrow arriving 13:25 and then a connecting flight from Heathrow to JFK departing LHR at 14:35. Both are British Airways so would be T5 for both flights. Is this enough time between flights to be comfortable with? Can we book our luggage all the way through from Rome to JFK or will we need to retrieve it and re-check in London? Do we go through security again in London?

 

The only reason I am considering something this tight is because if I search for a flight from FCO to JFK on the British Airways website this combination of flights is available for booking. Would they list it if it was logistically impossible or improbable?

 

Appreciate any advice from those who have more experience with this than I do.

 

NO!

Even a 2 hour window may not be sufficient as it could take 20 minutes to get off the aircraft after landing, then security worker's productivity is bordering on sloth.

 

Select another European hub, and save on time between flights plus not paying excessive UK landing fees

Select another European hub, and save on time between flights plus not paying excessive UK landing fees

 

 

Landing charges vary according to aircraft size, so you probably meant APD?

 

If so......

In transit passengers do not pay the APD tax as their flight does not originate from the UK, even if you are changing flights. Exception is if your flight 25 hours or more later than when you first landed, in which case the Government does not class that as 'connecting'. APD is charged to the passenger as a government tax when your flight originates from the UK.

 

 

.......

 

2 hours is the minimum BA give as in their many years of experience know this figure to be an accurate assesment of impact due to any delays etc, plus allowing time for people to get off the plane, through the transit system and then through security with at least 35 minutes left to get to your gate. if BA say 2 hours then it is unlikely there will be any problem with that time. The advantage at Heathrow is with so many BA flights to JFK each day (plus some code share AA, and all the other carriers) any further delay waiting for the next available flight is not very long. Flights to JFK are almost hourly now.

I would feel nervous about that connection, especially without any access to the fast track security lane (i.e. BA/OneWorld status, or Business/First ticket). The "regular" security line at LHR (for re-clear) can take a long time and be backed up quite a bit.

 

Two hours would make me feel a lot more comfortable. Could you feasibly do it in 70? Sure. But I would rather have the extra time. Even with my ability to use fast track security and my very frequent transits (multiple times yearly) through LHR T5, I would not want to do a 70 minute connection. Not worth the stress to me.

Flights to JFK are almost hourly now.

 

Very true. But they're hourly for a reason - there is a HUGE demand. LHR-JFK flights are usually packed to the gills, even on the many, many flights each day. I wouldn't always count on being able to get on the next flight (you do mention "next available" which is true). If it's late enough in the day, it's possible to get stuck at LHR for the night.

Very true. But they're hourly for a reason - there is a HUGE demand. LHR-JFK flights are usually packed to the gills, even on the many, many flights each day. I wouldn't always count on being able to get on the next flight (you do mention "next available" which is true). If it's late enough in the day, it's possible to get stuck at LHR for the night.

 

True enough, but with so many flights the chances of getting a couple of seats is much higher than say where there is only a daily flight to Miami.

 

At least if you booked as a single trip on BA, and due to their fault you ended up having to wait until next day, they would put you in a hotel (Usually the excellent sofitel at T5). in the OPs scenario they would have to book 2 separate tickets, and if no more flights that day, or maybe even the next, then hotels etc are at their own expense.

 

It's also for those reasons I don't mind spending a few extra £s to fly with BA even in Europe - for me they have always done their best to get me where I need to be after things have gone wrong. easyJet, Ryanair, Vuelling etc will just book you on a flight that might be days, even a week later, and wave you goodbye.

NO!

Even a 2 hour window may not be sufficient as it could take 20 minutes to get off the aircraft after landing, then security worker's productivity is bordering on sloth.

 

Select another European hub, and save on time between flights plus not paying excessive UK landing fees

 

You've managed to cram an excessive number of untruths into two sentences, impressive!

BA minimum connecting time for those flights is 2 hours. If you try and book it on their website it will not accept it unless you book it as 2 individual tickets/trips.

 

This is interesting, has the minimum connection time changed recently for international connections of this type within T5? It always used to be 60 minutes, and the Heathrow website still shows it as such. :confused:

 

I've got a flight next month which is departing from a European airport, connnecting through LHR - both T5 - and my connecting time on the itinerary is 65 minutes. If it has changed I need to get my flights changed. It was sold via the BA website as a legit through ticket.

 

I know from past experience that 65 mins can be tight at LHR, and I prefer to have 90 minutes as a minimum but so often the BA website only offers flights with the shorter connections - shorter but within the guidelines.

Edited October 13, 2014 by Nigella
Typo

I'm looking at a flight from Rome to Heathrow arriving 13:25 and then a connecting flight from Heathrow to JFK departing LHR at 14:35. Both are British Airways so would be T5 for both flights. Is this enough time between flights to be comfortable with? Can we book our luggage all the way through from Rome to JFK or will we need to retrieve it and re-check in London? Do we go through security again in London?

It's feasible but still quite tight. The official Minimum Connection Time is 60 minutes, which is the shortest connection time that the airline is prepared to book. So you're not much above that.

 

Your luggage will be through-checked to JFK, so no worries there. You will clear security again at LHR.

The only reason I am considering something this tight is because if I search for a flight from FCO to JFK on the British Airways website this combination of flights is available for booking. Would they list it if it was logistically impossible or improbable?

No, they wouldn't because if something happens and you miss the connection, the airline is liable for all the misconnection costs. So they would not book you on a connection unless there is a pretty good chance that you would make it. However, it's a numbers game; there will always be a proportion of passengers who misconnect. What the airline is saying with a 60-minute connection is that the risk is small enough that the airline is prepared to run it, knowing that there's a chance that it will have to incur the extra costs. Obviously, the longer the connection time, the lower the risks become.

BA minimum connecting time for those flights is 2 hours. If you try and book it on their website it will not accept it unless you book it as 2 individual tickets/trips.

Sorry, this is completely wrong.

 

The Minimum Connection Time for a T5-T5 connection is 60 minutes.

 

In fact, the OP specifically reports being offered the 70-minute connection by the BA website, so clearly the website will do it.

 

You do not have to book this as two separate tickets, and it would be inadvisable to do this (for the reasons you give).

This is interesting, has the minimum connection time changed recently for international connections of this type within T5? It always used to be 60 minutes, and the Heathrow website still shows it as such. :confused:

Relax, there has been no change.

Sorry, this is completely wrong.

 

 

 

The Minimum Connection Time for a T5-T5 connection is 60 minutes.

 

 

 

In fact, the OP specifically reports being offered the 70-minute connection by the BA website, so clearly the website will do it.

 

 

 

You do not have to book this as two separate tickets, and it would be inadvisable to do this (for the reasons you give).

 

 

After i read the OPs post, i did a mock booking on BA for FCO to JFK. I selected flights with a 1h20m gap and I got the message at the top of the screen in red text in a red box that said 'itinerary not available, minimum connecting time is 120 minutes'.

So I am only saying what it told me.

 

Sorry you dont believe me, but I know what I saw otherwise i would have not have posted it here.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone. Please excuse tryping orrers.

Thank you everyone for all of your insight. In view of the responses I am going to book the next later flight to JFK which leaves Heathrow at 16:00. That will allow 2 1/2 hours between flights. I tend to be a worrier so I know I would be totally stressed out with the earlier flight. All of your great comments are appreciated.

After i read the OPs post, i did a mock booking on BA for FCO to JFK. I selected flights with a 1h20m gap and I got the message at the top of the screen in red text in a red box that said 'itinerary not available, minimum connecting time is 120 minutes'.

So I am only saying what it told me.

 

Sorry you dont believe me, but I know what I saw otherwise i would have not have posted it here.

Here's a 1 hour 10 minute (70 minute) connection time, fully priced up by BA's website.

 

The fact that it's a one way journey makes no difference for Minimum Connection Time purposes, hence that's what I've done. The cabin of travel makes no difference either.

 

Each image is clicky to a larger version.

 

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Globaliser, what's your knowledge of the "Time Critical Flight Connections" in T5B? I see the flights flagged up on the monitors in there but since I never connect through T5 (and if I did I'd schedule enough time for a lounge visit ;) ) I've never needed it.

 

There seems to be scant information on the web about it, besides a cursory reference on a BA.com page when Googling the term.

Globaliser, what's your knowledge of the "Time Critical Flight Connections" in T5B? I see the flights flagged up on the monitors in there but since I never connect through T5 (and if I did I'd schedule enough time for a lounge visit ;) ) I've never needed it.

 

There seems to be scant information on the web about it, besides a cursory reference on a BA.com page when Googling the term.

 

I will say that, in all of my travels through T5, I have never done a T5B connection (though I technically could have a few times, but had time and preference to go to T5A to clear security). I don't think OP will have this option either, since most narrow-body BA flights (such as from FCO) come in to T5A. SOME narrow-body flights do leave from T5B, though it's the minority.

 

I believe that technically anyone whose flight leaves from T5B or T5C can do the T5B connection; it doesn't have to time critical (though I may be incorrect). Those who have done it, for time reasons, love it. It's pretty straight forward to my understanding - head towards "Flight Connections" and, near the escalators, veer off for security there before getting on any train to T5A.

Edited October 13, 2014 by Zach1213

So the Time Critical Flight Connections you clear security within T5B but then get back on the transit to T5A? Won't you be intermingling with all the other arrivals passengers heading towards immigration which kind of defeats the point of clearing security within T5B? None of the trains heading from T5B back to T5A deposit you back in the secure departures area, you're forced into Arrivals.

 

I'd assumed that TCFC would involve a security checkpoint within T5B where you just end up being out in departures area of T5B, but if you've got the resources there to staff a checkpoint it'd make more sense to allow anyone with a T5B to T5B connection to use it. Maybe they don't because T5 doesn't announce gates that far in advance.

 

Personally I've had quite a lot of narrowbody departures/arrivals into the satellite terminals, though more into T5C since that opened than T5B.

Edited October 13, 2014 by fbgd

So the Time Critical Flight Connections you clear security within T5B but then get back on the transit to T5A? Won't you be intermingling with all the other arrivals passengers heading towards immigration which kind of defeats the point of clearing security within T5B? None of the trains heading from T5B back to T5A deposit you back in the secure departures area, you're forced into Arrivals.

 

I'd assumed that TCFC would involve a security checkpoint within T5B where you just end up being out in departures area of T5B, but if you've got the resources there to staff a checkpoint it'd make more sense to allow anyone with a T5B to T5B connection to use it. Maybe they don't because T5 doesn't announce gates that far in advance.

 

Personally I've had quite a lot of narrowbody departures/arrivals into the satellite terminals, though more into T5C since that opened than T5B.

 

If you are doing the T5B security clearance, you have to be leaving out of T5B or T5C. It's my understanding that there isn't a way to get back to T5A after clearing security at T5B unless you get on the train...in which case, you'll end up back at T5A needing to clear security...again ;)

 

But yeah that's the question - can anyone use T5B connection that is leaving out of T5B or T5C, or do they have to be "time critical"? My thought was the former. And if you are a longhaul flight, I believe it's pretty much all but a guarantee you'll be in T5B or T5C. If you are within Europe, mostly T5A (possibly, maybe, T5B sometimes. I don't think it has ever happened to me).

 

Next time I am at LHR and connection on to a longhaul, I will try the T5B connection just for the heck of it. They can only say no.

Ah, I misread your post. I thought you were saying that you go through security then get on a train to T5A, as opposed to you do security as opposed to getting on the T5A train. You can almost read it two different ways :)

 

I guess one of the reasons why it's only for time critical connections is you could end up needing an A10 remote stand departure for your longhaul flight and if you're at T5B or T5C, well, you're where they don't want you to be. I'm sure they know a few hours beforehand which flight is going from where though...holding the gate off for hours is a bit annoying.

Edited October 13, 2014 by fbgd

Globaliser, what's your knowledge of the "Time Critical Flight Connections" in T5B? I see the flights flagged up on the monitors in there but since I never connect through T5 (and if I did I'd schedule enough time for a lounge visit ;) ) I've never needed it.

 

There seems to be scant information on the web about it, besides a cursory reference on a BA.com page when Googling the term.

If you are doing the T5B security clearance, you have to be leaving out of T5B or T5C. It's my understanding that there isn't a way to get back to T5A after clearing security at T5B unless you get on the train...in which case, you'll end up back at T5A needing to clear security...again ;)

 

But yeah that's the question - can anyone use T5B connection that is leaving out of T5B or T5C, or do they have to be "time critical"? My thought was the former.

I think it's pretty opaque. The real question is whether the conformance point at the T5B or T5C screening checkpoint will let you through. Anything that appears on the relevant "time critical" list in the satellite concerned will allow you through - that's the primary point of the exercise - but I don't think anyone really knows who else will be allowed through. There are reports that it is not strictly limited to the flights on the "time critical" list, but equally I would expect that a departure in 6 hours time would not be permitted through the T5B or T5C checkpoint - apart from anything else, the gate allocation wouldn't be confirmed at that time.

 

If you have cleared security at T5B or T5C, AIUI it is now easily possible to have free access to the departures stream in all three buildings. When you disembark, you're in the arrivals (pre-security) stream. Clearing security, wherever you do it, is the way that you cross into the departures (post-security) stream. Once you're in the departures stream in T5B or T5C, it's now simplicity itself to walk back to T5A through the level -4 walkway. You've actually always been able to do this, but in the past you needed to know your way through unmarked doors. Now it's signed because the walkway has become an official passenger route.

 

But you can't take the transit, because when it operates in the T5C --> T5B --> T5A direction, it's operating in the arrivals (pre-security) stream so you would then have to clear security again at T5A.

I'm sure they know a few hours beforehand which flight is going from where though...holding the gate off for hours is a bit annoying.

They don't. There is obviously a plan for each day, but the one thing that you can be sure of is that the plan will be departed from as things go wrong, and often at short notice. There are insiders' posts on FlyerTalk that explain in detail what happens and how the plan changes. It's a function of the high density of the LHR campus.

 

That's one of the reasons why people aren't sent out to T5B or T5C until there's a high degree of confidence that the gate allocation won't change. It's more difficult to get back from T5B to T5A, or from T5C to either T5B or T5A. The only option is to walk the entire distance, because there's no transit and no travelators operating in that direction.

 

Given the paucity of facilities in T5B and (especially) T5C, I personally don't understand why people are so keen to go out there so early. Generally, it seems that gate numbers are now posted in T5A sometime around T-75m, which is ample time to get to any gate from T5A even if you crawl on your hands and knees all the way there. Often, gate numbers are posted before I've cleared security. And if you are doing a T5B/T5C --> T5B/T5C connection, you may get a little more notice through the "time critical" screens.

They don't. There is obviously a plan for each day

 

There was me thinking it was a BAA ploy to keep people in the shopping centre longer ;)

 

I do think it's a bit silly that freely moving between T5A, T5B and T5C isn't as easy as it could be though. I'm really not looking forward to say an F trip out of T5C where I get to the gate and find that at short notice my flight/boarding has been delayed for a while resulting in hanging out at the gate when I could have been in the CCR...I suppose if it was long enough and I was stroppy enough I could get back to T5A.

Edited October 13, 2014 by fbgd

There was me thinking it was a BAA ploy to keep people in the shopping centre longer ;)

 

I do think it's a bit silly that freely moving between T5A, T5B and T5C isn't as easy as it could be though. I'm really not looking forward to say an F trip out of T5C where I get to the gate and find that at short notice my flight/boarding has been delayed for a while resulting in hanging out at the gate when I could have been in the CCR...I suppose if it was long enough and I was stroppy enough I could get back to T5A.

 

 

It would be a pain. Closest I've had is a 3+ hour delay in T5B (LHR-DFW) after arriving at the gate. They basically just told us to wait at the T5B lounge for further notice. Felt like we were captive! Had I been an F passenger I would have been quite irritated.