Questions and Answers

Hi trying to figure out the process of connecting at LHR..

I am flying Copenhagen to Los Angeles it is just me travelling and it all on 1 ticket with both flights being on British Airways..

I know to make sure BA in CPH checks my bags all the way through to LAX

So with that being said i dont have to go collect my bags but do i have to clear any sort of immigration or do i just connect to my next flight how I would flying within the US ?

Does the answer to that question matter on if i am in the same terminal or not? Seems like the LHR to LAX varies between T3 and T5. The incoming from CPH seems to at least for today use T5 only but i thought within europe BA used T3.

But at any rate i am just curious what the process is given my situation of being on 1 ticket, with the same airline, with my bags checked through to LAX

Thanks in advance for the info

Hey Mike, you have to clear transit security at LHR regardless of what terminal you fly in or out of. You don’t have to go through immigration, just a brief passport check.

It doesn’t really matter whether you arrive at T3 or T5 — T5 is massive with a few mid-field piers, so it doesn’t take that much longer to take the airside bus to/from T3.

[QUOTE=”Tiffany, post: 63794, member: 7″]Hey Mike, you have to clear transit security at LHR regardless of what terminal you fly in or out of. You don’t have to go through immigration, just a brief passport check.

It doesn’t really matter whether you arrive at T3 or T5 — T5 is massive with a few mid-field piers, so it doesn’t take that much longer to take the airside bus to/from T3.[/QUOTE]

HI thx for the help. What kind of time are we talking for the passport check ? So Its not like going through security as far as metal detectors and what not, as if you were coming in to the airport from outside…. Looks like all the flights from CPH come into T5 and the flight to LA since its also BA seems like it will be T5 also. So all and all given same terminal and that its just a passport check it should be a breeze? or not ?
Thanks again 🙂

Passport check is maybe 30 seconds (plus whatever queue) — they’re just making sure you have both a passport and a boarding pass.

You do go through transit security regardless, as I mentioned, which is exactly like coming in from the outside with all the metal detectors and whatnot 🙂

Being in the same terminal makes no difference — it takes just as long to walk to/from the far reaches of T5 as it does to take the bus to/from T3, so I wouldn’t let that impact your planning.

Okay i understand better now. I didnt realize its going through an entire metal detectors process.

So i will be in First on the BA flight from LHR to LAX thus will I be able to take advantage of this “First Wing” i read about at LHR or is that only accessible if you are truly coming in from the ground/outside? I am not familiar at all with LHR or this security process between flights but i am guessing the security/metal detectors i would go through are separate than as if i was coming in from the ground, since i technically am not entering the UK..

In the end i think i wont have nearly as much time to enjoy the lounge as i was hoping but oh well

Thanks again
Mike

Mike if you are in first then you should have access to the first class lounge (Concorde Room). I believe Ben has a review of that and if I remember correctly he was not particularly impressed.

Hi, yes i will be able to get into the Concorde Room. Really looking forward to checking it out but just bummed i maybe should have taken the super early flight from Copenhagen so i could have time to enjoy the Concorde Room. I will have 90 minutes to 2 hours max in the lounge instead of 4.5 to 5 hours had i taken the earlier flight.

I hadnt mentioned flying First in my original post b/.c i didnt think it would have anything to do with Connection times. I just thought i would go from arriving gate to the lounge but I know now that is not the case..

Will being First expedite the security i have to go through after landing? I see a cool video online about The First Wing at LHR but seems like that is only for if you’re entering the airport from the outside