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Heathrow T5 to T3


NewNiceMrMe
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Off to Mauritius soon and our eldest daughter is only coming with us for 1 of the 2 weeks. She is flying back early for some kind of pre-Uni party or other excuse to get away from us.

Anyway, she will fly into T5 on her way home. We then have to try to get her to T3 as safely and quickly as possible for a connecting flight up to Newcastle.

Questions:

1. Landing at T5 for 7.15pm - realistically could she catch a 9pm flight to Newcastle from T3

2. How easy and safe is it for an 18 year old on her own to do the connection?

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1 - It might be a bit tight. Baggage collection at T5 seems incredibly slow these days so if that happens and she's unlucky with the train connection (see below) then it might be tight.

2 - Absolute doddle. Follow the signs in T5 for the Heathrow Express (it's right by where you exit arrivals) then take the train, first stop will be Heathrow Central then it's a 5-10 minute walk to T3. No need to buy a ticket, it's free to transfer between terminals in standard class. I can't remember the frequency of the trains, I think it's every 30 minutes.

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Who is she booked with? Is it not into T3 then out of T5?

If she is thru-booked then bags wont be an issue (I would advise to do that). Flight connections (purple signs inside T3) will allow transfer easier between terminals as you don't have to exit then re-enter the airport as such, you do passport control then get on an internal bus to T5 and don't re-do security.

Time wise, it will be tight. 7.15 landing is in reality 7.45 off the plane. Bagless it's not as much hassle but the T5 restrictions mean you have to be airside in the terminal 30 mins before the departure.

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She is flying back with Mauritius Air though the booking was made through Virgin and that is a story in itself (we booked Upper Class for all of us but Then noted on the booking confirmation it was Mauritius Air and they only offer business class. So we disputed the fact they had referred to virgin upper class throughout the booking process and they conceded and gave us £1k back. That said, the rest of us are flying back with Air France to CDG and then on to Newcastle).

However, the booking is to T5 only and is not a through booking.

We do seem to have got a possible solution though. If she comes back without anything but hand luggage then she should get straight through and get to the 9pm flight in time. If not, for example if we hear of a delay on departure, we will book her a hotel room and she can get. 7am flight the next morning.

We can take 30kg per person (4 of us) so we reckon we can do it if we spread her luggage between the other cases (just).

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  • 2 years later...

Time to resurrect this...

As some may have inferred from a pithy comment in another part of TSN - I'll be doing a manic trip to Europe for work (and these guys are cheap and very last minute).

On the way out, I leave Madrid on BA 0465 @ 6:30pm arrive at Heathrow T5 @ 7:50 (so off the plane by 7:15?).

I then have to leave T3 on QF2 @ 9:30pm.

Given the single checked bag should be booked through to Sydney - is that enough time to arrive, take one of the 6-10 minute connections buses, get to T3, through security and go to the gate?

I shouldn't be passing through Immigration or Customs as I'll have started the international trip in Spain, transit the UK and arrive in Oz.

Comments please. I might have time to book an earlier flight out of Madrid if that is the recommendation, but I'll need it in the next 12 hours. :)

Interesting 6 minute clip of aforementioned t5 - t3 bus:

Edited by Rachel
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As Andrew says, it is all delay dependent.

However, that could mess up any form of connection, so I don't think the T5 to T3 issue is really the problem. For what it is worth, we did the Heathrow Express and it all went smoothly and I was very impressed. Our Eldest flew back a week before us to get her A level results and she even managed to do the same in reverse.

I fly to Heathrow a lot these days and T5 is fantastic. So light and comfortable, you can even hide from the dregs of society without many issues (so I am told).

They're opening a Hamleys there soon too. That'll be expensive every time I go to London.

We didn't have any security delays. I think the cameras are stupid but they do seem to have bedded the technology in now and it is only mildly fecking stupid to add to travel time, instead of completely insane like it was when they first deployed them. I never realised how many people couldn't figure out that two yellow painted feet on the floor, a bright red light in our eyes and a bloke saying "Stand on those and look at the red light" (with signage to back it up) inferred you were expected to do something...

p.s. the North/South Queue Length graphics are excellent. Little people on a digital display, the more that appear, the busier security is. I keep wanting someone to hack it and make them fight.

p.p.s. there's a Krispy Kreme in T5 Arrivals and before security in T3. Don't ask me how I know, I just do. I can vouch for all the varieties. Oh and go see the new garden art outside T5 Arrivals too. Multi-coloured wheel-barrows. Weirdly good but stupidly simple. Then go up to Level 5 and watch the idiot who'll try parking his car outside and running in. He's always there. He just drives a different car each time. You need to see him do it and how quick security are to rip him and his car to pieces though.:roflmao:

Edited by MrMe
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If you are ever in T5 on a Thursday evening flight or Friday evening flight Chris let me know. I've got a poncy Gold card and can guest you into the BA First lounge where you really can escape the masses - and drink pink Champagne and order off the menu to your heart's content!

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Thursday evenings I do. I try to avoid Friday's at Heathrow though.

I usually get there for about 6pm and spend 3 hours waiting for the 9pm flight back North. I was there just a week or so ago. I have a lounge pass but rarely use it (not BA, just one of these multiple lounge things where you can get into lounges in most airports). I often forget or just decide to go for a wander. The pink champagne is lost on me - I don't drink.:roflmao:

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Sounds like you might be there at the same sort of time as me then on the weeks I fly on a Thursday. Well, sack off the Champers then and just fill your face with menu orders and the buffet. And the desserts, and cheese and all sorts!

My next Thurs is the 1st August - on the 20:00 to Edi.

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I have done with and without bags in that sort of time frame: with bags major panic and some hard pounding to make it in time; without - fairly straightforward.

So the consensus is that "bag free" I should be ok?

I'd have expected that arriving near 8pm would see smaller crowds too - or is that a big assumption?

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There are a good few late flights departing T3, including two QANTAS 380s and I think the BA to Bangkok so I'd not automatically assume it will be dead. You might be on one of the above I guess.

I didn't say "dead" I said "smaller crowds" - and yes aiming for one of the QANTAS 380's leaving @ 9:30pm GMT.

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I didn't say "dead" I said "smaller crowds" - and yes aiming for one of the QANTAS 380's leaving @ 9:30pm GMT.

Little Miss Pedantic :P will be in London and she's not coming to see me and Geek Share? This makes me the sads.

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I think this could be close - chances are the BA flight from Madrid will probably not land on time and you will be late landing. My guess would be 10 -20 minute delay. In addition if your Madrid comes in one of the Satellites (B or C) then you would need to add extra 10-15 mins just traipsing from the gates, catching the train and then up the escalators or lifts to T5 Connections desk for the bus. The recommended minimum time for transferring between terminals at Heathrow is 90mins.

Once you get to T3 - the Qantas gates are also right at the end of the terminal and quite a long walk too. Terminal 3 will still be busy at this time as lots of flights to the Far East/Asia etc depart at this time.

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Little Miss Pedantic :P will be in London and she's not coming to see me and Geek Share? This makes me the sads.

Yes, the logistics suck and I wasn't given the option of extending the trip on my dime. :(

Mind you if I miss the connection...

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OK. Flight changed to BA 0461 arriving T5 @ 18:05 Thursday next week.

If any one is lurking around at that time let me know - as I'll have an hour or so to kill before trying to transit (or more than an hour if I'm in T3)

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