Heathrow airport changing terminals

[ychan]

Hello there!

I'm flying into LHR on Malaysian Air in January 2017 landing at 15:30 at Terminal 4. I'm planning to book a flight on BA to Madrid which departs from Terminal 5 at 17:10.

I understand that there is a free transit service between the 2 terminals. What I'd like to know is whether I have to go through Immigration. I'm flying with only carry-on bag no checked luggage. Would the 1 hour 40 mins be sufficient time to catch the flight to Madrid, or should I look at a later flight, next flight being 18:30.

Any advice and comments from those who've had the experience will be much appreciated! cheers... ychan

 

[moa999]

Assuming these are separate tickets - thus no protection. I wouldn't risk it.
(at 105min it would be on the limit of the minimum connection time)

Flight Connections planner | Heathrow

Issues with Heathrow are:
- Inbound delays are common - so even if you depart on time, you could easily land 30min late.
- Then you need to get the Flight Connections bus
- Then pass thru Security again - this can also be a long wait

You are correct that you don't need to do Immigration

 

[alieninperth]

I would have thought that you would have to go through Immigration as you are arriving from and international and transferring to a European flight. Immigration to Europe would be done at point of first entry (LHR) not at destination (MAD), at least that's been my experience transiting LHR to go to DUB. Even with a protected ticket I wouldn't risk the connection. Take the later flight.

 

[TomVexille]

I would have thought that you would have to go through Immigration as you are arriving from and international and transferring to a European flight. Immigration to Europe would be done at point of first entry (LHR) not at destination (MAD), at least that's been my experience transiting LHR to go to DUB. Even with a protected ticket I wouldn't risk the connection. Take the later flight.

Not quite. As Spain is part of the Schengen Area, immigration would be done in MAD.

 

[coriander]

Not quite. As Spain is part of the Schengen Area, immigration would be done in MAD.

Not quite. We flew MEL-LHR-MLA in June and had to do immigration at LHR, then just a cursory stamp of the passport (no forms to fill out, no declarations etc) on arrival in MLA.

 

[TomVexille]

Not quite. We flew MEL-LHR-MLA in June and had to do immigration at LHR, then just a cursory stamp of the passport (no forms to fill out, no declarations etc) on arrival in MLA.

We flew HND-LHR-FCO in June, no immigration at LHR, just passed through flight connections (not immigration at LHR) and then Immigration at FCO.

Not sure why you would have entered the UK if you were already checked in to your MLA flight. And Immigration at FCO was a very bored look at the passport and a stamp.

 

[TonyHancock]

MEL-SIN-LHR-OSL four times for me this year and no immigration at LHR. Flight connections at T5 and back through security. Immigration done at OSL.

I wouldn't be comfortable with an unprotected 1 hour 40 min connection though particularly with a terminal change.

 

[coriander]

Not sure why you would have entered the UK if you were already checked in to your MLA flight.

1. Two separate tickets (QF & KM) - KM not OW.
2. Collect luggage at LHR (T3), transfer to MLA (T5).

From QF1 to T3 to T5 took about 75 minutes, and queues were short and flowed well, bags were off carousel first (surprising as QF usually makes sure our J bags are last off ). No customs to speak of, train to T5 arrived at station as we did (deplaned at ~0700h, arrived at MLA checkin at ~0815h). About as quick as I would have expected.

I missed that OP is HLO so maybe can circumvent immigration if he has checked in online. On separate PNRs less than 24 hours transit, do you avoid LHR's departure tax (APD)?

 

[Isolar]

...
I missed that OP is HLO so maybe can circumvent immigration if he has checked in online. On separate PNRs less than 24 hours transit, do you avoid LHR's departure tax (APD)?

I don't think you can, unless there is a TA trick of linking the PNRs and then calculating taxes and fees as if one ticket.

 

[Himeno]

There are two options to change terminals when connecting at LHR. One air side, one land side, both free.

You can follow the signs to flight connections to airline transfer desks, a security checkpoint, and buses, or;
You can go through immigration and change terminals using the Heathrow Express train (this is free within the LHR stations).

I haven't used the flight connections/buses for years, preferring the train.

 

[TonyHancock]

There are two options to change terminals when connecting at LHR.

Don't forget the Tube and also landside buses although the latter is not so good.