Seeking reassurance about Heathrow...

Hi there, I signed up for the forum after enjoying reading the Trip Reports and hope to post my own next month but I now find myself in a bit of a panic and seeking reassurance and I figured this to be a good place to get it - or be told I need to come up with a Plan B...

We're off to Tokyo on VS later in the month and return at the start of August. We booked the flights months ago and also flights with BA to get us between Heathrow and Glasgow. We knew we didn't have a huge amount of time between our flight from Tokyo landing 15.30 and our flight to Glasgow leaving at 18.45 but figured it was plenty as long as there weren't any significant problems. Virgin called us a few weeks after booking the flights to say that our landing time was changed and that VS901 would be scheduled to land at 15.45. Got a bit worried about losing a some of our buffer but not concerned enough to see about making plans for a later flight to Glasgow. But this week I've been watching the arrival time for VS901 at Heathrow and it does seem to regularly arrive a bit later - (yesterdays was 16.12 I think). That's now got me really wondering if I should be biting the bullet and booking later BA flights at 90 a head now rather than having to pay god knows what on the day if we miss our planned ones.

I've never flown through Heathrow before so don't really have a good idea of how much time is required (other than the info I looked at when making our original plans). So I'm looking for a bit of help...

1. Anyone prepared to put a figure on how likely it is our VS901 flight will be late (is 20-30 minutes late almost guaranteed?)
2. How long can I expect to take getting through baggage collect/immigration/customs at Heathrow - (We are UK passport holders and are flying UC so should have the option of fast track immigration - yes?)
3.Is it worth doing the IRIS recognition thing to save time on our return? And is it easily accessible to register for it on the way out if we are going through the UC Security track?
4. How long do I need to factor in the transfer to T5? I've read all teh stuff about the train etc but I can't find anything about how long it will take me to move around *inside* the terminals other than being told it can be a 'long walk'
5. Assuming the best/worst that we *just* make our check in at T5 which closes at 18.00 (for flight at 18.45) will we be able to get through security etc to the gate in time to catch the flight? (We're young-ish and fit-ish but wouldn't want to have to run for long)

I know that's a lot of help to ask for in a first post but any comments very gratefully accepted - even just 'Yeah you'll be fine' or 'You're totally screwed' as then at least I'll know what to expect...

Cheers

How about cancelling the BA tickets and going BMI to Glasgow? At least then you won't have to trek over to T5...

You're not booked on the same itinerary I guess - in which case if VS was too late they'd 'reprotect' you onto a later BA flight?

Are you in Y, PE or UC? This is relevant because of baggage waits at the carousel.

Even in Y, if you land at 1630 you should be out of T3 by 1730 (it takes me 30 minutes with checked baggage but then I'm usually in the front so its priority tagged).

If you do IRIS you'll find that you wait at the baggage carousel, not much benefit in terms of arrival timing.

So, if you're out of T3 by 1730, down into the HEX for the terminal transfer and up to T5 should be possible to check in on time. If you land on schedule, I wouldn't worry at all.

quote:Originally posted by girders

2. How long can I expect to take getting through baggage collect/immigration/customs at Heathrow - (We are UK passport holders and are flying UC so should have the option of fast track immigration - yes?)



Fast Track immigration is only available to non-EU passport holders. However at the time of the afternoon that the NRT flight lands, immigration is nowhere near as busy as what it can be first thing in the morning. You should still be able to get through in a couple of minutes.

IRIS is a good system if they let you register for it. I know that they are not letting as many people sign up for it as they used to - you need to show that you travel frequently in order to qualify. If you can use it, then there is rarely a queue at the IRIS desks.

[Scrooge]

A 3 hour layover should be fine, there are alway going to be times when things get a bit pear shapped, however for the majority of occasions 3 hours is enough, it's the lunatics that book flights with a 1 hour layover that should worry.

Thanks folks - really appreciate all your comments. We're flying Upper Class so hopefully the priority baggage will help us out. We only fly 2-3 times per year so I guess IRIS won't be an option for us but fingers crossed immigration won't be too much hassle.

Feeling a bit more relaxed about it now (also helped by the fact that today's flight landed 15 minutes early) and just going to take the view that if it all goes horribly wrong we'll just have to deal with it.

[honey lamb]

When I flew back from NRT last February the flight from LHR had been seriously delayed because of the snowstorms in London. When checking in I asked them if they could on this occasion, through check my bags even though my onward Aer Lingus flight was on a separate ticket which, after some pleading, they did. If you are in a similar situation of a late incoming plane it may well be worth asking them to do this at NRT.

Because my luggage was through-checked I was able to use Flight Connections which was very quiet at that time of day and 40 minutes after landing I was in T1 at the Aer Lingus desk

Thanks honey lamb - useful to know that can be done on occasion - Mrs girders can be pretty effective at the whole 'pleading' thing if she needs to be. Not going to worry about it any more - just going to look forward to the trip.

You'll be fine with those times. I have done the terminal 3 Virgin arrival to terminal 5 domestic departure several times and had no probs. Even if you do miss your flight you'll probably find that BA will put you on a later flight free of charge because you had left more than the recommended time for terminal change (90mins I think. (This happened to me once because of a very late Virgin flight) The Heathrow website lets you put in your arriving and departing details and gives you directions and times for transfer - worth checking out. When you pick up your luggage and exit terminal 3 you go down in the lift to the Heathrow express for about a 5 min free transfer to terminal 5 then up in the lift to terminal 5 departures.

Anne