First arrivals at LHR T5

Hi Forum'ers

Does anyone know if BA First class has a priority baggage arrival and immigration at LHR T5?

We have a kind of tight connection (2 hrs) and BA being BA won't guarantee through checked bags.

Qf Gold member if that helps.

If your connection is with BA your bags will be tagged through, if not the bags will tagged as first (yellow) priority at check in. No guarantee that they will actually make it.

Ref immigration, at the time the BA flights from Singapore typically arrive (assuming you are flying from Australia through) there is rarely a queue to speak of, besides you will be off first.

In addition, if you hold an Australian e-passport (or US, Canadian among others), you can use the electronic immigration gates at heathrow which makes going through that process no longer than 10mins on a typical day.

Once you have collected your bags, If your onward flight is out of terminal 5, you should definitely use the First Class checkin on the far right hand side of the departures hall (even if you don't have oneworld emerald, I would try use it anyway since you're coming off a first class flight. Just keep your boarding pass). This is the quickest security lines at heathrow.

I'm not sure I understand what you're asking. In order to provide a sensible response. Is your arriving flight to T5? Is your departing flight T5? Are the two flights on the same ticket?

As mentioned above. If you are connecting at T5 BA to BA then you really shouldn't have an issue if you're on one ticket.

thanks guys.

Ourmanin, I'll rephrase...how long does it take to exit LHR T5 arriving on First class?

(connecting flight is T3, 2 hours later, separate tickets, we had enough time before but our SYD-LHR flight was changed away from HKG and now arrives in LHR a bit later meaning we have a tighter connection.)

2 hours could be tight if your T3 flight is with a separate airline. If not ask the checkin agent and 9 times out of 10 they will check the bags through even though you are on separate tickets

Who is your departing flight with?

As TDAG has said most often the check in agents will through check bags in the event that it's onto another BA / One World flight - although is not guaranteed.

If you did have to end up clearing immigration / customs, then get to T3 landside, then 2 hours could be tight. Yes it's achievable, but not stress free. And a lot of variables. The passport queues can be massive if the automated machines aren't working. I know the baggage handlers are supposed to prioritise your bag, but it's not guaranteed. And that's before you've factored in a late arrival of your flight or even waiting for your “parking bay” to become free (yesterday spent 20 mins stationary on the tarmac on arrival at LHR as allocated gate was still occupied due to a delayed departure).

If you're on BA on both flight I would ring them, explain the very genuine reason that you've changed your plans and ask if they can link your bookings. If they won't then are they able to change your onward flight to a later one to allow less stress? Clearly this depends on your requirements and the availability / frequency of onward flights to your ultimate destination.

Given what you've said I am assuming you were flying SYD-HKG-LHR and are now going SYD-SIN-LHR

Not giving the full information when asking questions leads to lots of incorrect responses.

Need to know which Airline and where you are connecting to. For Custom and Immigration advice.

Do you have a through Ticket. For Baggage check advice.

Hi Kentown45, I appreciate you're trying to help but you are trying to answer a different question from which i'm asking. I was simply enquiring as to whether I could expect priority baggage and immigration upon arrival at LHR T5 (in the event that they don't thru-check baggage).

You would get priority baggage and a fast track pass. But as others have said if you are on an Aussie passport then you can now use the e-gates or if you have kids who are too young you can use the EU line. Both of which are likely to be faster than fast track

Baggage at Heathrow T5 is normally delivered is pretty fast.

The only risk I see to your connection is if there is a delay to your inbound flight and the time it takes to get landslide to terminal 3. Best case you would be looking at 20 mins which would be 5 minute walk to Heathrow express, straight in for the 5 mins to T3 and 10 minute walk to T3. Worst case add another 15 minutes if you just missed a train.

Best case I would say is 45 mins from landing to being in T3.

Members, if flying into LHR from NYC what is your preferred One World Airline in Business Class, American or BA?

Thanks