Enough connection time at Heathrow

[BLTtinkerbell]

I’m looking at a flight on British Airways from Boston connecting through Heathrow to Barcelona.

The flight has a one hour layover at Heathrow.
Is this enough to get to the gate for connecting flight?

The flight arrives at 6:30am and departs at 7:30am on a Saturday in November, if that matters.

Thanks for any information.

 

[MissStitch626]

We've had a similar scenario twice, both at Heathrow, both with approx 1 hour (once was around 1 hr 10 mins, the other 50 mins) between our flights. The first time was smooth, we made it on time though we felt rushed and didn't have enough time for anything other than going straight to the gate. The second time, when we had 50 mins, our plane was delayed after landing at Heathrow, followed by a long security line. We did make it (just) but it was very stressful and if the line had been longer we would have missed that second flight. You could be fine, but with 1 hour you are really relying on everything going 100% smoothly. (Fingers crossed for you!)

 

[SirDuff]

What are your options for a longer connection? Either a flight leaving Boston earlier or one leaving London later?

 

[lilmc]

Do you have to change terminals?

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Here's my experience from several weeks ago (flew on 7/25).

Heathrow has in the past several months extended their minimum connection time giving up on efficiency. It's recommended at least an hour if in the same terminal and 90mins if not in the same terminal.

For Heathrow when you land you actually often are dropped off on the tarmac and a bus takes to you the gates this adds time. People on our flight from Athens to Heathrow made too tight of a connection and some missed their flights. From our 500+ passenger flight from Heathrow to Chicago about 80 pieces of luggage didn't make it with the main culprit being too tight of a connection and listening to those people (many of whom Chicago was not their final destination) it sounded like a big hassle to deal with.

We had a 5 hour connection time with BA going from Athens, Greece to Heathrow and it was enough time but they don't tell you your gate until close to the time (though Heathrow looks to be piloting more advanced warning). Like it was 20mins from boarding time that we were given our actual gate number. Our flight from Athens dropped us off in Terminal 5 but A gates, our flight departing Heathrow to Chicago was in Terminal 5 but in the C gates and this meant we had to take a quick transit ride on their train/monorail to get there.

We did not start boarding when we were supposed to however I wouldn't count on that.

For me I would personally not book any flight going through Heathrow that isn't AT LEAST several hours but really the more time the better.

 

[BLTtinkerbell]

What are your options for a longer connection? Either a flight leaving Boston earlier or one leaving London later?

There is an option to have a 2 hour & 25 minute layover instead.

I’m trying to maximize my time in Spain as I’m visiting my son for only a week.

 

[BLTtinkerbell]

Do you have to change terminals?

No - Boston flight lands at terminal 5 and the flight to Barcelona is also out of terminal 5.

 

[BLTtinkerbell]

We are planning on doing carryon only, not checking bags, if that matters.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

There is an option to have a 2 hour & 25 minute layover instead.

I’m trying to maximize my time in Spain as I’m visiting my son for only a week.

I'd opt for the 2.5 hour layover instead. You don't know how long it will take going through passport control at Heathrow. I once had a layover at Gatwick en route to Paris and it took 2 hours to clear customs. You don't want to miss your flight because of a delay at immigration.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

We are planning on doing carryon only, not checking bags, if that matters.

It would only matter about your luggage not making it but not about the other issues.

It didn't take too too long for us to get through passport then security but we had two girls who had made a connection of 1 1/2 hours and because of the hour delay we had in Athens (which was an 8am flight originally and the first out to Heathrow) by the time the plane landed in Heathrow they only had 25 mins before boarding to get from the back of the plane, onto the bus (which was the second bus), to the gate area, through passport, security and to where ever their gate was. They acted like the 1 hour delay was the main issue and while that certainly didn't help it was more they had too short of a connection realistically speaking from the get go. It would have been nail biting to begin with.

I can understand you wanting to make the most out of your time with your son at your end destination but with all the air travel issues of the couple of years I'd err on the side of more time especially being international.

 

[BLTtinkerbell]

Thank you all for your helpful advice, I really appreciate it!

I won’t book the 1 hour layover.

Do you think the 2 hour 25 min layover will be enough time or should I keep looking for other options?

 

[SirDuff]

2hr25min is a connection time I’d be very comfortable with. Things can still happen, of course, but I’d take it.

 

[BLTtinkerbell]

We have never flown through London before and have no idea what to expect.

If we leave a day later, there is a nonstop flight in the late evening. My DH and I are now also considering that option. The downside is losing a full day with our DS.

I found a nonstop flight for the return.

The nonstop flights can be booked through British Airways but are on Iberia Airlines.

 

[MissStitch626]

I'd be comfortable with 2.5 hours in terminal 5 with BA. It gives the necessary padding for the usual security/passport control. Any time we fly to Orlando we go via London airports usually with a minimum of 1.5 hours between flights until these two most recent flights. Anything below 1.5 hours would make me nervous now.

 

[Jangles]

We have never flown through London before and have no idea what to expect.

If we leave a day later, there is a nonstop flight in the late evening. My DH and I are now also considering that option. The downside is losing a full day with our DS.

I found a nonstop flight for the return.

The nonstop flights can be booked through British Airways but are on Iberia Airlines.

If you are making the indirect booking Boston to Barcelona via Heathrow on the BA website, it will not allow you to make the booking if the connection time is too short. Also, if you miss the connection at Heathrow, through no fault of your own, BA will automatically put you in the next available flight.

 

[DanceDisney23]

If you are making the indirect booking Boston to Barcelona via Heathrow on the BA website, it will not allow you to make the booking if the connection time is too short. Also, if you miss the connection at Heathrow, through no fault of your own, BA will automatically put you in the next available flight.

We missed a connection in Heathrow once because our first flight (also from Boston) was delayed. Our connecting flight was taking off just as we got through customs. The “next available” BA flight, according to the customer service desk, was not until the next day even though other BA flights were going to our destination that same day. They were completely booked, however.

Customer service offered to put us on standby for a same day flight. We had to wait at the airport for six hours but lucked out and got on. Someone else had probably missed their connection and freed the seats. While boarding, the lady in front of us got into an argument with the gate agents. They wanted her to check her carry on and she absolutely refused and told them that she had valuables in there, and that BA had lost her luggage twice already, and she was never going to check luggage with BA again.

It was an interesting layover, to say the least, and we haven’t flown through Heathrow since.

 

[steve_rob]

Agree with most of the posters here - the connection is officially do-able, but it would be super tight with even a minor delay with arrival time, taxiing, passport control etc. would make you miss the second flight. I would choose the 2 1/2 hour option instead.

However I am curious about this line:

For Heathrow when you land you actually often are dropped off on the tarmac and a bus takes to you the gates this adds time.

Having flown through Heathrow possibly hundreds of times (it's the nearest airport to me), I've only ever been bussed in once with every other time being a jet bridge, so I'm curious as to how often this does happen. Other UK airports (especially Luton and Stansted) it's been buses maybe 30-40% of the time, but Heathrow I always thought it was a super rare exception.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Having flown through Heathrow possibly hundreds of times (it's the nearest airport to me), I've only ever been bussed in once with every other time being a jet bridge, so I'm curious as to how often this does happen. Other UK airports (especially Luton and Stansted) it's been buses maybe 30-40% of the time, but Heathrow I always thought it was a super rare exception.

Well according to the various people on our cruise it's quite common, that's actually how we found out about it was from another passenger who explained the process before that we didn't know and then yeah sure enough that's how it was for us. In any case I sure wouldn't count on a jet bridge with an airport that utilizes other ways because they simply don't have enough spaces for all the planes.

 

[Skippyboo]

Have you looked at other airlines? Like Delta?

 

[SirDuff]

If you are making the indirect booking Boston to Barcelona via Heathrow on the BA website, it will not allow you to make the booking if the connection time is too short. Also, if you miss the connection at Heathrow, through no fault of your own, BA will automatically put you in the next available flight.

True but legal and comfortable are not the same thing. Schipol, for example, will legally allow a 50 minute connection for Schengen to Non-Schengen but I’d never take it (and my organization will not allow to be booked on such routings when traveling for work). And the next available flight might not be until the next day (or later). Though I suspect that there are a number of flights from London to Barcelona (even still, if it is busy and/or the OP needs a number of seats).