Timely Comments on London-Heathrow Airport
We flew through Heathrow just six short days ago on August 4, and with the new terrorist threats and huge snafu at Heathrow, I thought you might be interested in what traveling through there was like even without the new terrorist threats. Heathrow has a reputation as the WORST airport to go through with its 4 Terminals...well-earned, and I had already written this article to appear with my series on Austria, which will start running on August 18.
We flew Munich to London on Lufthansa, landing in Terminal 2, and then had two hours to connect to our United, London-Chicago flight out of Terminal 3. You'd think that's plenty of time, right?
This is the routine:
1. After getting off Lufthansa in Terminal 2, walking close to a mile as rapidly as possible, there is SECURITY in front of you. Hundreds of passengers who had just gotten off planes being directed into TWO lines for additional scanning. We had a 3:40pm flight and it was now 2:30pm. ONE HOUR later, finally through Security. Next?
2. Down some escalators to another line, this one waiting for a bus to take us to Terminal 3.
3. Finally on the bus, over to Terminal 3, then run like the wind because it is now 3:30pm! Fortunately, others had also been stuck in the same Security lines and our seats hadn't been given away. We have never arrived for a flight with so little time to spare and personnel told us this is an everyday occurrence at Heathrow!
The point...if you must connect through Heathrow, don't pay any attention to what the Airline says is a "legal connection." With anything less than 2-1/2 hours, you have a good chance of missing your flight.
Finally boarded our United flight with palpitations, sweat pouring off, and major stress from connecting.
If all this was considered "normal" then, going through Heathrow now has to be your worst nightmare. Avoid it if you can!
