We've had stopovers at LHR Airport several times, and the experience was routinely unpleasant. Our most recent experience transiting through LHR onto Istanbul was the worst one so far. Let me count the ways: 1. Airport staff indicated our bag would not transfer, so we had to retrieve it from baggage claim and recheck it, but our bag never came out. I contacted the baggage staff and they indicated our bag was transferred to our next flight. This was a waste of at least 30 minutes. 2. Then we proceeded to follow the connecting flight signs (which we are familiar with) and reached an exit that no longer said connecting flights. We saw 4 or 5 "Border Police" all having a casual conversation, and kindly asked one of the officers (female) if she could tell us if we were headed in the correct direction. The female officer rudely said we needed to say "good morning" before she would answer. We walked away. 3. Next, you have to take a tram train to get to the other terminals. This time, everyone was required to obtain a free ticket from a machine to access the airport tram/train. This resulted a mass of people trying to get this "free" ticket. It appears LHR Airport is using this as a way to track how many people are accessing the train. It was a complete waste of time and inconvenient. 4. Since we were traveling on a business class ticket and British airways is a partner with American Airlines, my boarding pass was listed as "Fast Pass," but my wife's didn't for some reason. As we approached the electronic bordering pass scanner, my wife was denied access. She was required to get into the much longer line, while I stood on the other side waiting. She was then allowed to proceed with me through the rest of the Fast Pass process. 5. The security check was next. I'm not sure if LHR airport security changes their procedures hourly, daily, or monthly. Each time we visited, the requirements were different. In fact, while waiting to approach the X-ray machines, a security staff member told everyone to take out any baggies containing approved levels of liquids and keep the baggies separated from carryon bags and backpacks. This created a frenzy with everyone trying to pull these items out their bags. Then, as we approached the actual staff working the machines, they said to put it back in the bags. Again, another example of a waste of time. 6. And a pro tip, don't even think about questioning any of the staff about their rude behavior. There are signs posted through the airport that indicate "verbal abuse" toward staff will result in prosecution. Who knows what they constitute "verbal abuse" as. As a frequent domestic and international flyer, I've had the opportunity to experience several airports. Based on my experiences, LHR Airport is the worst. It is disorganized, rules seem to change on the fly, some staff are flat out rude, and they create and change processes that only result in a waste of valuable time and a frustrating experience. In short, LHR Airport is completely mismanaged. Moving forward, I should point that the airport staff who work with the airlines and at the gates were very helpful. read more

Historic and iconic, just the name alone conjures memories of personal travel adventures, movies, and books. Once the home of my favorite airline, BOAC, I remember also the glorious Pan Am but alas the reality is this monstrous large busy airport is not a place for a tight layover. Always plan on 2 and a half to three hours minimum to transfer between flights and always carry a change of clothes on board if you are checking luggage through. Good choice of restaurants but the airport is so busy there are peak times when you'll have to wait for a seat and it's such a long distance between gates you'll get a hike in plus often a bus ride. Not enough WCs in the many high traffic areas so if you pass one that doesn't have a line, stop and use it. Restaurant and shop prices aren't as bloated as in the US but aren't cheap either. Remember, TSA won't honor sealed Duty Free bags on your way back to America. read more

See all

Arrival experience. Got off the plane and was really easy to navigate through the airport. Clearly labeled signage for finding the exit and baggage claim. Baggage claim experience also smooth. Clearly labeled screens to identify which carousel out bags were arriving on. Opted for the Elizabeth line train to get into the city. Was a little bit confusing just to ensure we went the right way to get to the right train but needed to working out after several minutes of looking over all the signage. Did miss the train we wanted because of a little confusion but another came after 25 min. read more

This is a perfectly acceptable airport, lots and lots of walking, but they do have plenty of people offering assistance. Unfortunately, even flying first class our luggage didn't get off until the very end so we almost missed our driver. read more

Heathrow Airport - Walking from the gate, but there are plenty of people to offer assistance - Airports Near Me - Hounslow, XGL

See all

I flew Icelandair into Heathrow from Orlando & Iceland and overall had a pretty good experience. When arriving to the airport, going through the UK border was pretty easy as everything is digital now. I'm sad there's no UK stamps in my passport due to this change. However, I was meeting with my friend who lives in London and got to hang out in the arrivals. area and sip on an iced matcha from Nero Express in the meantime. I found it pretty easy to navigate the trains to and from Heathrow. TSA here was pretty quick and helpful. The terminals were clean but I know it's a huge airport and thankfully was not too busy as I left London yesterday. I look forward to flying back here for another visit. read more

Mixed bag. I've had both good and bad experiences at this airport. Today was a bad experience. The lines were so long. It took 4 hours to get through security today. The lines were so long and barely moved. The process was slower than molasses. And we luckily, made it in-time for our flight. Not that we cut it close or anything, we didn't. We allotted for plenty of time to check-in and do bag checks. I didn't think it would take that long. My experience coming in to this airport was a breeze. I guess it varies then. read more

Heathrow Airport - Baggage area - Airports Near Me - Hounslow, XGL

See all

Hoping that they fully implement the better scanners so we won't have to limit ourselves to the small Louis amount. The staff is not the friendliest. It is to large for short connections. Taxes are horrible to depart from. read more

This is my third time at Heathrow Airport. The first time I visited, I arrived here but left from Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, so I didn't get to experience coming home through Heathrow until now. One of the things I really appreciate about this airport is its charm and the delicious food at the Chinese restaurant. They serve some of the best orange chicken I've ever had! If you're looking to do some last-minute shopping, this is the perfect spot since it's duty-free. Just a tip: make sure to use pounds instead of dollars, as the exchange rate isn't great, I learned that the hard way. As for challenges, my biggest issue was the long walk to the United terminal gate for our flight. It felt like quite the trek, but at least we had eaten beforehand, which helped us work off our meal before boarding our flight back to the US. Oh, and I really like the immigration process here with the scannable machines for passports when entering the UK. If there's a problem with your passport, though, you'll need to go through the process manually with an immigration officer. read more

See all

for both- landing and taking off- we used this airport and it was a mixed experience. like passport control- it took 90 minutes to exit and while reaching to gate, why i have to walk 20 minutes from central hall. why other gates are so far? Automated kiosks scattered about the Departures area make it reasonably simple for travelers who have "checked in" via the Internet before arriving at the airport. Heathrow is on the London Underground's Piccadilly line. To spot it, simply look out for the dark blue line on any Tube map. The popular service -- run by the Transport for London (or the TfL for short) -- connects the airport to plenty of central city locations. Heathrow is very attractive to retailers. At most airports you will find a mix of luxury watches and handbags, some electronics and duty free shops, but the duty free at Heathrow Airport is like being on the high street of any big city: Heathrow is huge. Huge. Plan enough time to walk or roll through enormous and crowded concourses, wait for sometimes-late trams that run from the departures area to the gate area, or to trudge through customs and passport control on the way in. The gate areas feature seas of seating and still more shops, plus the requisite overpriced bad food and watered-down liquor. Restrooms are reasonably clean and accessible. Passport control is no better or worse than in any other international airport. Passport lines are divided into EU and Other. On flights from the States, we filled out the immigration on board the plane with no particular hassle. London Heathrow is a bustling, hustling, crowded, massive international airport. read more

See all

Airport was surprisingly easy to navigate, lots of signs and maps. I purchased a full day subway (tube$ pass.. so much cheaper than a taxi. Baggage pick up was great, fast and efficient. Staff was all around if you needed assistance. Lots of shops for last minute gifts. Currently exchange if needed... I had no issues arriving or departing. read more

Heathrow Airport - Airports Near Me - Hounslow, XGL

See all

I had a layover in Heathrow a week or so ago, and it was just as I remembered from my last layover in Heathrow. It's certainly different terminal to terminal, but the terminal where I spent my layover was pretty pleasant - plenty of seating, a few places for a bite to eat (I got an iced americano but no food - it was a very early morning layover), and several shops (I grabbed some snacks, water, and nail polish). The gate area was chaotic (nowhere to stand) but that's pretty standard. It's not the worst for a layover - at least on this terminal! read more

London Heathrow Airport is better than Los Angeles International Airport. For Wifey and I, we prefer using London Gatwick Airport. One bad experience is all that is needed to create a negative impression. What was the negative experience? Our luggage got lost at Heathrow Airport during our first trip to Europe. I really should blame only the airline we were flying, but it happened when we were at Heathrow hence I relate that loss to this airport. We've only had wonderful experiences everytime we stop at Gatwick!! Our most recent trip, though, required us to use Heathrow. This trip was terrific. Everything went smoothly from start to finish both on our arrival to London and our departure from London. We really like the fact that you can get to and from Heathrow by using the Tube (subway). So convenient to have a station right at Heathrow to access the transportation. First trip to Heathrow, I would have given them 1 star. Since then, experiences have improved. With the latest being a 5 star experience. Just 3 stars for now, though. Maybe in the future, they will get an upgrade from me. read more

See all

Not much to say, really. Flew in/out from/of international flights. Passport control went well, very simple with the new system. Didn't take long at all to get through and onto baggage claim. For as big and important of an airport as it is flying through Lufthansa international made things painless. read more

Could use a facelift. Customs/immigration control is simple as they use the automatic scanners for passports and biometrics. No stamps, no immigration officers, just scan and walk through. Easily accessible to the underground and express trains since the airport is not anywhere within London itself. Lots of staff to show you the way since this place is huge and signage is lacking. I will say the Amex Centurion lounge is fantastic and a great way to escape the terminal while waiting for your flight. read more

Love the shops and stores you can do lots of shopping here . What's a bit disappointing is that they don't have restaurants in every part of the airport . So we had to walk to our gate for United B-35 in the other building , and yes they have sandwiches at this lovely cafe Nero , but I wanted a sit down meal that wasn't a sandwich. It's such a long walk to get to this section by the time we got here it's no point in turning around to go back to the other building where the only restaurant was located . I wished the United agent would have told us because we could have eaten and then taken the 20 min hike to the other building to our terminal ...... read more

Heathrow Airport - Sitting at a terminal - Airports Near Me - Hounslow, XGL

I think I overhyped how bad this airport would be, ahead of time. The last time I flew into here was in 2011 for a layover and it was fine - but since then, I'd only heard bad things. Flying into LHR last week, the only bothersome thing was being exhausted and having to walk for what felt like miles to get to passport control (which itself was NOT crowded at all and surprisingly easy). Still, it was good to get steps! Flying out, it was also relatively simple and hassle-free, thank goodness. Security was super quick and painless. I'd assume the restaurants are overall pricier without higher quality, but that is true of almost any airport. We went to Giraffe in Terminal 3 (it has a few locations) and it wasn't mind-blowing, but it was tasty and inexpensive for airport standards. Note that there are not a ton of bathrooms, so you will have to walk, but again...your pedometer will thank you. Two issues here aren't monumental, so it doesn't sink this into 1-3 star territory. They don't tell you your gate until about an hour out, depending on the situation, sometimes even less. This is annoying! This means you are likelier to sit in a large seating area surrounded by shops, and (dramatic noise here) very few have outlets! What century is this? An airport of this stature has no excuse. NB: Some gates must be under construction. We were in what I am guessing was a temporary space for our gate - despite not having tons of AC across the UK, it has gotten more popular, and the rest of LHR had good climate control going. But this gate had none and was disgusting to sit through (luckily, it wasn't for long). read more

I like this airport but it's horrible for connections - plan ahead! Overall the airport is fine, clean and plenty of food and drink options. It's fairly easy to navigate as well and has a good selection of lounges and clubs. Connections take forever especially if you need to change terminals. read more

Very cool airport that has large shopping and dining areas out in the open and convenient pathways to access gates for boarding. Recommended for flying into or transferring! read more

See all

I've only been to Heathrow 2x, arriving and departing for a trip recently. Heathrow seems a typical bustling airport with lots of food and retail vendors. Going through customs on entry, and going through security for departure were very easy. There was ample seating available and the bathrooms were regularly located and clean. read more

LHR does big airports well. It's clean, they move you through faster and easier than most airports the same size. For the amount of traffic they have here, things could be a lot worse... but they don't! Good job LHR, keep up the good work read more

Flew into Heathrow the other day and it was a mediocre experience. Our flight landed on time and we were quick to disembark. There was quite a bit of walking from Terminal 5 to 5A for immigrations, baggage collection, and customs. Due to industrial action, there was minimal staff at the manned gates. The vast majority of passports can leverage the UK eGates, including Singapore, US, Canada etc. There was an efficient tram that took passengers from one terminal to another. Baggage claim was leisurely. Priority bags took 40 minutes after landing to arrive on the belt, slightly different than Changi... The Underground was connected directly in the basement which made it an efficient way to get into the city! read more

See all

Been to Heathrow twice now and I have to say as airports go it's not bad at all. There are lot of shops to browse and restaurants to choose from if you want to sit down and enjoy a meal or just have a drink. The nice thing is pretty much every restaurant had a plant based option on their menu. Further more the restrooms or toilets to say have been clean and there are plenty to be found. My only concern is and I don't know if this is a common thing because I have only been here twice is they don't seem to post your gate assignment too quickly. That said I spent a couple hours for a connecting flight layover and found enough to do to pass the time. read more

This is the worst airport ever! Literally, you have to walk more than a kilometer just to get into the main terminal area where you can leave and get into an Uber, Chauffeur or go to the garage there's this scheme called arrivals journey and you have to walk through all these different steps. We were literally arriving from the United States on a Boeing 777 and they do not have enough room for us at the main gates so they have to bring air stairs and then they have to cram us into this stupid bus and drive us 15 minutes just to get to the building to go up three sets of escalators then to start the arrivals journey scheme also I would highly recommend if you're coming into London make sure you take the Heathrow express train into Central London because taking a car you have to stop at a traffic light so much and traffic is terrible read more

The busiest airport in Europe with lots of connections and routes, but also expect big crowds of travelers. On my most recent visit I was connecting through this airport. Signage throughout is pretty well placed, especially if you are connecting as you just follow the purple signs to passport control and the connecting departure gates. I'm traveling from USA, and a great thing at passport control was EU and USA countries were allowed to go through the automated kiosk where you just scan your passport, take your picture, then walk through. You don't have to wait in line to speak to an officer at passport control. Lot's of food options in Terminal 5. Try WHS where they have a sandwich, chips, and drink for 5.50 GBP. Some bad things about this place is if you're connecting and departing from a different terminal you have to ride a bus to get to the other terminal. This adds significant time especially if your connection time is tight. Also, there are very few places to charge electronics and work on a laptop. Most electrical outlets at the seats don't work. The "quiet area" near gate A13 was nice with lounger seats with leg support, but none of the outlets work there. read more

See all

Decent airport that's fairly cleaner than others (especially in the USA). It's also pretty organized but it's crowded. It's also I believe one of the largest international airports in the UK hence why there's so many people. My boyfriend and I flew in from Dulles, VA airport with virgin airlines. When flying out, we had a few questions about possibly upgrading our seats. I was a bit disappointed as they told us we had the entire aisle to ourselves but that wasn't true when we boarded the plane. Otherwise our luggage check in experience was straightforward. There's also a decent variety of stores and restaurants in the terminal. Great way to spend money and kill time I'd say. Still overall a good experience. I wouldn't mind flying here again. read more

See all

While the recommendation for traveling internationally is 3 hours ahead, my family likes to cut it close... So, last week when we headed to Heathrow Airport to catch our flight back home, we arrived with just over 2 hours before our flight time. In hindsight, this was a poor decision as by the time we were checked in and through security, we didn't have any time for duty free shopping or even window shopping at some of the luxury stores we passed while walking to our gate. Unfortunately I also held off on stopping to purchase food / drink on the way to our gate thinking that there would be more options once we got settled. This wasn't the case however. So, before our 11 hour flight home, I got stuck finding whatever I could from a vending machine with few options to feed / hydrate our family of four. One chocolate croissant and a few bags of chips + a couple of water bottles later, we boarded... Note to self in the future and to anyone else reading this review: pick up food/snacks/beverages prior to heading to the gate area! Other than this, security was a bit slow, but that's to be expected at an international airport like this one. If you're reading this, I assume you're traveling in or out of this airport, so I hope you give yourself plenty of time and safe travels! read more

Avoid this airport. Connect through any other airport, but this one. Heathrow is less an airport and more a government-sanctioned endurance and patience test. Expect 45-minute passport lines, incomprehensible signage, and a security process that treats a tube of toothpaste like a national threat. Send in the red coats. If you're transferring terminals, pack a lunch and maybe your will because you may not come out of it. It's not travel, it's a slow, grey descent into madness. Bon voyage! read more

For one of the world's major airports this one leaves a lot to be desired! Being British I would love to give it glowing reviews but it's horrible to get through here. We connected here from Los Angeles to Rome then on the way back from Italy. Food options and shopping is pretty good and the rest is poor. Having to wait to learn your gate in a holding pen is ridiculous! Then walk 20 minutes to your gate. Get on a bus when connecting flights with a partner airline terrible organization! Ride gate agents Nothing good to say really. read more

We took the London Tube Piccadilly line at Earl's Court station to Heathrow several days ago. This was our first time taking the tube from London to LHR. We got off at terminal 2/3 station as we were flying United back to the States. We followed the signs. Went from the underground all the way up to level 5 departure. I'd say 10-15 minutes. Checked in our luggage and followed the signs to security. Hordes of people if you can imagine. Once we passed security and immigration using bio facial kiosk passport scan we headed over to the departure gate. We were looking for the priority pass lounge at terminal 2 by A3 lounge. A very helpful airport volunteer approached us and gave directions. From A3 to our United G10 at the Queen's Terminal was a hike. Like 15 minutes. We took the people movers which sped it up. A massive international airport for sure. read more

Heathrow Airport, which is currently the busiest airport in all of Europe and the busiest airport in all of London, was a breeze going through! We landed here on British Airways from Budapest (BUD) during our two-week European trip to partake in the annual Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling event, which takes place during the last Monday of May in the small village of Gloucester/Cheltenham every year. Getting off the plane, scanning my passport upon arrival, and getting to baggage claim was super easy. Our driver told us to meet him in front of a WHSmith store once we picked up our bags, but then he told us to meet him up in car park 3 after waiting outside of WHSmith for about 20-25 minutes. While this was not Heathrow's fault by any means whatsoever, waiting for our driver to show up for unnecessarily long periods of time was the only issue we ran into at the airport. Getting to car park 3 while waiting for our driver to show up, I noticed that there was a Ben & Jerry's vending machine, which I don't believe we have back in the United States. And yes, I did get myself a small cup of ice cream haha. Most of the choices I wanted were sold out but I eventually found a flavor I liked that was still available. I think it might've been chocolate fudge brownie. Eventually we found our driver on the third level of car park 3 and we were on our way out of there. Outside the airport, they have a ton of mural advertising other airlines that fly here. They also have a hotel directly on airport property, called the Aerotel, by terminal 3. Despite being one of the busiest airports in London and in Europe, going through Heathrow was incredibly easy. read more

Heathrow Airport - Emirates mural - Airports Near Me - Hounslow, XGL

See all

I had a layover at Heathrow on my way to Paris and ended up stuck there for a couple of hours, which was basically enough time to realize this place is less "airport" and more "small city with airplanes attached." It's huge, it's busy, and you definitely get your steps in just trying to find your gate. On the plus side, there's no shortage of things to do while you wait.. shops, restaurants, lounges, even spots that make you feel like you should've dressed nicer just to grab a sandwich. The food options were solid (by airport standards), and people-watching here is next level since it feels like half the world passes through Heathrow on any given day. The downside? It can feel overwhelming, and navigating from one terminal to another isn't exactly intuitive. Add in the usual travel fatigue, and you'll probably end up both impressed and mildly annoyed at the same time. Still, as far as extended layovers go, Heathrow makes the wait tolerable. Not a place I'd ever choose to "visit," but if you have to be stuck somewhere between flights, you could do a lot worse. read more

This is another airport that should have a warning label on it. Despite a mid week, non holiday time flight, we barely made our connection. Our flight from Rome was early, which gave us just over two hours to go through Passport Control and security for another international flight. We barely made it. Like arrived at the gate as it was boarding. There was conflicting direction at security on what to take out of your bag (liquids, computers?) and off your person (boots, belts, coats). A number of bags ended up being searched. Nothing was found. Beware the amount of time you need here. I would say 3-4 hours minimum and reading other reviews, that appears not to be enough! read more

Ok, Îll eat my words...or better yet, put on the words for LHR for my recent trip to London. So, coming in to LHR was not bad except my plane landed on T2, and my daughter out of West landed in T5, which wouldn't be so bad if not for the Holiday schedules with trains not running err, miscommunication by Info at airport was conflicting, taxis charging upwards to £200 from Heathrow to Central london...and uber pickup lane was packed..,it was horrible! Took 2 hrs to get transport out of there by uber finally, well, it's Christmas so...(on the phone hubby told you so why he does not travel during the Holidays was not comforting but fair!) Yet, the return-going through security surprised me because it was a breeze or was it because less people were traveling that day. flight was also amazing. Although it was long, I had a seat to myself in my row of two-seater-helps to pay more to get better seats on long flights! 3 is appropriate as it balanced experience at both ends. I would have preferred T5 because they have more duty free stores or bigger Harrods where my daughter was flying out of and took time shopping for presents back to the U.S. . On my end at T2, friendly staff at LV and YSL could not have made up for the ones I prefer to have met up with my friends Chanel & Hermes especially meeting them at Bond Street. was challenging for there were many people there was hard to get service...anyway, so yea, i'd go back and come through LHR again on T5 next time(means the proper airline, i.e., BA or Delta vice UA, that is if you want to be on T5! read more

SLLLOOOOOOWWWWWWW THAT IS ALL! Don't you dare have a close connecting flight here that's shorter than 2 hours. You may never make your next destination. But the staff are super friendly and tons of food and shopping options just in case you do get some extra time to chill! read more

Heathrow Airport - Airports Near Me - Hounslow, XGL

Huge airport! Terminals vary by experience. The staff are nice and thankfully you don't have to pull out your toiletry bag anymore! Love that for Europe. I wish Canada would take note of that. Anyways it's clean, just long, but easily navigable. Although, sometimes the signs could have you going every which way if you're looking for the lounges. Overall, the terminal 3 was straightforward despite the outdated brigade check in process. read more

What can I say it is very large, an unwieldy beast of an airport. Bring your jogging shoes because they will be put to great use. Some of the electronic checkin equipment makes things a little easier. read more

See all

I find Heathrow to be one of the most confusing and hard to get to airports in Europe. I will say that it tends to be clean and somewhat efficient once you figure out where and how you go through various checkpoints, but overall, I much prefer flying in and out of other international airports. read more

This airport is really nice, and going through international passport control was very easy and fast, you just have your photo taken (there is no attendant; everything is virtual). The only thing I found difficult about this airport was locating the Uber pick-up spot. I feel like there could be better signs once you exit the airport. All in all, this was an easy airport to enter and fly out of. read more

Had quite a hectic experience with Heathrow, I feel that it might not be as bad when it isn't a lot of people, however, it's not really spaced out for large amounts. There weren't many seats available and out of the few that were, many of them were dirty. read more

Heathrow Airport - Airports Near Me - Hounslow, XGL

Going through security we were under the impression that water bottles less than 1L were ok to bring in( we had an Owala which has a button to open the top). When the staff reviewed the contents of the bag they picked up the water bottle and clicked the button opening the top and proceeded to allow the entire 24oz ( 33oz is about 1L) into the carryon bag. She then said that it was my fault that I did not screw the top on and they couldn't do anything. This caused my iPad to short circuit, 3 of the 5 books I had were now damaged, the snacks for a 10 hour flight were ruined and most were thrown away and my spare outfit was soaked. No one seemed to care and basically said to deal with it. Not a pleasant experience before such a long flight. read more