Very impressive. For such a large airport its amazing how well organized everything is. Security, boarder patrol, Check in, luggage, boarding... everything is well orchestrated & highly efficient. Its also super clean which is a plus when you have to take your shoes off... but wait, you don't have to there! Some US airports can really learn... read more

What a mess. I have to take a bus from T3 to T5? Whaaaa? And it takes a half hour almost? No no and no. Taxes are ridiculous flying through this airport also. At least $150 USD extra. Not again. The only good thing was having a delicious breakfast at Pret-a-Manger but I can get that in New York anytime. Sorry Heathrow, I won't be seeing you anytime soon. read more

THIS PLACE IS NOT WHEELCHAIR FRIENDLY. me and my family where on holiday so we came back to Heathrow at the end of our holiday and my grandma in a wheelchair was trying to find out a way to get up the stairs. our last resort was to risk going up the escalator, we put her and the wheelchair on the escalator and as soon as we got to the middle my grandma started rolling backwards down the escalator taking out lots of people. thanks Heathrow now my grandmas got a fractured hip and a broken arm read more

This place is massive and we had a very hard time finding our terminal. The duty free/vat refund line was at least 2 hours long but if you are able to carry on your purchases you can go through security/immigration and make another (much much shorter) line inside the terminal and declare all of your stuff. That move saved us at least an hour. The staff here is a stickler for baggage weight so make sure you don't overpack or else you will be shifting everything before checking in your luggage or paying a very hefty fee. A lot of the stations are automated and "human free" but good luck getting the computer to scan in your paper-free boarding passes. My suggestion is to get a printed boarding pass and avoid the problems that will likely arise. read more

If only all airports can be like Heathrow. The airport is clean and well maintained. Despite being very busy, the bathrooms are regularly cleaned. Denver, why can't you do this? The waiting lounges are large and spacious and include comfortable places to sit. Isn't that a novel idea? There are ample power plugs, unlike many US airports. The boarding areas are fairly well designed. Heathrow makes air travel slightly less annoying, and any number of airports can learn from this place. read more

We really didn't have any issues at Heathrow, thank goodness. We had a red-eye flight out of LAX (curses and spits), so we were tired and dragging by the time we got off the plane in London. We weren't exactly bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when we arrived, so navigating a new airport in a foreign country could have been a bit of a mess. But, that was not an issue here. Once we got ourselves oriented, we had no trouble finding the lines for border control, or getting to the baggage claim area. Similarly, the customs gates were easy to understand and follow through. We even found the taxi line without an issue. The only thing I can say is that the line at border control was a bit out of control. I don't know that this is on Heathrow, but it was the first thing we encountered once we got there. There were two gentlemen trying to control the flow of people, but I don't know that they added much value. It was a long wait for a quick process, but I guess you want to make sure that people are doing their jobs at a place like this. All in all, we had no issues with the airport, and wouldn't mentally groan if we had to fly through here again (unlike LAX - curses and spits!) read more

We were heading to Lisbon in the newly renovated Terminal 2. The area was clean, upscale and filled with all the restaurants and shops your heart desires. Airport employees are actually quite helpful. They will approach you and provide answers. We breakfasted at Cap Piccino on our two hour layover and enjoyed every bit of this Terminal. read more

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Beautiful airport. So many shops and restaurants to choose from. Super clean and organized. I've also never been to an airport that is so particular in the security line but I guess this a good thing. No complaints, easy to get around. read more

First time in London & getting through the airport was a breeze. Nice airport pretty big with plenty of shopping & eating options should you need or have time to kill. everything was nice, clean & organized. I arrived early evening, once off the plane we made our way to customs long lines but everything moved rather quickly. once you reached customs they ask you a bunch of basic questions some of which don't make much sense? kinda funny... small talk I guess. Once this was done we headed to pick up our luggage, I was pleasantly surprised when I got my luggage since it came out pretty quick, my friends as well great way to begin our trip. I liked that even though this can be a hectic airport from what I've heard everything for us ran smoothly, good experience for us. read more

Heathrow Airport - Aug 2016 - Airports Near Me - Hounslow, XGL

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Well organized airport (T5 only though as I was transiting through that). T5 to T5 passengers need to do a security check again, but its well organized and marked. Lots of duty free shops and eating joints. Its a damn busy airport, but pretty well laid out. read more

The food court central area is freaking huge!!! One warning, don't be a dope like me and not know you need to take a tram over to some of the other gates. I needed up cutting it close because I was tinkering around the main area to long. read more

Heathrow Airport - Airports Near Me - Hounslow, XGL

Undoubtedly the last place I visited before leaving London. haha. Anyway, surprisingly, this is a pretty organized ("organised") airport ("aeroport") despite it being a huge, major airport. Of course, I was in Terminal 3 flying out of Virgin Atlantic which I think is one of the better terminals. I guess, this airport is much better than the horrible situation they had waiting for me at LAX (but that's another review). Anyway, everything went pretty smoothly and was pretty much on my way. I should also mention that I arrived only an hour before my flight and was able to go through security and check-in and grab a bite to eat all before my flight. read more

A great airport, but then, I am a Londoner at heart. Can be confusing to visitors as there are five terminals. Love the atmosphere, the shops, bars and restaurants. read more

I have no crazy complaints about Heathrow... Both drop off and check-in were a breeze. Security was top notch. And they even had extra baggies for those who forgot to put their lotions or contact solutions into something - remember nothing over 3oz! It was really crowded while we waited for our flight back to NYC... so it did take a few minutes to find a couple chairs to lounge in. But once we did... we learned of their '45 minutes of free WiFi'. Sure you have to sign up for the Heathrow newsletter...but its well worth the junk mail. Once you run out of free wifi you have two options... wander the terminal, which is huge and has just about every amenity you may need while kicking it at the airport. Bookstores, clothing, jewelry, it's basically a mall. or search for an outlet to charge up. I didn't have any trouble...but I did observe that a lot of power outlets didn't work... some of my fellow passenger's frantically searched for a place to charge their phone. I don't mention this to discourage you... just prepare you. :-) Enjoy your flight! read more

I arrived at Heathrow in the afternoon after about a ten hour flight from LAX. Not sure what I was expecting but once you depart your plane and go through Customs you are in for about a ten to thirteen minute walk before you can even get to your luggage and exit. Going through Customs was a breeze, the line moved fairly quickly compared to other airports. Everyone was pretty friendly and helpful, if you are going to exchange money I found it best at the airport because places outside of here charge too much to exchange. Heathrow is a good thirty to forty minutes to Central London so make sure you choose your transportation wisely, If you never drove in London I would not even try. All in all my experience with Heathrow was a positive one. read more

Always busy! Even when you get in on a red eye. Fast moving for the most part. Friendly staff. Better than average seating areas. Solid wifi. Good dining options and duty free. Their security lines move along better than most & who doesn't love that! read more

Heathrow border control is an absolute, unmitigated DISASTER. Fast Track, which we paid extra for, was at a dead stop - "the line hasn't moved in an hour" - so we were advised to use the regular line, which is skeletally staffed with a queue lasting close to 2 hours. It is the MOST UNREASONABLE airport experience that I've ever had (and we've flown into/out of Naples! We flew British Airways here and if I were the CEO of BA I would be calling for heads to roll at the U.K. Border agency because this ultimately reflects poorly on Heathrow, BA and all other airlines serviced through this airport. The only reason you'd need a sign to not abuse the border guards would be if the border experience was horrible to the point of inducing insults and violence. read more

Heathrow Airport - Airports Near Me - Hounslow, XGL

We only flew into Heathrow Airport so I am not able to review how it is departing. Arriving and getting through customs was a breeze at 10AM on a Saturday, I am assuming this was an off time and that it can get quite busy. Everything was clearly labeled and easy to navigate as well. read more

I'm giving it a 4-star purely because it takes only 15 minutes to get to downtown via Heathrow Express. That is amazing. Other positives: - in general a clean and modern airport - vast Duty free shop (including Harrods and Fortnum & Mason) Downsides: - have painless free wifi already! none of those registering for 30 min free wifi BS - strict liquid restriction (have to take them out and put in a clear bag) - tax return staff have shitty attitude (like most airport staff anywhere) - I think you have to pay a lot more tax to fly out from UK than most countries in the world (from my friend who's a mileage run enthusiast) read more

Heathrow Airport - Queue at tax return - Airports Near Me - Hounslow, XGL

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London Heathrow Airport (IATA: LHR) is a major international airport in West London, England, United Kingdom. Heathrow is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the busiest airport in Europe by passenger traffic. Heathrow is also the third busiest airport in the world by total passenger traffic. In 2014, it handled a record 73.4 million passengers, a 1.4 percent increase from 2013. The airports gone thro a lot of changes since I first started using it. New T4, new T5, refurbs of T2 and T3 Heathrow lies 14miles westof Central London, and has two parallel east-west runways along with five terminals on a site that covers over4 square miles. The airport is owned and operated by Heathrow Airport Holdings, which itself is owned by FGP TopCo Limited, an international consortium led by the Spanish Ferrovial Group that includes Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec and Government of Singapore Investment Corporation. Heathrow is the primary hub for British Airways and the primary operating base for Virgin Atlantic. In September 2012, the Government established the Airports Commissiojn, an independent commission chaired by Sir Howard Davies to look at various options for increasing capacity at UK airports. The commission shortlisted two options for expanding Heathrow in its interim report in 2013, along with a third option for expanding Gatwick Airport. The final report, recommending which of the three options should go ahead, is due this year and has caused much debate in and around London and the South East read more

Heathrow Airport - Airports Near Me - Hounslow, XGL

The airport was roomy and clean throughout, all the staff were friendly and helpful. Was a breeze to return to the UK :-) read more

For a very large, busy, international airport in one of the biggest cities in Europe - I was shocked at how easy and seamless it was to navigate! The signage is excellent, the lanes are efficient, the ADA compliance seems top-notch and the amount of shops and food throughout all the terminals is more than enough. I went into Terminal 3 and out of Terminal 2 and both were similar in these characteristics. I particularly enjoyed the timelines along the walkways in Terminal 2 that showed a lot of history of the UK (pop culture, royalty, etc). Additionally, all of the staff I encountered was so nice! From the border control to the security - everyone had a smile AND some of this happened at 4:30am! So kudos to those employees who know that traveling is not always the most pleasurably experience! read more

START HEADING TO YOUR GATE AN HOUR+ EARLY AFTER PASSING THOUGH SECURITY. YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU'RE AT TERMINAL 3 GATE 26 AND YOU'RE RUNNING FOR YOUR LIFE SO YOU DON'T MISS YOUR FLIGHT. *Trust me. I've never ran the mile so fast in my life... and with a carry-on and purse. THE DAMN GATE WAS SERIOUSLY A MILE AWAY! Then you get stuck when pedestrian cross traffic blocks the walkway and you can't maneuver your way through because it's a closed and locked door blocking the pathway which sets your back a few minutes but also gives you time to breathe a little. I made it with about a minute or two before they closed the plane's door. Luckily I had 2 puffs of my inhaler, otherwise I would died from missing my Virgin Atlantic flight back to LAX. read more

Huge airport. Arrived early.. got last security in less than 20 minutes.. no lines. Tons of restaurants/ food /money changing options. Upscale shopping as well. read more

One thing I hate about traveling internationally is going thru customs. Unfortunately, London is a clear example. Mind you, maybe the day and time had something to do with it. Our first experience was on Wednesday at 6pm. We waited an hour a half. When we get to the first row, they direct us directly to a booth. I think this was because we had young kids. However, we were already at the beginning of the line! Why didn't they tell us earlier?! It only saved us maybe 5 mins. Our second time was on Monday at 2pm. I would estimate this time it was about 2 hours and 15 mins. It's a good thing we had a 6-hour layover. I will say they did have a lot more customs agents the 2nd time around. I think a bunch of flights came in at the same time. Now, for the rest of the airport, specifically regarding our departing flight, it is awesome. The check in process was a breeze. There are a lot of self-check in stations for all the airlines. Even when it comes to checking in your bags. There is a Costa Coffee before security, so if you want to get some snacks with family or friends before boarding, then that's perfect. After security, there are many shopping options. There are also a few food options, as well, but if Yelp is any indication, then maybe skip them. I ate at a place called EAT and I actually liked it a lot (even though it only has 3 stars). It's basically a Panera or Pret A Manger type eatery. There are also a few places where you can buy last-minute British snacks. Also, great, because you can use up any GBP you might have left over. By the end of it, we had 32 cents (or whatever it's called) left over. Not bad. As for seating, there is a ton of seating all around. Not only in the middle of the terminal, but up above, and near the actual gate. In fact, I saw a few people laying down, but there was still more than enough seating. read more

Definitely one of the lesser airports I have visited. While I love the fact that they are enforcing security checkpoints, the process is slow and unorganized. Extremely understaffed for amount of time they spend on each bag. If someone has a bottle of water in their bag, throw it away. Don't spend ten minutes dealing the bottle before throwing it away and move on to the next. 60% of the bags on the belt were stopped for a second check and then some where even checked again at the gate. Hire additional security if you want to check the same bag 3 times. Also, what's with the busses from terminal to terminal? You've barely got any space on the bus to transport all the people. Increase the amount of times the busses go back and forth if you insist on using small busses. It's bad enough security takes at least an hour to get through, but having to wait for a second bus due to lack of space on the first one is crazy. I guess you'll be waiting in one line or the other, so better be patient if you're travel to or through heathrow. read more

It's an airport. It's not amazing. It's not bad. It is better than most and holy cow if their duty free section isn't INSANE! It's always busy and people are always crammed or crashed somewhere. Everything was well maintained (seats, trash, bathrooms). Security needs to disclose they expect all camera equipment to be opened. They opened each lens and exposed them to dust... mildly annoying, but for security I understand. Save some time and tell people they need to remove camera equip. from bags though... that would help. read more

Security is fast AND friendly. And not shabby to look at, either. Can you imagine the TSA being friendly stateside? There is a decent selection of shops and restaurants, but after the security check point, they're scattered so the terminals individually are pretty limited. Nonetheless, I went through security pretty quickly and still had time to buy some last minute souvenirs. read more

You gotta love Heathrow! I think you can get to the moon from here! It's a gigantic airport with tons of duty free shopping. They have Burberry, Harrods, and Gucci to name a few. There are large tv's playing BBC news for you to watch when you're waiting for your plane. Everything is organized and security is second to none. They don't mess around here and I love that. They have lots of outlets to charge your devices but remember your European adapter!! Quite a long walk from the main hub to your gate at times. My walk was 3/4 mile last Saturday and that's far when you're dragging bags. They do have moving sidewalks which helps, but seriously, it's far. Otherwise fantastic airport! read more

Heathrow Airport - Waiting to board! - Airports Near Me - Hounslow, XGL

o9.o6.14 After a 10+ hr flight, we finally arrived and get to stretch a bit. Sometimes, I feel like I am biased of all other airports compared to LAX. Hahaha. But I have to say, Heathrow does look better than LAX and it is HUGE! However, the wi-fi sucks. :( It worked on my friend's phone but not mine. Stupid wi-fi. Anyway, because it's such a big place, we had quite of a long walk before we got out. The huge plus is there is a way that lead you to the express/metro train and it's very convenience. Also, there is a discount if you get the tickets at the airport in a group? We had four people. Shoot...I forgot. Sorry. read more

Airports need good bars, good bathrooms, sometimes they need good food, but most of all, they need to get me where I need to get, stress-free and safely. All of these were achieved, except for the food, which I didn't need that time. read more

Airports are chaotic. They are usually full of people trying to get home or to their next destination. I've traveled through this airport a few times, and have no complaints. If you are traveling from the US, please expect long lines through customs unless you arrive very early or very late. I've arrived at 6am, and basically walked right up to an kiosk; but, I've also arrived around noon to meet a 20-minute wait. Personally, I believe when you have the right expectations it makes the experience all that much better. Expect international travel to be a bit crazy and long through customs, then it will be a much smoother experience. On the plus side, they do have free Wifi! read more

Got to Heathrow to catch a connection back home from a recent trip to Spain. Surprisingly it's my first memorable experience in Heathrow and it was mostly easy going. Biggest downside is that our gate wasn't going to be ready until about 45 minutes before our flight (basically at the standard boarding time) and you have to take a tram to get to most gates. Lots of food options, shopping etc. though which is great if you're stuck with a long layover. read more

I have been to this airport twice in my lifetime, 2004 and 2010, and it is probably the biggest airport I have been to so far. Compared to my previous visit in 2004, I thought the airport was a lot more cleaner and nicer looking than before. However, it was the site of my most frustrating experience during my visit to the UK. Probably the most unfriendliest place in this airport would be the UK Border Agency immigration counter. This place breaks the record in terms of time that I had to wait and get through. The line was longer than any other immigration counter that I have been to in any destination. I waited at least 45 minutes. When I finally presented my passport and landing card to the UK Immigration Officer, he rudely began to ask questions that I would probably expect, such as, "What is your purpose of your visit?" "How long will you be staying?" I answered both questions calmly. Then, he got even angrier, after I answered some more questions. Here is what happened: "What do you do for a living?" "I work for a financial services company," "But you said you are a businessman on your card! Do you run a business?" "No," "THEN WHY DID YOU PUT BUSINESSMAN AS YOUR OCCUPATION?!" "Because I do business with brokers who borrow securities and the lenders..." I began to explain my job duties succinctly, then he went, "Okay, okay, you can go," He quickly stamped my passport, and I moved on. I think due to the events of July, 2005 in London is probably the reason why the UK Border Agency has started to get tougher on immigrant arrivals. However, the really cool part that came out of it was that I got a British stamp on my passport, which was, of course, awesome. I also heard that if you want to get a SIM card for your mobile phone, do not buy it in Heathrow. Instead, someone at a store told me that I should have bought it at a store outside the airport, and I could have saved some money. I spent £10 for one that had no calling credit at the airport vending machine, and I had to put an additional £5 to top-up my balance at a nearby convenience store in the airport. The airport is quite far from the centre of London. I think it took me more than an hour on the Tube to get to Victoria Station. Overall, although the airport received significant upgrades compared to my last visit 6 years ago, I think the UK Border Agency needs to find a way to make things a little easier for new arrivals to get through immigration at one of the busiest airports in the world despite the changing security situation in London. read more

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I live about a 20 minute bus ride away from Heathrow Airport so I'm very familiar with it's layout having spent many days wandering around aimlessly wishing to go somewhere more interesting than back home on the U3. I am a transport geek afterall and this is what I do. I got the chance to fly out of Heathrow about 2 weeks ago and was fairly pleasantly surprised. I flew out of Terminal 4 with Continental. It was fairly easy getting there even if I had to wait 15 minutes for a Heathrow Connect train from the Central Station. Terminal 4 itself is fairly standard to be honest, if you've ever been to Newark or SFO's domestic terminals you know the drill. Check-in was very, very easy and no queue (but I did arrive 3 hours early in all fairness), security took around 10 minutes to get through and was pretty friendly. Inside there was your standard smattering of Starbucks, McDonalds, crappy Duty Free and WH Smiths. I wasn't exactly expecting a shopping mall of delights and I certainly wasn't surprised. I had a coffee and waited away from my gate watching the planes take off. When I got to my gate I found there was a secondary search (this being a trans-Atlantic flight in the wake of the Christmas Pants Bomber I was expecting it). The queue was quite long but people were in a good mood and the staff were brief and friendly. We were penned into our gate once searched but they were human and they let me go get a magazine and go to the toilet as long as I didn't take my hand luggage with me. My major gripes with Heathrow? It takes a long time to get from Terminal 4 to 5 (up to half an hour sometimes). The walk from the train station to the bus station can be torturous and there are always queues for the lifts up to the bus station. The older terminals; 1 and 3 are pretty miserable but I've never been airside so I'm not in a position to comment. Unless you fancy losing an arm and a leg to ride the Heathrow Express it can take anywhere up to an hour to get into central London on the tube. The baggage claim in Terminal 4 on the way back was pretty slow and there weren't any staff around to help. Things I like about Heathrow? Terminal 5. It's freaking beautiful, it really is. I mean it's essentially a big shed but .. wow. I've never had the pleasure to have flown from there but I've heard good things. It may take an hour to get into Central London but it's still closer than Gatwick, Stansted and a hell of a lot closer than "London" Luton. The signage is very clear and consistent. I can't stand airports where the signage is in about 12 different fonts and very confusing. But then I'm also a design geek so .. Yes, so, very long review I know. Conclusion? It's not as bad as people make out but it's not as good as it could be but then were you expecting it to be good? It's British. read more

Heathrow Airport - The signage. Oh love heart love heart love heart. /geek - Airports Near Me - Hounslow, XGL

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Not one of the favorite airports given how big and busy it gets.

Super long line to the immigration. Some rip-off food restaurants. At least one decent coffee: Starbucks which offers decaf.

LHR is an extremely busy airport. We visited twice for connecting flights to/from Amsterdam. I loved how one does not have to clear the UK Border/Customs/Passport Control on EU airports if you are only connecting and/or transiting. We easily transferred from T3 to T5 using the shuttle service; approx. 10 minutes ride. There are lots of shops (duty free) and restaurants. Allow yourself ample connecting time; otherwise you may miss your flight. Safe Travels! read more

I fly to this airport for work in London, at least 5 times a year. I also have layovers here when I travel to Italy, Spain, The Netherlands, Portugal, etc. So yes, I'm here a lot. I have even slept in the airport hotel "pod" when I had an overnight layover from Switzerland. It was cozy and there was deelish breakfast (buffet); Room and food cost like 90 Pounds. This airport has 1 bzillion high-end British stores and I make use of it. I usually buy all my Harrods clothing, Miller Harris cologne and Longchamp bags from the stores here. If I haven't eaten enough of it whilst in the UK, I can still find meat and ale pies at restos here. I'll be flying here in a couple of weeks. Cheers mate. read more

Baggage area and walking distances from one section of the airport to another, including the duty free area is archaic! The only thing I dislike here. Duty Free selection is very good except the Sterling Pound is very high. Good options such as Pret-A-Manger allows for lighter lunch fare. Jo Malone and Zara are my favourite! Overall, it's not a bad airport. read more

Heathrow Airport - Airports Near Me - Hounslow, XGL