Has anyone travelled through Heathrow lately?

[EduCated]

We’re picking some friends up from Heathrow next week, and are trying to figure out how long to expect it to take them to get through immigration/baggage etc.

When we’ve picked them up before we’ve allowed about an hour/90 minutes which has usually been about right (if a bit on the conservative side).

Is it taking longer to get through atm? They’re non-EU citizens travelling from an Amber list country. Thanks!

It was 5 hours last Sunday apparently. The train from T5B was broken and then passport control

Just wait nearby and get them to call as they go through passport control.

We travelled through Heathrow last week from an amber country. About 90 minutes in total. We didn’t find it bad

@Tooembarrassingtomention

It was 5 hours last Sunday apparently. The train from T5B was broken and then passport control

Just wait nearby and get them to call as they go through passport control.

This is our plan, but attempting to figure out how long we might be waiting. Sounds like it’s anyone’s guess though really!

@DGFB

We travelled through Heathrow last week from an amber country. About 90 minutes in total. We didn’t find it bad

Do you mind me asking if that was with UK passports?

We queued for 3 hours at border control last Friday, the queues were insane. Will they be travelling with under 12s? The queue for families/people with children under 12 was significantly (talking hours) longer because children under 12 can't use the e-gates. Adults and people with older children were getting through much quicker than those of us with young kids.

We all had UK passports.

No, adult couple. Nothing interesting in terms of visas etc.

*Tbh I didn't see any sorting of people into UK or not passports. The queues were adults/people over 12, or people travelling with young children and that was it.

Travelled last week. Nearly three hours out to get through passport control and there was an issue with bags too. Not fun!

@EduCated they might be quicker then. The queue for people able to use e-gates went down much faster once into the border control hall - probably only took an hour or so for them. Depends if the e-gates work or not, though, they were broken for part of the time we were there.

Oh and it was a single adult travelling so the issue with under 12s not being able to use the egates didn't apply. There just wasn't enough staff.

If they’re not from the EU/EEA, will they be able to use the e-gates? If I remember correctly only a few non-EU nationals can use them - USA, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and a couple more… If they can do that, it’ll definitely go much quicker.

Thanks, looks like we’ll be settling in for a while to wait!

We landed into T5 on Sunday and used the e passport gates - no queue, were off the plane and waiting for bags in 5 minutes. Bags took about 15 mins

Excellent, so somewhere between 15mins and 6 hours

Heathrow yesterday - E gates fine, lines for those with kids, loooong.

BUT took an hour for the luggage to come through (from an EU Green country).

Also, are they doing the PCR tests at the airport? (Actually, that was super quick).

“Only” an hour is still even a joke. I used to fly through when I frequently traveled five plus years ago. That people are getting used to it taking 30+ minutes just to clear immigration is a national disgrace. Heathrow has been in the news again today with a pregnant woman fainting and five hour queues, it’s disgusting!