Need information on passengers arriving at Heathrow.

[SucculentCandle]

Sorry, I know it's not an AIBU but I am struggling to find official information regarding passengers arriving at Heathrow.

IATA's website seems to list every country in the world except the UK.

DH has been stuck overseas and has a chance to get out of the country he's in this week but it doesn't look like he'll arrive in time to get a connecting flight to our country the same day.
There are no airside hotels in LHR so he'll have to clear customs and immigration and stay in a hotel. I'm not even sure if that's allowed.

Has anyone seen this information anywhere that they could direct me to, please?
Thank you!

What information are you looking for specifically?

If he would be allowed to leave the airport to stay in a hotel overnight and continue on the next morning.

Surely like any other time, it depends if he has a visa to enter the UK? I don't believe UK has restrictions on residents only entering. What passport would he be travelling on? Have you checked that hotels near the airport are still open?

Does he have a uk or European passport? Would he normally be able to enter the uk?

He's Canadian and doesn't need a visa to enter the UK. Here in Canada only Canadian citizens and permanent residents are allowed to enter Canada at the moment due to Covid-19.
Many other countries have the same restrictions. I can't find any information saying if the UK has brought in the same restrictions.

The UK doesn't have any restrictions in place (crazy, I know!).

Hotels are all closed, unless they're housing key workers, but even then they're only allowed to have specific guests.

www.sleepinginairports.net/guides/london-heathrow-airport-guide.htm

Sleep in the airport. Heathrow won’t close. Had to do it last year (Athens) as I had a late flight in and an early flight out. Took me back to my backpacking days. A quick glance suggests paying for a lounge might be a good idea.

Thanks Needmoresleep I wasn't sure if Heathrow chucked everyone out at a certain time.

I'm not sure what the answer is here because TigerQueenie is correct, the handful of hotels around Heathrow that are staying open in any way are officially only doing so to accommodate essential workers, and the workers/have to be able to prove they are such when booking/on arrival.

Even the Sofitel that is physically attached to T5 ( albeit landside) doesn't appear to be taking bookings..

I'm guessing given circumstances your husband won't be on a connected booking- if he was the airline might be able to help out or at least offer advice.

If things are really desperate I'd just make the observation that the last time I went through one of the Heathrow Terminals it looked like the police were taking a fairly relaxed view of people making full use of the available seating, if you know what I mean....but catering might well be an issue - the Terminal 5 Marks & Spencers food outlet is AFAIK remaining open, I'm not sure what is available in the other parts of the airport.

Remember though the popular view expressed quite frequently in this place is that "the airports are operating normally"..

I hope somehow it works out for your husband - good luck..

www.heathrow.com/customer-support/faq/coronavirus-covid-19

Thank you notimagain I've called a few places and a couple have said they're accepting bookings. If push came to shove I guess he would just hang around in the airport (lands at 2.15pm but won't take of until 9am the following morning 😩)

We're desperate to get him home to us again.

Yep, In my line of work I've encountered a few folks over the last month or so struggling to get home (through no fault of their own) and it's been pretty desperate as options have narrowed down so I really hope it works out.

FWIW I took the liberty of looking at the websites of one or two of the less mainstream, non-chain small Heathrow hotels I am aware of, tucked away in the likes of Longford ( on the northern western edge of the airport) and even they are stating, on their websites at least, that they are closed....

If he does end up staying in the terminals overnight I'd reiterate the advice about food and drink: be prepared to self cater..I'm guessing there must be somebody on here who knows the current state of play is over at T2, T3 and T4...

I arrived in Heathrow last week. Most places are closed, in arrivals there was a small Boots outlet open at which you could get food and drink.

There are no restrictions due to COVID at Heathrow. I would recommend a hotel.

I’d say by the time he’d got to a hotel and checked in, got ready for bed and fallen asleep it’d be time to get back up again, from looking at the very narrow window of 2.15-9pm (and assuming that if outgoing flight is at 9 he’d need to be back at the airport for check in an hour or two earlier). I’d be telling him to pack a bag of snacks and drinks where he currently is-if he can-and hunker down in a quiet seat in the airport somewhere; even if he only dozed he could make up for it on the flight home or when he got back

Fingers crossed he’s returned to you very soon

He’s not going to have time for a hotel. If he doesn’t land till 2.15 you can assume at least an hour to get off the plane, go through passport control, collect luggage. There will only be a skeleton staff on, and an hour is good at the best of times.

He will then need to be back for seven am. So that’s four hours he has, to get to a hotel, check in, sleep, check out, get back to the airport. It would be pointless. And if his flight is delayed even less.

Its 2.15 PM to 9 AM, some 18-19 hours

He lands at 2pm one day and leaves at 9am the following morning.
I've spoken to Aerotel who have said they are accepting guests this week.

notimagain LHR is down to just T2 and T5 right now.

He's been stuck in a remote area for work, not an irresponsible tourist, btw 😊

Glad you found a hotel...fingers crossed..

Thank you! ☺️

Could he buy a pass for the business lounge? They often have sleeping areas.
Plus free, unlimited food and drink.

My SDD arrived back from Japan and was shocked at how little there was. Just walked straight through. Not challenged where they had been etc. Just got on the train up to Manchester!

I know a group of South Africans were in a similar situation (South Africa closed their airspace to most flights slightly ahead of what was expected) and the individuals got emergency visas to leave the airport until their repatriation flight

Could he buy a pass for the business lounge? They often have sleeping areas.
Plus free, unlimited food and drink.

I think all the business lounges have been shut down, but can't confirm for certain..The airport is not operating normally and I do know for certain both airside and landside the place has been like a ghost town for quite some time now.

Thank you everybody. I woke to the good news that he has been booked on a government-organized repatriation flight which is non-stop and therefore makes everything a lot less stressful. :)