Changing planes - connection times at Heathrow

[FrozenFlowers]

I'm hoping to go to New York next year, and I've been looking at flights from Edinburgh. Lots of flights seem to have quite short connection times at Heathrow - so it's (say) a BA Domestic flight from Edinburgh to Heathrow, with 1-1.5 hours before the onward flight to New York. Is this mental? Should I be leaving much longer than that? I've never flown a multi stage journey as an adult before, so I don't really understand how it works in terms of luggage etc, and I'm a bit of a nervous traveller and don't want to be freaking out about missing the plane. Any advice on how to approach it?

I think you can also fly directly from Edinburgh to Newark with Continental Airlines, but I've got the vague impression that it's not that nice an airline and it's better to fly to JFK anyway, but I'd welcome any input on that as well!

That would be a bit short for me as they start boarding an hour before the departure time, but if it was a guaranteed connection it would be OK.

Continental is OK - not great, but OK, and Newark is fine as an arrival point. JFK is horrid imo

How do you know if it's a guaranteed connection? If it's all one airline would that be the case?

On further investigation Continental seem to have merged with United, so it's now United who fly out of Edinburgh. Those flights are marginally more expensive, but they are quicker and direct. Is Newark better than JFK then? Not sure why I'd formed the idea that it was the other way around!

I flew out of Birmingham into Newark. No probs with the airline or airport. I felt so ling as I got to NY it was fine where ever I flew into

If you have gone onto the ba website and put ed to ny and they have offered those connection times that means they think it is doable but you can phone them direct just to check if you are unsure.

my oh is a regular traveller to ny from Glasgow with ba but used continental the last time and said it was ok as long as you make sure you go online well in advance to reserve your seats - his was last minute and they only had the dreaded middle seat left.

hope this helps but can ask him for more info if you need it.

If it is BA (or whichever airline) for both sections, or they are affiliated you check in your luggage at the first airport and then you don't see it again until you are in NY.

1-1.5 hours should be fine, you will already have your boarding card and be 'booked in' - all you have to do is get on the plane.

Those times are doable with BA, as it will all be all terminal 5, and there are some flights that are bunched together with BA, and the NY's are one of them.
Newark is a good airport to get to, as it is the same distance as JFK is to NY city. The immigration is a lot quicker than Jfk as well. We've always flown in and out of Newark when going to NY.
You'll have your boarding passes ready for the next flight, so you'll need to go through security via flight connections, and straight to the gate for the next plane.

Thanks guys, all very helpful. I think we will definitely go with flights to Newark. Now just need to decide whether to fly BA via Heathrow or go direct from Edinburgh with United. BA a marginally cheaper, but it's such a tiny amount it doesn't have any bearing really. Obviously it's quicker to go directly, and a bit less faff. But I'm still inclined towards BA - not sure if that's just irrational though!

I'd say always take a direct instead of connecting - especially if that connectionis BA through LHR. I don't think my luggage and I have both ever made a connection there (either out or back) no matter how long I've allowed. For example, last year we did EDI-LHR-BKK- SYD. We were supposed to have 3h15min to connect. Flight was 1.5 hours late out of Edinburgh, and we sprinted through Heathrow, and had a frantic change of terminal, and only just made the onward flight. Our bags enjoyed the Heathrow experience for another 4 days. Joys.
Unfortunately we do Aus/NZ pretty much every year with a BA link from Scotland (the Qantas domestic partner). We seriously would pay more not to do the inept BA connection.
Anyway. Rant over. I'd do the direct from EDI to NWK, even though I've never flown United - it's only 5 or 6 hours, I guess? Have fun!

Have gone with the direct flights with United. Hope it's OK, and it is at least quicker!

When we fly back to the States, we always prefer to fly into Newark (on United/Continental) vs others into JFK. JFK is an absolutely horrid airport, imo. From EWR, there are several train options into Manhattan.

I definitely say go for the direct flights if possible.

DH was checked in for 8.20am flight from Man to Heathrow this moring, to catch his flight to Raleigh which departed at 11am. A problem with the first plane meant that he didn't arrive in Heathrow on time and missed boarding his flight by a bout 2 minutes.

He is now 9 hours behind schedule, as the y put him on anothe flight which necessitated a further airport change in theUS.

Direct flights all the way for me.

When I have been to the USA before, I used to drive down to Heathrow and park up there to make it a one direct flight trip.