Heathrow stopover

[Disastrous]

I've got a few hours to kill in heathrow on Tuesday before a connecting fight (I'm flying from Glasgow in the afternoon and my onward flight isn't until the evening).

How feasibly can I meet some London pals at the airport for a few beers etc? If they came out, will I be out of security and able to meet them or am I stuck in solitary hell until my connection?

Not been to Heathrow in ages so unsure...

Ta!

[Manicminer]

How long is the transfer time and which airline/s.

I got stuck in Paris CDG airport on a 6 hour transfer because I walked through the wrong door. I could have gone off into Paris for a few hours but as I hit the transfer route I ended up stuck airside twiddling my thumbs

[Disastrous]

BA to Heathrow, Indian Air (or Air India or some other irrelevant airline) to Delhi.

I'm appreciate I'll need to come out of airside (landside??) but will I be allowed back in, and whatnot?

ETA-6 hours! So solid drinking time...

[davepoth]

Which terminals?

[Manicminer]

Looks like into T5 with BA and out of T4 with Air India

[WhereamI]

Disastrous said:

BA to Heathrow, Indian Air (or Air India or some other irrelevant airline) to Delhi.

I'm appreciate I'll need to come out of airside (landside??) but will I be allowed back in, and whatnot?

ETA-6 hours! So solid drinking time...

Yes, you'll be fine. If you are through ticketed your bags will go straight through but you'll need to go through security and immigration at Heathrow anyway. You'll get an easy four hours to spare, just don't have too many or they might not let you on the connecting flight.

[Disastrous]

Manicminer said:

Looks like into T5 with BA and out of T4 with Air India

Correct!

Joking aside, not planning a massive bender (hangovers do NOT agree with me at altitude) but would be nice to have human company and a couple of beers rather than hours of sitting in a Frankie & Bennie's, alone and weeping.

Sounds like it could be a goer. T4 to T5 - easy or hassle? Would I be best to meet folk at T5? I'm assuming my luggage is checked through...

[WhereamI]

Personally I'd meet them at T4 because then you have already done the T5 to T4 transfer and don't need to work out how long that will take you.

I think there is a bus that will take you between the two, otherwise it's the express but I think that means going to T1/2/3 & changing to get to 4.

[Steviesam]

Manicminer said:

out of T4 with Air India

Meet them and enjoy.

Its likely this will be the last time they will see you.

[sneijder]

I jump on the Heathrow Express and meet at the hotel at Paddington (Hilton ?). You have to change terminals anyway, so half the jobs done.

Would you want to meet someone at an airport to catch up ?

[Disastrous]

sneijder said:

I jump on the Heathrow Express and meet at the hotel at Paddington (Hilton ?). You have to change terminals anyway, so half the jobs done.

Would you want to meet someone at an airport to catch up ?

I'm not massively bothered. Just dreading the terminal (ha!) boredom of passing hours alone...

How long does paddington and back take? I'm reluctant to stray too far from my flight, I suppose. Maybe an idea though.

[WhereamI]

Disastrous said:

I'm not massively bothered. Just dreading the terminal (ha!) boredom of passing hours alone...

How long does paddington and back take? I'm reluctant to stray too far from my flight, I suppose. Maybe an idea though.

15 minutes between paddington and heathrow and they go every 15 minutes. It's a good suggestion because land side of any of the terminals lacks anywhere decent to meet.

[Disastrous]

WhereamI said:

Disastrous said:

I'm not massively bothered. Just dreading the terminal (ha!) boredom of passing hours alone...

How long does paddington and back take? I'm reluctant to stray too far from my flight, I suppose. Maybe an idea though.

15 minutes between paddington and heathrow and they go every 15 minutes. It's a good suggestion because land side of any of the terminals lacks anywhere decent to meet.

Ok, that sounds a good call. Cheers chaps-appreciated!

[sneijder]

They'll try and sell you a ticket before you get to the public arrivals area, buy one, jump in the lift in front of you to the lowest level, free wifi on the train IIRC.

[chris7676]

I wouldn't want to bother leaving the airport having just a few hours, especially with the frequency of 'signalling failures' in the UK rail network...And do check the price of the ticket before...

[Disastrous]

It was ultimately a non-starter as everything took longer than I'd expected so I'm currently sitting in fking 'Dining Street' nursing a pint of boredom.

There is literally nothing to do other than drink/shop. I suppose the idea is that you do enou of one to consider attempting the other. I have two pairs of expensive sunglasses with me and yet Sunglasses Hut beckons, purely to alleviate the tedium.