Lastest you can get to Heathrow for long haul flight?

[Tampon]

Trying to sort my family holiday to Sri Lanka next summer.

Looking at flights now.

Wife is going out for an extra week before hand with MiL and FiL to help with the kids so I get to flight on my tod (bliss!) a week later.

Now I can get a direct flight from Heathrow at 9.30pm.

I will finish work around 3-4pm in Dorset. Takes about 3ish hours to get there but it is a friday afternoon so could throw a spanner in there and toy with me. Should be there between 6-6.45pm but could be there at 8pm.

If I went Hand luggage only, checked in online 24 hrs before, what time could I get there and still get on the flight?

Everywhere say three hours before but they are talking check in. Can't find any info on rocking up.already checked in.

I know this is a little close but means if it is possible I can spend an extra day with the family on a beach.

Any ideas.

P.S. I know this is a slight risk but trying to find out how much of one.

Cheers

[Tampon]

Edited to add, thanks for the replies and info guys, really helps.

Special Needs Teacher at a residential school for children with severe needs so no chance of leaving early or taking the day off. Could be out of the door at 3.05pm but one incident and have to restrain a student or one absconds and that is 45 mins of forms to fill out/ searching.

So if I can get there at 7.30pm for a 9.30pm flight I should be ok if I have already checked in and have carry on? 8pm will be squeeky bum time? 8.30pm I might as well sit and have a beer and contemplate the cost of the next flight.

Flight should be from terminal 3.

I am 75% certain I can be there for 7.30pm, 90% for 8pm.

Don't mind taking a risk just need to understand the risk I am taking. Seems it is security that will be the wait? about an hour sound right (depends on the day I know)

I haven't booked the flights yet, trying to understand which would be better.

Edited by Tampon on Saturday 18th November 10:37

[Tampon]

JPJPJP said:

Fast track security will help a little, worth the few quid it costs in this scenario

Ohh that sounds good, do you do that with the airport or the flight company?

Normally how long before do you have to book that? (i.e could that be done sat in traffic if it came to it? Or not fk about and get it.

Actually stupid question it is going to be stressful anyways I should just get that.

[Tampon]

Thanks again for the advise.

Cannot finish work early or take day off, just not possible. Autistic kids cannot handle change, end of term (3 weeks summer holidays as families can't handle these kids for more really), so big day for them any way. Their teacher leaving half way or not being there is just not fair.

Check in and boarding pass via company app on phone/ do online at work and print at work (no bags to check)

I have just moved from Egham to Dorset and grew up in Uxbridge and ran a business round Heathrow area, even worked at the Crown Plaza at Heathrow as a lad going through sixth form so know the traffic situation and back roads.

[Tampon]

So the reason I am considering this is that direct flight is £424 and gets me in to see the family on saturday afternoon at 2pm ( after taxi etc)

I can get a later flight for £299 with a long stop off which gets me in at on sunday at 1am and I will be battered so not really with family til late sunday morning.

The next day direct flight is £700ish and gets me there for sunday 2pm.

I get an extra to sleep all evening on the direct flight so arrive fresh and get an extra afternoon, evening and morning with family (whole day). Wrst case I am late away from work, traffic is a nightmare and security is fked, i will swallow the £700, catch the direct the next day sleep all the way and be there sunday afternoon and happy. Rather than still do friday night journey, 7 hr stop over at 5 in the morning and be there Sunday at mid day (after I sleep more in the morning).

That is my thinking.

Seems I will most likely be there 2hrs before if one thing goes wrong (work or traffic) and hour half if two things do. I can minimise the work thing and ask for help if there is a situation but depends on the situation.

Feels like it is doable to be honest with the people who fly these flights.

Seems worth the risk.

[Tampon]

Buster73 said:

Rather be there an hour early than a minute late.

Think the op is inviting unnecessary stress and hassle to journey, half a day off work leisurely trip up , check in and through security with an hour to spare before boarding is what I aim for everytime.

Me too, seems like I should be there and doing that.

Cannot take half day off as explained. Not a choice just the way it is.

All things go well I will be there out of school 3pm, 2 half hour drive there for 5.30pm. Leave work later, be there for 6.15pm, traffic be there between 7-7.30pm. Leave 30 mins getting car parked and to airport. Terrorist incident and massive security, I am fked, shut the M3, I am fked, i break down, i am fked.

So based on the people who do this stuff ( many thanks for advise) I am going to book it, should be there in plenty of time. Should be ok if one things goes wrong, should be close if work and traffic go wrong but still more than likely.

Fast track security will be booked and close by parking.

Seems like a fair calculated risk to take. If the next flight costs a packet then so be it. Worth the very likely chance of an extra day with the family.

Thanks guys

Edited by Tampon on Saturday 18th November 11:18

[Tampon]

768 said:

Sounds doable, sometimes no accounting for traffic helps and heading towards London is probably better than away from it in a Friday afternoon.

It's not often I'd suggest a train but if you can go hand luggage only they seem to run twice an hour from Poole and take a painful but perhaps more predictable ~3 hours?

Thought that but need to get family back at the end.

[Tampon]

Thanks for all the helpful advise from peeps. Really helped me and my wife decide it will be fine and have booked it. Appreciate people looking up train timed etc sharing their experience and suggesting helpful tips like fast track and parking in short term.

We have laughed at some of the replies from some though. Ask about X get a lecture about Y

[Tampon]

GreatGranny said:

It would still be possible to take the train option and rent a car one way when you return with family.

Cost wouldn't be that much different considering you will be paying for 2 weeks parking at Heathrow if you took your car.

I hired a car one way from Gatwick to Lincoln in September and it was £125 for 2 days (medium size family car).

Worth thinking about just in case there are long term road works on your route.

Good idea thanks.

Think I will stick to just driving up but will sound out how much it would cost to hire.

Then I will have the worry of train strikes and delays!!!

[Tampon]

captain_cynic said:

1:30 at the terminal yes, 1:30 at the car park is really pushing it.

I haven't been through Terminal 3, but if its anything like Terminals 5 and 2, 1:30 should be enough time, not comfortably enough, definitely not 2 pints at the airside bar enough. Heathrow has to be one of the best run airports I've flown through and I'm comparing it to phenomenal airports like Singapore Changi and Amsterdam Schipol. The big problem with Heathrow is that it's big, so it has all the problems inherent to airports of that size.

Your first problem is that parking offsite is going to add 20-30 mins to your journey.

Your second problem is that if your flight is at one of the more distant gates, it'll take a while to walk there. My last 2 flights out of Heathrow have been at terminal 2, but on large airliners (A380 and B787) and the gates that accommodate these aircraft are at the farthest end of the terminal, as a fast walker it takes me a good 15 mins, double that if you've got mobility problems (or just dont want to walk quickly).

Your third problem is that the time printed on your ticket is the time the flight is meant to be on the runway. Some airlines start boarding up to 40 mins before said time so they can (at least try) to be on the runway at the right time.

So 1:30 to go when locking your car gives you as little as 20 mins to get through security and across the terminal. No time to stop for a coffee, pint or piss (if I were driving from Dorset, I'd definitely need one of those). Try to sneak away from work 15-30 mins early.

Thanks for that, i think I am going to go for valet parking as someone has suggested. They take it and bring it back, saves me the walk to and from a carpark and with a 3 yr old and 1 yr old after a long haul flight, throwing them straight in the van and off sounds much more appealing idea.

[Tampon]

ChocolateFrog said:

Speaking as someone who is currently sitting in Santiago airport having missed my connection (not actually my fault) i would highly recommend not introducing that kind of stress into your life if you can possibly help it.

Get there early and have a beer.

Can't be helped, well it can, I can fly on a later day but I miss time with my family on holiday which I am willing to take the small risk for

[Tampon]

alangla said:

I know you've booked it now, but in future, would it maybe be easier to go to a more local airport (e.g. Southampton) and take the hit of connecting in Amsterdam or similar? Looking at the schedules for tomorrow, there's a 1720 to Amsterdam and an 1850 to Munich - you would probably be able to get a through ticketed connection off either of them with either KLM or Lufthansa.

Kind suggestion but the reason I am doing the direct flight is to get to see my family earlier. I can can catch a later flight that friday with connections easily but means I won't realistically be with my family til a day later.