QF9 - 5:30am Heathrow Immigration

[papermate92]

Hi Everyone!!!
Just a question for all of you
I'm flying QF9 for the first time and want to know how long Immigration takes that early in the morning as I want to book my Eurostar ticket.
I imagine a plane load of Australians means a potentially long wait...
As for this time, I will be joining them in the Non-EU line.
Also I have to catch a train on the same day and flying to CDG or ORY is not an option given my circumstances.
I hope someone on this forum has experienced it before me and can give me a heads up of the process and wait times

THANKS!!!!!

 

[vitagen]

Same Q for 8pm arrival?? Sorry yo hijack your thread

 

[anat0l]

Considering it's prime arrival time for LHR and especially for two QF bloatbuses coming in (and perhaps an EK bird or two), it could be a big line.

If you are in a premium class (e.g. F or J), this will help you a lot as at least you can get a head start to immigration. But the A380s typically park at the ends of T3 (only supporting gates), so you have quite a hike ahead of you. So hop to it.

What time is your Eurostar? Or rather, what time do you need to be in Paris? A shame you couldn't just have an onward to CDG or ORY (even with BA).

If I hadn't asked this question myself and had to go by my hunch, I'd be budgeting at least 3 hours for my "connection" to the Eurostar train. Don't forget that after entering the UK, getting bags and clearing customs, you still need to take the HEX to Paddington (quickest), transfer to the tube to Kings Cross / St Pancras and finally check-in for the Eurostar which has its own minimum check-in time.

At 8pm at night I wouldn't imagine that it would be as busy. Most arrivals I'd assume are not so far intercontinental (the prime intercontinental arrivals, e.g. from Asia, tend to be either early morning or midday / afternoon).

 

[TheRealTMA]

If you are travelling J then fast lane clearance (walk to the rh end in immigration hall past the other 3 thousand) and clearance is rapid and efficient. Baggage is much better than Melbourne and recommend you get the Heathrow express into London 15 mins. You'll find discount tickets on the net. Plane to train usually takes 20-30 mins for F or J pax. For Y up to 2 hrs depending on staffing.

 

[vitagen]

Thanks for that.. I had to change a flight from QF F to EK J so We can squeeze in more time in Europe.. and EK arrives at 8pm..We got a connecting train to Edinburgh that night.

 

[Mal]

Keep in mind that Fast Track is only available during certain morning hours. (Can't recall them now).

WPs should also get an invite onboard.

My sample size isn't great, but clearance for me hasn't been too bad. Quite simply the most important thing is to get to the immigration queue as quickly as possible.

 

[Bugalugz]

Personally from my experience, we arrived on BA (QF codeshare) last year at 5:15am, disembarked did a 10km walk to immigration and even though we were 30th off the plane we were through immigration within 5 minutes, waited longer for the bags to come out.

I was shocked as I had been told to expect hours waiting like LAX and standing around but nope done and dusted within 5 minutes. Whether it was the day (Sunday) or what I am not sure but was 5:15-5:30. We had organised a private car for 60 pounds from LHR to St Pancras because of the scaremongering about the Heathrow Express and getting from Paddington to St Pancras.

I had booked the 0923 Eurostar to Paris due to being told about long waits, by 6:30 I was sitting in St Pancras Station where nothing opened for quite a few hrs later, couldn't change the tickets either so managed to find a bench to sit on and of course it's a PITA because you have to carry your luggage round the place for a few hrs.

My experience sounds quite different to everyone elses but guess it's just factors on the day that change the experience.

 

[ajw373]

Personally from my experience, we arrived on BA (QF codeshare) last year at 5:15am, disembarked did a 10km walk to immigration and even though we were 30th off the plane we were through immigration within 5 minutes, waited longer for the bags to come out.

Same with me earlier in the year on QF9, even though it was 1.5 hour late, arriving at 7am. The wife and I were in the front Y cabin, walked off the a/c straight to immigration 1 couple in front of us.

QF9 is scheduled to be the 2nd a/c to land at T3 every morning with QF1 about 10th with all a/c in between long haul. All the flights come from relatively low risk immigration countries (except maybe the BKK flight at 6:25) so no great hold ups. The worst time to be at T3 is at the start of the uni year, then it is delays galore, though they do set-up special student lines if it gets too busy.

As for the OP and their comment about booking the Eurostar, personally for a 5:30 arrival I wouldn't book a Eurostar before 10:30 or so, simply because Heathrow can be so variable. Flight delays, even at 5:30 can and do happen, immigration can be very variable and then of course you have the journey from Heathrow to St Pancras. Even getting a train to Paddington and then a taxi down the road could result in significant delays in the AM peak and I wouldn't want to be carrying anything more than hand luggage on the tube at that hour too.

 

[geordieladinoz]

Thanks for that.. I had to change a flight from QF F to EK J so We can squeeze in more time in Europe.. and EK arrives at 8pm..We got a connecting train to Edinburgh that night.

Boarding for the overnight sleeper train to Edinburgh commences at 11pm at London Euston so you do not want to be getting delayed too much but 3 hours should be fine. Nothing else train wise will run until around 6am the following morning, quickest services run from nearby London Kings Cross. Any sign of a late departure from DXB will require overnight accommodation in London.

 

[vitagen]

Boarding for the overnight sleeper train to Edinburgh commences at 11pm at London Euston so you do not want to be getting delayed too much but 3 hours should be fine. Nothing else train wise will run until around 6am the following morning, quickest services run from nearby London Kings Cross. Any sign of a late departure from DXB will require overnight accommodation in London.

Thanks!

We going to utilize chauffeur drive to Euston station, Hope the traffic isn't too bad at night.

 

[alieninperth]

If it was me, I would just jump on the underground from LHR, according to the tfl journey planner using HEX and then changing to the underground to get to St Pancras is only 6 mins shorter than the direct underground to Kings Cross - St Pancras. I'm not sure of the fare difference but not doing the transfer would be worth that time difference for me.

 

[cgichard]

direct underground to Kings Cross - St Pancras.

+1 Avoid having to change at Paddington, especially with luggage - it's a large and confusing station with multiple routes and many stairs.

 

[anat0l]

If it was me, I would just jump on the underground from LHR, according to the tfl journey planner using HEX and then changing to the underground to get to St Pancras is only 6 mins shorter than the direct underground to Kings Cross - St Pancras. I'm not sure of the fare difference but not doing the transfer would be worth that time difference for me.

From TfL I get 37 minutes with HEX+Circle or Hammersmith Line, compared to 56 minutes with Piccadilly Line only. Of course, this relies on a 7 minute change of modes at Paddington from HEX to tube station - that's pretty fast, especially if you don't already have a loaded Oyster.

The fare difference will always be in favour of the tube only option, as the HEX is already GBP 15.50 for a second class ticket, and that can't be put on Oyster.

Only thing with the tube only option is the risk of morning rush and possible tube delays, but all things being equal and not a large chance of that happening, to save 20 minutes or so is a benefit that is probably not offset by the cost. If you're rushing to St Pancras and 20 minutes makes all the difference, you're probably in trouble already anyway.

 

[ajw373]

Thanks!

We going to utilize chauffeur drive to Euston station, Hope the traffic isn't too bad at night.

City bound at 8pm the traffic should be fine in that direction. The driver will probably take a combination of M4 and A40 to get to Euston.

 

[ajw373]

Only thing with the tube only option is the risk of morning rush and possible tube delays, but all things being equal and not a large chance of that happening, to save 20 minutes or so is a benefit that is probably not offset by the cost. If you're rushing to St Pancras and 20 minutes makes all the difference, you're probably in trouble already anyway.

Plus dragging bags around Kings Cross underground station from the Piccadilly line isn't nice as it is a deep tube station. Hand luggage only is never a great problem.