Non-motoring > Picking up from Heathrow Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Focusless Replies: 19
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 Thu 26 Sep 13 23:10 
 Picking up from Heathrow - Focusless
Going to pick up stepson from Heathrow tomorrow morning. Website says you must use a short stay car park, but how viable is it to wait for his call somewhere outside the airport (local McDonalds?) then swoop in and pick up without parking?
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 Thu 26 Sep 13 23:19 
 Picking up from Heathrow - Zero
>> Going to pick up stepson from Heathrow tomorrow morning. Website says you must use a
>> short stay car park, but how viable is it to wait for his call somewhere
>> outside the airport (local McDonalds?) then swoop in and pick up without parking?

Its best to meet him at the drop off for departures. As you say wait outside the airport and when he rings swoop in.
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 Thu 26 Sep 13 23:23 
 Picking up from Heathrow - Focusless
>> Its best to meet him at the drop off for departures.

He'll be able to find that ok? (Don't know which terminal yet, but coming from States.)
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 Thu 26 Sep 13 23:25 
 Picking up from Heathrow - Zero
you'll need to find out which terminal. you know his flight number?

Departures is signposted inside the terminals.
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 Thu 26 Sep 13 23:28 
 Picking up from Heathrow - Focusless
Waiting to get flight number. It's unplanned; just in case you missed it on another thread:
loudwire.com/sylosis-update-rv-crash-injuries/
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 Thu 26 Sep 13 23:30 
 Picking up from Heathrow - CGNorwich
Not really worth the hassle to save the £3 at the short stay for 30 mins.
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 Thu 26 Sep 13 23:37 
 Picking up from Heathrow - Zero
Whatever that band thing is, I missed that and dont knwo the significance, but if he is flying back after a load of hassle, then it best all round if you park up, pay up and meet him at the gate.
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 Thu 26 Sep 13 23:59 
 Picking up from Heathrow - Armel Coussine
>> park up, pay up and meet him at the gate.

Every time. Wanna sit in your car by the old A4 for maybe two hours? Forget it. Arrive in time, park, spend a small fortune on crap coffee, read the paper or a book.
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 Fri 27 Sep 13 00:03 
 Picking up from Heathrow - Kevin
>Not really worth the hassle to save the £3 at the short stay for 30 mins.

It is impossible to get through arrivals at Heathrow in less than 30 mins, even if you only have carry-on. Normally it's at least one hour from landing to exiting customs.

Why do you think Heathrow pitch their short-stay sweet-spot at £10 for 1-2hrs?
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 Fri 27 Sep 13 07:06 
 Picking up from Heathrow - Duncan
>> >Not really worth the hassle to save the £3 at the short stay for 30
>> mins.

It isn't just avoiding the car park charge. You will also avoid circling the car park looking for a spot to squeeze into and you will also avoid having some oaf flinging their car door onto the side of your car. It happened to me!

But, whatever floats your boat. I did this professionally for some eighteen years and always picked up outside. You just have to train your passengers.
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 Fri 27 Sep 13 07:53 
 Picking up from Heathrow - henry k
>> It isn't just avoiding the car park charge. You will also avoid circling the car
>> park looking for a spot to squeeze into....
>>
Never had a problem in T3. I just go up a couple of floors and there is plenty of space.
The sheep go for the first floor.
I use theT3 car park when collecting a mum travelling with her two little ones.
>>
T4 has the lights over each parking spot which does simplify things.
>>
>> But .... always picked up outside. You just have to train your passengers.
>>
That's what I do too for most of my friends.
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 Fri 27 Sep 13 00:17 
 Picking up from Heathrow - henry k
>> Not really worth the hassle to save the £3 at the short stay for 30 mins.
>>
How do you know it is only 30 mins wait ????

I always check online the ETA both with the airline and the airport. You can get the info hours before arrival and it is then usually only updated when the flight is in the London area.

I then loiter near the terminal but outside the airport.
When I get the call I then swoop in to the terminal and collect at the departure "level" or drop off zone
Not sure which way you are approaching the airport.

T3 I wait in Sipson Road A408. then straight over the A4 into the airport, last exit of the roundabout and then down to the tunnel.
I always use the LH lane that feeds to the old cycle tunnel.
Not nice if you hate low roof tunnels. A the exit you need to get over to the middle / RH lanes for T3. Go past the car park entrance and drop off is round the corner.

T4 I usually wait in Tescos large car park A312 Faggs Road.
Then up to Hatton Cross tube station in LH lane. Turn left onto A30 and follow the signs.

T5 I usually wait in Horton Road just off the A3044 Stanwell Moor Road.
If you are approaching from the North then it is a case of left at the traffic lights onto B378 and make a u turn back to the traffic lights in order to cross over the dual carriageway.
When called, exit the 1st roundabout INTO the airport , keep left and take the 1st exitat the next roundabout to T5 Take the left slip road, up to to the roundabout from the M25 and up to departures.

There is a Tescos further down the B378 at Ashford Hospital.
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 Fri 27 Sep 13 00:41 
 Picking up from Heathrow - henry k
>>Not sure which way you are approaching the airport.
>>
Now see you are coming M4 from the West ?
I very often exit the M4 at Langley and take the A4 towards the airport.
Bypasses the M25 the M4 exit queue to the tunnel.

I use this route to bypass the M25 M3 if any fear of bad hold ups.
Then go Staines, Sunbury, Hampton Court/ Kingston with a smile.



Last edited by: henry k on Fri 27 Sep 13 at 00:42
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 Fri 27 Sep 13 08:03 
 Picking up from Heathrow - Crankcase
Don't recall if you have a smartphone, but if you do, put the app mentioned by Zero in another thread on it (FlightRadar24) or similar.

It will show where the plane actually is, down to landing (you can watch it in 3d if you like). I've often seen planes land on that with little resemblance to the ETA for the same flight that is being put out on airline websites.
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 Fri 27 Sep 13 08:39 
 Picking up from Heathrow - Focusless
Thanks guys - we probably will use the car park, but hang around nearby until we know the plane is on its way down (I've installed FlightRadar and an arrivals time app on my iPhone).
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 Fri 27 Sep 13 21:48 
 Picking up from Heathrow - Haywain
"Thanks guys - we probably will use the car park, but hang around nearby until we know the plane is on its way down (I've installed FlightRadar and an arrivals time app on my iPhone)."

IMHO I think that, if you and/or the passenger are unfamiliar with the airport, this is the safest approach to the problem. If possible, it might be best to let your stepson ring you when he is leaving the baggage hall as there can be delays right up to that point. Flightradar is good, but can only take you as far as the plane touching down.

I used to use the ploy of picking up at departures but sometimes, esp if there is a security alert, they won't allow access to singularly-occupied cars. Again, this may end up confusing your stepson.

I loath airports, and I loath paying to park - but in this case, I'd bite the bullet!

[BTW, my son flew Gatwick to Cologne on Tuesday evening and the departure/arrival information available everywhere was completely screwed up - so have a contingency in case things go wrong]
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 Fri 27 Sep 13 20:41 
 Picking up from Heathrow - Duncan
>> T5 I usually wait in Horton Road just off the A3044 Stanwell Moor Road.
>> If you are approaching from the North then it is a case of left at
>> the traffic lights onto B378 and make a u turn back to the traffic lights
>> in order to cross over the dual carriageway.
>> When called, exit the 1st roundabout INTO the airport , keep left and take the
>> 1st exitat the next roundabout to T5 Take the left slip road, up to to
>> the roundabout from the M25 and up to departures.
>>
>> There is a Tescos further down the B378 at Ashford Hospital.
>>

There is an Esso filling station on the Westbound side of the Southern Perimeter Road - with (scruffy) loos.
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 Sat 28 Sep 13 09:19 
 Picking up from Heathrow - Runfer D'Hills
Don't underestimate the time it takes to get through border control at Heathrow. It still seems to take them by surprise when a plane lands...
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 Sat 28 Sep 13 12:33 
 Picking up from Heathrow - Focusless
Well it all went very smoothly - plane due in at 10, set off from Reading at about 9.45, went straight to short stay car park, and Mrs F was just finishing her Costa when stepson came through the arrivals doors. So only half hour's parking, £3 - bargain :)

All the band just about ok, but from what stepson was telling us it could have been a lot worse. Fans have been nice.

tinyurl.com/osg4oae (facebook photo)
Last edited by: Focusless on Sat 28 Sep 13 at 12:34
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 Sun 29 Sep 13 00:04 
 Picking up from Heathrow - Dave_
Amazingly, it's 7 years since I was a regular at Heathrow arrivals and departures. Glad the boys are walking and talking Focusless, looks nasty from here.
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