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Another reason to avoid Heathrow

BKMD

In the not too distant future, we will need to apply for an electronic travel authorization (ETA) for the UK, even if only transiting through Heathrow.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-an-electronic-travel-authorisation-eta

If just transiting through, what's the purpose, besides a money grab?

Comments

Smiling Sam

If just transiting through, what's the purpose, besides a money grab?

Do you need another reason?

BKMD

In that case, Sam, there should be an exclusion for those not leaving the airport while waiting for their next flight..

Smiling Sam

Economics 101 - Get/make people buy stuff they don’t need. 😀

AlanS

Blame it on BREXIT.

maximgr

When does this go into effect? On the website it only lists a handful of countries under the "Who Can Apply" section and the USA is not one of them. I will be transiting through Heathrow next month so assuming it will not be necessary yet??

BKMD

If you click on the link just below the section with those 6 countries listed, US is in the next section. You can apply starting Nov 27. Goes into effect Jan 8, 2025.

(typo edited)

British

I guess I can escape this if I take my British passport if I’m passing through Heathrow.

AlanS

BKMD
1:52PM edited 1:55PM
. . . . Goes into effect Jan 8, 2025.

So they say. Don't hold your breathe. The UK like the EU with their ETIAS has been trying to rollout travel visas for years and years!!! (ETA since before 2023 and ETIAS since 2016!!) If the US imposes new high tariffs, on foreign goods, you may never get an ETA or ETIAS, or if you do it will cost and arm and a leg!

BKMD

Alan - It's already in effect for 6 Arab countries, so rollout has already started. This isn't the GEM

AlanS

Yes, but the Arab countries are not the US right after an election.

maximgr

Thanks, BKMD; appreciate it.

SGF

Another reason to avoid LHR. We had layovers in Helsinki to and from our recent river cruise on the Danube. Very nice airport with comfortable public spaces and good food/shopping. Long walks to gates, but the moving sidewalks help. We may have flown a little out of our way geographically, but the whole experience was quite nice. Finnair is a One World partner, if people want to use or accrue points.

Switching terminals at Heathrow and going through all the security checks is something I hope to never do again, unless London is my final destination. I just don't understand why it's necessary to go through all the extra checks when we've never left the "secure area", and are just riding on a bus through the bowels of the airport.

What airports do you prefer, or tend to avoid?

loves2travel2

We recently returned from Germany. We connected through Heathrow both coming and going. It was by far, the absolute worst airport I've gone through. The security people were the rudest, surliest most incompetent I've ever experienced. They were constantly yelling at everybody. They would push you through the metal detector, but it was at least 10 minutes before your belongings went through the scanner. As I put my carryon on the belt, the security woman, snarled for me to take my liquids out of my bag. I said I don't have any liquids. She demanded that I take them out three more times. Again, I repeated, I don't have any. She opened my bag and rifled through it only to discover; I DIDN'T HAVE ANY LIQUIDS. I told my travel agent, she can connect me through Mars, but never ever send me through Heathrow again.

BKMD

SGF - I can understand the repeat secuirity precaution because when you arrive at LHR and go to connect to another flight, they don't know where you came from and how good security was there.

I don't mind flying through LHR as long as I remain in the same terminal for the connecting flight (almost always the case if you fly British Air, you stay in T5).

British

I actually think that Heathrow is a very efficient airport even though it is still the worst airport. I’ve seen many people ahead of me trying to take banned things through security, that’s what slows them down along with people having lots of stuff with them.

Smiling Sam

British - I actually think that Heathrow is a very efficient airport

If you didn't say this they would revoke your passport! 😀

PF606590

several years ago, I heard that Heathrow was called Thiefrow because a lot of luggage was pilfered

British

Yes true, Just an example, a friend was coming back to the US from the Uk. Her mother had given her Christmas cards, they contained money, The suitcase was opened and the money taken from the cards. But….Same thing happened with a friend coming from Colorado to Philly. It happens everywhere

Sealord

I am presently confronted with the Heathrow dilemma. I had a trip scheduled to Venice through Chicago that was a relatively good connection, but the ORD-VCE flight no longer is going to operate so I was moved to a less desirable connection through Philly … or I could go through … Heathrow. I’m probably going to upgrade from Premium Coach to Business to get closer to the front of the plane for our connection in Philly. Perhaps that indicates my fondness for LHR. I flew to at least a half dozen airports in the UK when I was a pilot, and have done many trips as a passenger. I have never been treated so poorly at any airport as aircrew or as a passenger as has happened at Heathrow. The place operates as if it was ruled by King George III.

BKMD

Sealord - I have a flight home from Venice in mid 2025. I was scheduled to fly through ORD on AA and just last week they changed it to flying thru DFW. Flight leaves at exactly the same as that ORD flight did time and gets me into DEN 1`5 mins earlier due to a shorter layover.. I did the VCE-PHL leg earlier this year and while PHL is better than it used to be, it's not great. Small, overcrowded lounge.

I prefer the DFW stop to to LHR, first to avoid LHR and second to avoid Euro fake business class.

British

The most annoying part of Philly airport is waiting for your bags. It can take an hour. And that’s with priority tags. The Amex Lounge is small and recently, every time we've had to wait to get in for quite a while.

MCD

British -- In my experience, priority tags mean nothing.

SandyFeet

Just flew EWR to LHR last week with no problems. Flying home LHR to EWR was a real security headache. That being said, I sure do love London and was happy to do it on my own during Remembrance Day.

Sealord

BKMD: I don’t know exactly when your flight is going, but my search shows no VCE-DFW except through Heathrow on BA. Perhaps the exact date makes the difference, but when I’m going in September the only non-stops from Venice on “AA” go through Philly.

BKMD

Sealord - My flight from VCE-DEN via DFW is on AA, not BA. Apologies if I misunderstood.

Sealord

BKMD: I would much rather go through DFW, but I have searched for VCE-DFW on 9/15/2025 and there are no hits. What is your flight number(s). All of the flights I found go through LHR (BA), or Madrid, or Dublin, or Philly. I talked to an agent today who said the only AA flights in that time from from Venice go through Philly. When are you going?

Smiling Sam

For what it's worth.

Using the FlightsFrom website, just picking July 2025 as an example month (assuming if they fly non-stop they would do it in July) I found that the only non-stop cities from North America to Venice are Chicago, New York (JFK, EWR), Philadelphia, Washington (Dulles), Atlanta, Toronto, and Montreal via various airlines.

BKMD

Maybe it's a seasonal flight...

Smiling Sam

BKMD - I think perhaps it's a new flight and the 'specialty' websites like the one I referenced haven't updated their information to pick it up. The flight you show is available in July on the AA website, but not on the FlightsFrom website I used.

Just shows the ultimate source has to be each specific airline, not the third party sites.

Sealord

They must be dropping that flight after the summer. We are going in September and VCE-DFW is not an option. I upgraded to business which will put us at the front of the plane for the connection.\