London Heathrow Airport - LHR
From SmarterTravel
Contents |
Airport Name
Basic Information
Located 15 miles from the center of London, LHR is the busiest international airport in the world in terms of international passenger traffic. Owned by BAA, along with nearby airports Gatwick and Stansted, Heathrow is the major gateway to the United Kingdom, and a common connection point for passengers traveling from the United States to Europe and the Middle East. LHR is the closest of the major London airports to the city center, and the only one technically within the city limits, though London City is as well.
Nearby Airports
- London Gatwick Airport - LGW is London's second busiest airport
- London Stansted Airport - STN is London's third largest airport, handling mainly low cost carriers. No transatlantic flights currently operate from STN; American Airlines briefly offered a service from JFK which has been discontinued.
- London Luton (LTN) - London's second low-cost airport, and the 5th busiest airport in the UK. Considerably further from the city than LHR.
- London City Airport (LCY) - London's smallest airport, and also the closest airport to downtown and the financial district. LCY can only handle small aircraft, and currently flights only operate to destinations in Europe, though British Airways intends to begin an all business-class service to New York in 2009.
Airlines
- Aer Lingus
- Aeroflot
- Air Algerie
- Air Astana
- Air Canada
- Air China
- Air France
- Air India
- Air Malta
- Air Mauritius
- Air New Zealand
- Air Seychelles
- Alitalia
- All Nippon Airways
- American Airlines
- Asiana Airlines
- Atlas Blue
- Austrian Airlines
- Azerbaijan Airlines
- Bellview Airlines
- Biman Bangladesh Airlines
- Blue1 (SAS Group)
- bmi
- British Airways
- Bulgaria Air
- Cathay Pacific Airways
- China Eastern
- Clickair
- Continental Airlines
- Croatia Airlines
- CSA Czech Airlines
- Cyprus Airways
- Delta Air Lines
- Egypt Air
- El Al Israel Airlines
- Emirates
- Ethiopian Airlines
- Etihad Airways
- Eva Air
- Finnair
- GB Airways
- Gulf Air
- Iberia
- Icelandair
- Iran Air
- Japan Airlines
- JAT Airways
- Jet Airways
- Kenya Airways
- Kibris Turkish Airlines
- KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
- Korean Air
- Kuwait Airways
- Libyan Arab Airlines
- LOT Polish Airlines
- Lufthansa
- Luxair
- Malaysia Airlines System
- MEA Middle East Airlines
- Northwest Airlines
- Olympic Airways
- Pakistan International Airlines
- Qantas
- Qatar Airways
- Rossiya Airlines
- Royal Air Maroc
- Royal Brunei Airlines
- Royal Jordanian
- SAS
- Saudi Arabian Airlines
- Singapore Airlines
- South African Airways
- Sri Lankan Airlines
- Swiss International Airlines
- Syrianair
- TAM
- TAP Air Portugal
- Tarom
- Thai Airways International
- Transaero Airlines
- Tunisair
- Turkish Airlines
- Turkmenistan Airlines
- United Airlines
- US Airways
- Uzbekistan Airways
- Virgin Atlantic Airways
- Virgin Nigeria
- Yemenia Yemen Airways
Airlines serving LHR by destination
Lounges
Restaurants
BAA maintains a searchable, sortable list of restaurants and shops on its official Heathrow website.
Shopping
BAA maintains a searchable, sortable list of restaurants and shops on its official Heathrow website.
Services and Programs
Handicap Access
Smoking Areas
Smoking is prohibited inside LHR. Those wishing to smoke may do so outside, but once past security there is nowhere to smoke.
Parking
Short-term parking is £2.30 for 30 minutes, £3.90 for one hour, and accrues to £44.50 per day. Long-term parking, connected by shuttle bus, is £15.40 per day if staying 1-4 days, or £14.90 per day if staying for 5 or more days.
Intra-Airport Transport
Terminals 1, 2, and 3 are linked by moving walkways and are within walking distance of one another. Heathrow Express trains offer a free connection from Terminals 1-3 to Terminal 5. Heathrow Connect trains allow free connections between Terminals 1-3 and Terminal 4. Buses connect Terminals 4 and 5, or you can use Heathrow Express and Heathrow Connect, changing trains at Heathrow Central station.
Travel between terminals at LHR
Transportation
Heathrow Express trains offer a fast, though comparably expensive, direct service between the airport (stops at Terminal 5 and Heathrow Central station) and London Paddington station. Four trains per hour make the fifteen minute trip.
Heathrow Connect trains run twice an hour, making the 25 minute trip to Paddington with intermediate stops. Trains stop at Heathrow Central and Terminal 4.
The Piccadilly line of the London Underground stops at Heathrow Central, Terminal 4, and Terminal 5. The subway service, the least expensive and slowest link between LHR and central London, takes 40 to 50 minutes and offers connecting services with other underground lines along the way.
Passenger Pick-Up and Drop-Off
Nearby Hotels
External Links
Heathrow Airport Guide - A useful resource for those traveling to, from, and around Heathrow Airport. The guide provides Heathrow Airport passengers with comprehensive and up-to-date information about the airport and gives a practical overview of the terminals.