Flying advice connecting flight help me please.

arknor · 5 Dec 2015 at 22:53

So I wish to visit Zurich, Switzerland and will need to get a connecting flight at Heathrow.

It will be my first time flying/leaving the country so I'm worried as ****

How much time do I need to have between the flights to be safe?
2hours? 3hours?

it will be my first time ever flying or leaving the country so I don't want to be in a mad rush and I don't want to sit in the airport for many hours as I will be bored to death.
I just need a safe window between.

Nix · 5 Dec 2015 at 22:55

Three hours is usually a good window. This usually accounts for delays or getting lost around the airport.

I wouldn't really go any lower than two.

As it's Heathrow though, I don't think you'll have too much of a problem.

EDIT:

In long haul flights, I've found a few hours break is usually nice to be able to stretch your legs.

Mynight · 5 Dec 2015 at 22:56

I'd go for 3 hours I got lost in Heathrow first time

.

Destination · 5 Dec 2015 at 22:58

Book it all as part of the one ticket, that way you can book your bags all the way to your destination, so you do not have to collect them in heathrow, and then go through a second checkin process.
This might seem obvious to people, but as it is your first journey of this type I am stating the otherwise obvious.

arknor · 5 Dec 2015 at 23:02

okay guess I will do a 3-4hour window.
already know the above about baggage but thanks

Phantom Shadow · 5 Dec 2015 at 23:03

Hikari Kisugi said:
Book it all as part of the one ticket, that way you can book your bags all the way to your destination, so you do not have to collect them in heathrow, and then go through a second checkin process.
This might seem obvious to people, but as it is your first journey of this type I am stating the otherwise obvious.

If it's the same airline they can sometimes treat it as a continuous journey anyway. Fiancée found out the hard way when she had a 12 hour stopover in a hotel at the airport before getting a second flight, but her suitcase had been sent straight to the second flight even though it was separate tickets.

Nix · 5 Dec 2015 at 23:09

arknor said:
okay guess I will do a 3-4hour window.
already know the above about baggage but thanks

Where are you flying from and at what time of the day?

arknor · 5 Dec 2015 at 23:18

Nix said:
Where are you flying from and at what time of the day?

flight would leave Heathrow at around 1-3pm I think

Nix · 5 Dec 2015 at 23:23

arknor said:
flight would leave Heathrow at around 1-3pm I think

Yeah, give yourself around three hours just in case. At worst, you'll probably find you only have an hour or two to kill and there's plenty of shops and whatnot for that.

asim18 · 5 Dec 2015 at 23:25

4 hours? I've always thought connecting flights are simply a matter of how quickly you can get to the gate. Last time I flew, they printed boarding passes for the 2nd leg at the same time as the first leg.

Just make sure you book as a single itinerary then it won't really matter if your first flight is delayed or whatever. If they have you in the manifest as a connecting passenger they can do more to help you out if things go wrong as long as you make the first flight.

[TW]Fox · 5 Dec 2015 at 23:29

Three hours to connect between short haul flights!?! You'll spend more time kicking around Heathrow than you will actually flying! If it's same terminal then an hour is fine.

[TW]Fox · 5 Dec 2015 at 23:32

asim18 said:
4 hours? I've always thought connecting flights are simply a matter of how quickly you can get to the gate. Last time I flew, they printed boarding passes for the 2nd leg at the same time as the first leg.

Spot on, your bags are done automatically. 3 hours is ridiculous.

Amp34 · 6 Dec 2015 at 06:29

Hikari Kisugi said:
Book it all as part of the one ticket, that way you can book your bags all the way to your destination, so you do not have to collect them in heathrow, and then go through a second checkin process.
This might seem obvious to people, but as it is your first journey of this type I am stating the otherwise obvious.

This. If you do this then 2 hours is usually ok, but slightly longer better. That said I'd go down to an hour and a half* in some situations.

For something like Heathrow to Swiss you really shouldn't worry. If you book as one trip and the first flight is delayed you'll probably be on the next flight an hour or so after.

Try to avoid a 3.5-7 hour stopover, too short to go out of the airport and too long to have to wait around in an airport!

* just like now. I'm currently sat in a departure lounge with a one and a half hour stopover after a 5 hour flight. Just about to board a 9 hour flight... Bags checked in this morning and o won't be picking them up until the final destination.

MrMoonX · 6 Dec 2015 at 08:33

[TW]Fox;28906928 said:
Three hours to connect between short haul flights!?! You'll spend more time kicking around Heathrow than you will actually flying! If it's same terminal then an hour is fine.

This, three hours is ridiculous for Heathrow to Zurich it's such a short flight you'd be better off spending more time enjoying your destination than Heathrow

[TW]Fox · 6 Dec 2015 at 08:54

Unless it's a destination with only one flight a day always go for the shortest valid connection (there will be a minimum connection time but the airlines website won't offer invalid ones) as you will probably be fine and if you are not you get put on the next flight anyway.

squerble · 6 Dec 2015 at 09:39

As above, three hours is absolutely bonkers. When I've been to Japan, I book via KLM. I have a short hop from Manchester to Amsterdam, then 1h25 in Amsterdam before the big flight to Osaka leaves. Plenty of time and bags checked to Osaka in Manchester.

Easy peasy. Even easier is that you're in Europe, with two short flights.