Heathrow Liquids

[Kestryl]

Hello Disboarders across the pond! I was wondering if anyone could provide some info on how Heathrow handles liquids when making a transfer. (Ex I’m coming from the US into Heathrow and then moving on to another international destination.) I don’t trust to check a bag, and I’m limited to a carry on at my final destination anyways, so all liquids have to be with me.

I’ve heard various comments that lead me to believe that Heathrow is strict about liquids. For example, I’ve never had a problem treating stick lip balm, lipstick, stick deoderant, “wet wipes” or insect repellent wipes at non-liquids. But it sounds like Heathrow could possibly consider these as liquids?

The wet wipes specifically are interesting. Someone said they had their confiscated at Heathrow. I can’t find anything specific on their webpage, but the Edinburgh Airport says they don’t count as liquid.

Anyways, just wondering what mess I’ll be walking into! (And I did message Heathrow, but I’m waiting for a response.)

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

The first thing to ask is your itinerary all on one ticket, as in are you checked through to your final destination and have two boarding passes.

Also which terminal does your transatlantic flight land at and which terminal does your onwards flight depart from?

Heathrow is huge, like very huge, so knowing the terminals makes a difference when giving advice.

I know Heathrow very well, I used to live in London and have travelled both short haul to and from Ireland and transatlantic to America from Heathrow.

 

[Kestryl]

The first thing to ask is your itinerary all on one ticket, as in are you checked through to your final destination and have two boarding passes.

Also which terminal does your transatlantic flight land at and which terminal does your onwards flight depart from?

Heathrow is huge, like very huge, so knowing the terminals makes a difference when giving advice.

I know Heathrow very well, I used to live in London and have travelled both short haul to and from Ireland and transatlantic to America from Heathrow.

Yes, one ticket (purchased through American Airlines). Right now we arrive terminal 3, leave terminal 5.

In retrospect, it seems like connecting in Heathrow is a challenge!

 

[AussieFan8]

We just flew out of Heathrow last weekend and had no issues or questions about our liquids. I had all the things you mentioned except insect repellant in a bag in my carry-on (not my liquids bag) and went right through with no questions. I even realized later that I had a small hand sanitizer that I forgot to put in my liquids bag, but nothing was said. My daughter did get flagged over for an extra check of something in her liquids bag but was cleared. We don’t know what they were checking.

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

Yes, one ticket (purchased through American Airlines). Right now we arrive terminal 3, leave terminal 5.

In retrospect, it seems like connecting in Heathrow is a challenge!

Ok, so then you will connect airside.

When you land at Terminal 3 follow the signs for transfer passengers. This is NOT the same for Exit / Bag Reclaim.

There may be airport staff checking boarding passes and passports. Make sure to have them to hand, as well as your 3 11 baggie.

You will go down to street level and get on a bus and go to Terminal 5. The bus journey is about 20 minutes.
(The map says 11 mins but thats not correct. On airside the bus route is through the taxi areas around the planes, and the speed limit is slower. )



When you get to Terminal 5 you will get off the bus at street level and be directed into the building.

There may be a security check, I'm not sure.

I did a similar transfer about 10 years ago. I arrived at Terminal 2 from Dublin, then had to go to Terminal 5 for my flight to LAX, it was all one ticket and I had 2 boarding passes.

 

[samsteele]

I flew out of Heathrow Terminal 5 2 weeks ago and had all of your items in my carry-on. Lipstick and lip balm in pocket of my jacket that also went through screening. No issues. Wet wipes I had were the individual packets and not a big cannister. ps they were much more interested in electronics esp laptops and tablets that needed to be screened separately in their own tub.

 

[nycdisneygal]

Had no issues at heathrow this week with those things. The liquids had to taken out of the carry on for the scrreener but thats it.

 

[AgentMama]

We've connected through terminal 5 and maybe just our bad luck, but they did go through our bags and make sure everything that was a liquid was in the liquid bag. Our flight was boarding by the time we finished and we had to get to C. It was pretty stressful. I do not remember them counting chapstick but they did go through absolutely everything in my makeup bag.

 

[Vala]

I got read the riot act last year. Frankfurt to Los Angeles, via London. Happened when connecting on the outbound flight.

A chapstick is a liquid because it can change form when it melts. Verbal quote from the customs officer.

They were extremely rude on all security lines close by, I saw a couple of ridiculous rules being made up while I waited. It was very busy, and I get being stressed. But in the 20 minutes I was waiting I saw 4 passengers being threatened that security would make miss their flight if they "argued", and 2 of these 4 had the chapstick problem like me, both had the same "huh?!" reaction I had when that "it's a liquid because it melts" reason was brought up.

Unfortunately I also had some pins in my backpack. Mystery pins in sealed boxes. I thought I was prepared, had packed everything so that the X Ray didn't just show a lump of metal, had even unpacked and opened one box so I could show it. NOPE. The officer couldn't grasp why a pin would look like a puzzle piece. Told me I needed to discard them. Umm, no. Then I was told I needed to unpack each pin from each box. Why? Because. In the end they opened one pack themselves and they let me go.

On the way back home I had way more lose pins, must definitely have showed up as a heap of metal only on the X-Ray. Wasn't even pulled for secondary inspection.

Was bad enough to avoid flying British Airways this year, going with Delta now.

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

Every airport is different and every country is different. Its not a one rule the same everywhere. I have over 20 years of international travel, in Europe and America, transatlantic and short haul, international airports and regional airports. Always expect the unexpected. Things even change in the same airport.