Perhaps the biggest question we had on our flight on British Airways from Pittsburgh to London was what customs would be like on our return. What is Customs Like at Pittsburgh International? This is 100% normal for Heathrow and you should expect no different.Īs such, if you are thinking of booking the flight from Pittsburgh to London and have any form of connection elsewhere, be sure to have 2.5 to 3 hours of layover time at a minimum if you are able.

Ultimately we still had to run to make both our flights, and it was only after we arrived that we found that both outbound flights were delayed 30 and 75 minutes and the screens at the airport hadn't updated. For those who have to go to B or C, you'll have to either take a rather slow tram between concourses or walk through an underground tunnel, which adds about 10 minutes for those with short connections. The second to last queue before the security queue? We were told they were only letting in flights up to 10 minutes before ours through at the moment, and then a few minutes later let us through again.Īs security is in concourse A, those who have connecting flights in A are lucky and are just steps away from their gate. That first queue to get into the queue for the security queue? We showed our boarding pass and they let us through.

They are used to the hassle that is their airport and have a system down almost to a science to help those pass through with short connections. The only redeeming quality of Heathrow is that the employees are exceptionally warm and friendly, despite this chaos. Suffice it to say, waiting through upwards of four lines to get through a quick security scan is frustrating at the best of times and way too many people we spoke with in line were worried about missing their flights. Our return flight had a two-hour connection that was cut down to just one hour after being held in the air and on the tarmac for a while. Our outbound flight had a one-hour and 10-minute connection. Yes, that is upwards of four lines to pass through security. On our return flight, the airport was so busy that there was also a queue to get into that queue. On both of our flights there was also a queue to do a boarding card check to get into the queue to get into the security queue. On busy days (read: every day), there is also a queue to get into the security queue. True to form, there is a long security queue. From there, Heathrow requires additional security screenings, even for international transit (which includes flights to the whole of the EU), before you make your way to one of the three concourses within Terminal 5- A, B, or C. Most will arrive at a dedicated gate, as does the Pittsburgh arrival, but our EU connection on the return (Amsterdam) required a bus to take us to the terminal. International flights to Heathrow typically arrive in Terminal 5. There are many reasons for this, and you'll quickly understand why after we outline the process of navigating the airport properly. This airport is the Newark of Europe, and may actually be worse than that. That being said, we have the exact opposite to say about London Heathrow in almost every respect. Great Flight, Great Staff, Heathrow is Absolutely TerribleĪpart from the food issue above, we often have the highest praise for all things Pittsburgh International Airport as utilizing the airport is a breeze. You either must arrive sufficiently early or wait until a meal is served on the plane (at about 11 pm). Not terrible, considering the airport is almost completely dead at that time of night anyway, but we feel it is important to highlight this for anyone who wishes to have food or drinks. If you ever want to see a rush of people at PIT, go to Primanti Brothers at 7:59 and watch a few dozen people pour in for food and drink orders after realizing everything else is closed.Īfter that, you're really on your own to just wait it out at the gate for ~75 minutes until the flight boards. Yes, by the time we got to the airport, the lounges (except for BA's, which we couldn't access) were closed, most alcohol-serving restaurants had already made last call for the night, almost all of the rest were closed completely, and the only spot we could get into for a quick stop was Primanti Brothers– which took a firm last call at 8 pm. On the Pittsburgh International Airport side of things, it is worth pointing out that, despite a 9:50 pm departure time for the PIT-LHR flight, everything in the airport apart from convenience stores closed by 8 pm if not earlier.

Don't Plan to Eat at Pittsburgh International Airport Outbound

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