According to a 2023 study by Expedia, many Americans find air travel more stressful than going to the dentist, while another study found that getting through the security checkpoint and catching a connecting flight were two of the most stressful elements of the air travel experience.
Unsurprisingly, transiting through an unfamiliar airport after a long red-eye flight and then being subjected to another security search is something that fills many travelers with dread.
This has long been a complaint of US travelers connecting through London Heathrow to ever-popular European destinations like Italy, France, and the Greek Islands, as well as up-and-coming bucket list destinations like Albania and Bulgaria.
Having already been subjected to the TSA’s search requirements at the airport of origin in the United States, many US passengers are then surprised to find that they have to pass through another security check before boarding their connecting flight at Heathrow.
Oh, and by the way, British civil aviation regulators impose some of the most stringent airport security screening regimes in the world. US passengers who cleared the TSA checkpoint with ease will find themselves held up at security at Heathrow, waiting for an officer to rummage through their baggage.
This particular pain point, however, is about to be drastically changed as US and British officials have worked on a trial that will exempt some connecting American passengers from going through security at Heathrow, according to reports from an industry insider.
Slated to start on February 4, passengers traveling via Heathrow from either Atlanta (ATL) or Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) will only have to complete the security screening process in the United States, and on arrival at Heathrow, they’ll be allowed to go straight to the gate for their next flight.
It’s important to note that this is very much a trial, and for now, it’s only expected to run until March 25.
While all other international passengers connecting through London Heathrow to another international flight will be directed to the standard security checkpoint, passengers arriving from Atlanta and Dallas Fort Worth will get the VIP treatment as they are whisked past the x-ray machine and metal detectors.
The trial applies to all flights from these two destinations operated by American Airlines, British Airways, Delta Air Lines, and Virgin Atlantic, with busses taking connecting passengers directly from their plane to the departures lounge.
Depending on how the trial progresses, more destinations could be added, and the end date could even be extended. Eventually, we might even get to the point where all passengers originating in the United States will no longer have to re-clear security at Heahtrow.
Unfortunately, a spokesperson for Heathrow Airport didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment while the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was tight-lipped on the specifics of the trial.
If the trial does go ahead as planned, however, it could make Heathrow a far more attractive airport for US connecting passengers… Especially considering the British government recently made a U-turn on requiring transit passengers to pay for an electronic travel authorization.
Why should US passengers get special treatment? If a UK passenger flies to the US they have to go through customs and immigration, collect all their bags and have to check in all over again. The same goes for EU passengers arriving in London who can use the automated immigration process. We can’t do that arriving in the EU, we have to join the long queue. Why is the UK Government being so flexible whilst these countries don’t reciprocate?
The article says buses will take connecting passengers directly from their plane to the departures lounge.
Does this mean that all flights from DFW or ATL will deplane at remote stands via stairs, instead of via jetbridge? If so, then it’s not really a benefit. If given the choice between:
– Remote stand arrival, deplane via stairs, bus to terminal, but no Flight Connections security
or
– Deplane via jetbridge, then go through Flight Connections security
I’d choose the latter (Jetbridge + security) over the former (remote stand + bus but no security) every time.
Not as bad as UK travellers flying to the US. Usually having to endure 2-4 hour queues for passport control to enter the US without paying the extra for pre it’s a joke
The irony of US passengers complaining about the difficulties of international connections in the rest of the world……
Since security at U.S. airports is conducted only at the point of origin, what is the point of restricting the trial to only two airports? All connecting passengers would have gone through TSA security only at their initial airport unless the agreement requires a pre boarding secondary screening, which simply moves the second check to ATL or DFW instead of LHR.
On my usual long haul I have to transit at CDG which means going through security again. Never been a problem. Clearly LHR isn’t the only airport that has this