Heathrow Terminal 5 Transfers
One Hall, Two Satellites, and a Transit Between Them
Terminal 5 is the British Airways hub at Heathrow, handling most BA long-haul and domestic services. It is built as a main hall with two satellites connected by an underground transit.
For passengers that layout means the walk from gate to arrivals hall can be considerably longer than at the other terminals, particularly from the satellites. It is one of the reasons free waiting measured from touchdown rather than booked time matters here.
T5 also has a dedicated meet and greet area, which makes the pickup itself the most straightforward at Heathrow once you reach it. Your chauffeur is there with a name board.
The journey is Heathrow's standard: about 15 miles from Zone 1 at 45 to 75 minutes, on a fixed fare from £85.
Below: what a T5 booking covers, the fleet, why the layout changes the timing, how groups travel, where the journey goes, what sits inside the fare, and how to book.
- Heathrow terminal
- T5
- From Zone 1
- ~15 miles
- Minutes by road
- 45-75
- Transfers from
- £85
Four Parts of a Terminal 5 Pickup
The dedicated meeting area
Name boardT5 has a designated meet and greet point, which makes the pickup the most straightforward at Heathrow once you reach it.Read moreWaiting from touchdown
60 minutesThe satellites and the underground transit add real minutes between gate and hall, which the touchdown clock absorbs.British Airways arrivals
Tracked liveMost BA long-haul and domestic services, followed from departure rather than the printed schedule.Departures from T5
Timed to check-inPlanned backwards from the desk, with the walk to the satellites allowed for rather than discovered.
Four Things the T5 Layout Changes
The walk from the satellites
Longer than any other Heathrow terminal. Free waiting from touchdown is what stops that becoming a charge.A known meeting point
T5's dedicated meet and greet area removes the guesswork the other terminals still have.A terminal change
Picked up from the live status, which matters at T5 because BA occasionally moves domestic services.A delay
Changes the dispatch time and nothing on the invoice, because the fare was fixed before you left.
Where the Boot Decides
Families
Up to 7 seatsOne V-Class with a full luggage load, rather than two cars and a meeting point at the other end.Read moreWith children
Seats fitted freeAny stage supplied at no charge and fitted before the car arrives. Give the ages when booking.Read moreLong-haul luggage
Vito for the bootTwo weeks of cases fill a boot faster than four passengers fill seats, and the vehicle is sized on the cases.Arriving teams
Several vehiclesA delegation on one flight met together and taken straight on, quoted as a single booking.Read more
From Terminal 5 To Anywhere
Central London
45 to 75 minutes on the M4, with the Congestion Charge already inside the fare.- Mayfair
- Knightsbridge
- Westminster
- Kensington
The City and the Wharf
Longer than the West End run and routed around restrictions at the far end.- City of London
- Canary Wharf
- Liverpool Street
Other terminals and airports
Inter-terminal and inter-airport transfers on one fare rather than two bookings.- T2
- T3
- T4
- Gatwick
- Luton
- Stansted
Out of London
Straight west on the M4 and M25 without entering the city.- Windsor
- Ascot
- Oxford
- Reading
- Birmingham
Inside the Fixed Fare
- Meet and greet inside the arrivals hall
- Flight tracking from departure
- Free waiting measured from touchdown
- Terminal parking and drop-off charges
- Congestion Charge and ULEZ where they apply
- Luggage handled at both ends
- Child seats in any stage
- Wi-Fi, bottled water and device charging
The Flight Number Does Most of the Work
- 01
Give the flight number
This is what dispatch tracks. Without it the pick-up falls back to the time you typed in, which a delay then ruins. - 02
Give the destination in full
Hotels in particular often use an entrance on a different street from the one the postcode gives. - 03
Count the luggage
Honestly. The boot decides the vehicle more often than the passenger count does. - 04
Confirm the fixed fare
Parking, charges and waiting are already inside it, and confirmation reaches your inbox immediately.
Booking takes about two minutes and needs no account. For a group or a corporate account, call +44 (0) 208 997 7103.
What Our Passengers Say
Frequently Asked Questions
Which airlines use Heathrow Terminal 5?
British Airways, for most of its long-haul and domestic services. T5 is the airline's Heathrow hub.
How is Terminal 5 laid out?
A main hall with two satellites connected by an underground transit. The walk from a satellite gate to arrivals is longer than at any other Heathrow terminal.
Where will the driver meet me at T5?
At the terminal's dedicated meet and greet area, holding a name board. T5 is the most straightforward Heathrow terminal to be met at once you reach the hall.
How much is a chauffeur from Terminal 5?
From £85, fixed before you travel, with terminal parking, the Congestion Charge and ULEZ already inside the figure.
How long will the chauffeur wait at T5?
60 minutes of free waiting from touchdown. The satellite walk and the underground transit add real minutes, which is precisely why the clock starts at landing.
How long does Terminal 5 to central London take?
45 to 75 minutes over about 15 miles depending on the hour, on a fare fixed before you travel.
In Summary
Terminal 5 is the British Airways hub at Heathrow, built as a main hall with two satellites linked by an underground transit, which makes the walk from gate to arrivals the longest of the four terminals.
It also has a dedicated meet and greet area, so the pickup itself is the most straightforward at Heathrow. Free waiting runs to 60 minutes from touchdown, which is what covers the walk.
The journey is about 15 miles and 45 to 75 minutes from Zone 1 on a fixed fare from £85, with parking and road charges already inside it.