Long London Layover

25 March, 2025

All the times I've landed at Heathrow I'm fairly certain I can count the number of times I have NOT been in a holding pattern on one hand with several fingers left over.

Lucky Photo

This was no exception. As I was watching the racetrack patterns replicate on my flight path display I glanced out the window and captured a shot I've never been able to grab before. As the old saying goes, I'd rather be lucky than good any day – this image was nothing but luck.

After a couple of more laps around the circuit we had descended to the bottom of the stack and were cleared to land. We touched down about 30 minutes behind schedule and my cell phone lit up as we taxied to the gate. Julia and Brent were making their way to the American Arrivals Lounge, just a few minutes ahead of us. With the luxury of time in our pocket we took a few extra minutes to make sure our bags were organized before heading up the jetway to the terminal. 

London Fog

 We wound our way through Terminal 3, through passport control, and up the elevator to the Arrivals Lounge. If you ever have reason to take advantage of this space I highly recommend it. There is comfortable seating, a wide selection of food and beverage to choose from, and shower facilities if you're heading into the city to an imminent meeting or if you just want to freshen up before continuing on to the next phase of your journey. Based on the length of our layover and the majority of my prior red-eye flight experiences (I tend to sleep rather warm and arrive in need of a wash) I made plans to shower on arrival. By some stroke of either miracle or luck I was none the worse for wear from my pre-departure shower and decided to forego the process.

We gathered around a table and caught up on the previous two weeks or so, enjoyed some snacks, a fair bit of coffee, and a lot of water to catch up from eight or so hours in a pressurized metal tube. We charged devices and made a plan for our relocation to Terminal 5 for our afternoon flight on to Basel. Passengers can transfer between terminals via a bus system (crowded and uncomfortable, but convenient) or using the Heathrow Express (much less crowded, much more comfortable, but less convenient.) Assuming time isn't a concern, if you are dealing with more than a backpack or shoulder bag and/or you're in a group larger than two then the Heathrow Express is less stress-inducing. There's more walking, but it's almost exclusively over open, flat, smooth, surfaces. The buses usually involve a few steps, cramped spaces, and standing. 

BA Club Europe Lounge

We made our way to Terminal 5 and back through security after having our  British Air boarding passes re-printed; the originals would not scan to allow us  through the turnstiles. As the most electronic-laden member of our party I was surprised that my backpack wasn't selected for additional screening. In the early days of residue swabbing (pre-9/11) I was "randomly selected" every time I flew out of SFO, without fail. With my assortment of power cords, outlet adapters, power banks, and USB cables of every description I assumed it would take me longer. Ironically I was the first out. We strolled down the concourse, past Fortnum and Mason and WH Smith, making note to return to both on our way to the gate.

The various First/Business Class lounges in Terminal 5 are in a stack near the south end of the concourse. Signage is ambiguous and you'll encounter gatekeepers who will direct you to the proper place. If you're a Club Europe customer be warned that you may be met with an edge of condescension as you're directed up additional levels. After going through this process I think I know how Rapunzel felt.

In a crowded lounge we lucked out and were gifted a table by passengers preparing to depart. By now we we had a bit more of an appetite, so we augmented our coffee and water with fruit, pastries, and some random offerings from the buffet.  After a few more hours, and after a second wind, we left the lounge to take care of our required shopping. We had a specific request for biscuits from F&M, and I was in need of chocolate and sport mix from WH Smith. The difference in quality between convenience store candy in the UK vs in the USA is simply staggering. Properly supplied (well, as "properly" as I could manage given the room we had to carry things) we waited for our gate to be posted, then made our way to the other end of the concourse to board our flight. The jetway was so long I was sure we were going to emerge in Bath, if not Swansea.

France or Switzerland (background)?

I've reported on the travesty that is BA Club Europe in part of my Rome post, so I'll not repeat myself here, other than to say the seating has not improved. The service was excellent and afternoon tea was quite nice, but a bit of comfort would have been appreciated.

When we arrived in Basel our trek from the gate to the main terminal was only slightly shorter than the jetway at Heathrow. We were pushing up against 20 hours of travel and everyone was a bit punchy and physically drained. We collected our luggage, where we encountered another "first" – I've never arrived at an airport that afforded you a choice of passport control. The Basel airport nearly straddles the border of France and Switzerland, so they provide two exits, depending upon your destination. 

After collecting a passport stamp we exited and found our Transfeero driver waiting for us. A short walk across two lanes of traffic (without having to dodge a single vehicle) had us at his van. We climbed in as he loaded our luggage and whisked us off to our hotel. I booked our transfer on Viator – a source I have found to be highly reliable for well over a decade. For those interested in searching, it is titled "Arrival Private Transfer: EuroAirport (BSL MLH EAP) to Basel in Luxury Van" and at the time of writing the link can be found here.

Our driver was exceptionally kind to his travel-weary passengers. At times like this the subtle touches can have huge impact. A smooth ride, considered conversation, pleasant background music, and an easygoing demeanor. We arrived quickly, safely, and conveniently to the front door and our luggage was placed in the foyer as we registered. The lack of urgency was wonderful.