Earliest check in at London Heathrow?

August 25, 2011 6:04 PM

I'm on a 6.25am flight - London to Frankfurt on BMI. When should I get to Heathrow to check in? 2 hours before, as asked, even that early in the morning? Ow ow ow.
posted by cromagnon to Travel & Transportation (5 answers total)

Aim to give yourself at least and hour and a half, I'd say. By the time you check in, get through security and get to the gate a big chunk of that time will be gone. Heathrow's a big, busy airport, innit?
posted by Chairboy at 6:19 PM on August 25, 2011

This FlyerTalk thread backs up my experience, which is that the check-in desks and security don't open until about 5am, but the queues to airside build up before that. So you might be able to shave it a little if you have a boarding pass in hand and aren't checking in luggage.

For a flight that early, you might want to look into a cheap hotel nearby, depending upon where you're coming from.
posted by holgate at 6:25 PM on August 25, 2011

But... it's a bank holiday weekend, so the opportunities for time-shaving might be limited.
posted by holgate at 6:28 PM on August 25, 2011

Oh God, I'd forgotten about the bank holiday. Euch. Right, 4am taxi it is. Gah. Thanks, all.
posted by cromagnon at 7:34 PM on August 25, 2011

1 hour, max.
posted by Lleyam at 12:45 PM on August 26, 2011