Airlines quote a Minimum Connection Time (MCT) that protects your rebooking rights, not necessarily a comfortable margin. This is an honest breakdown of where the time actually goes — border control, baggage, terminal transfers, security — so you can judge for yourself whether your booked connection is realistic. TfL licensed operator, Licence 11588.
Airline MCT vs reality
MCT is a legal and commercial figure — it's the minimum an airline will sell you a connection for, and if you miss it because of a delay that's their fault, they're obliged to rebook you. It isn't a promise that you'll comfortably make it, especially at a busy airport like Heathrow.
| Scenario | Airline MCT | Realistic time |
|---|---|---|
| Same terminal, domestic → domestic | 1.5 hrs | 2–2.5 hrs |
| Same terminal, international → domestic | 2 hrs | 2.5–3 hrs |
| Same terminal, international → international | 2.5 hrs | 3–4 hrs |
| Different terminals (e.g. T2 ↔ T3) | 2.5 hrs | 3.5–4 hrs |
| Different terminals (e.g. T2/T3 ↔ T5) | 3 hrs | 4–5 hrs |
Figures are planning guidance, not a guarantee — actual times vary with staffing, time of day, and how quickly your bag appears. When in doubt, choose the longer connection.
Where the time actually goes
Landing is just the start. Here's roughly what each stage adds, before you're even at your next gate.
Border control, correctly explained
A common misconception is that only UK, Irish and EU passport holders get the fast eGates lane. That hasn't been the full picture since 2019: citizens of Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and the USA can also use eGates, alongside UK, Irish, EU/EEA and Swiss nationals — provided they hold a biometric passport and are aged 8 or over. If any of those apply to you, expect roughly 5-15 minutes including the walk from the gate, not the "post-Brexit non-EU delay" some older guides still describe.
Everyone else uses the staffed desks, where waits vary a good deal by time of day and staffing — 30-60 minutes at busy periods is a reasonable planning assumption, occasionally longer. Separately, many visitors now need a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) or valid visa/eVisa sorted before they travel — this doesn't affect your speed through the airport itself, but arriving without one causes serious problems, so confirm your requirements on gov.uk well ahead of your trip.
This is general planning guidance, not immigration advice — requirements vary by nationality and purpose of travel. Always check the current position on gov.uk before you travel.
Connecting between airports
If your inbound flight lands at a different London airport and your onward flight departs Heathrow, add the road journey on top of everything above — and the M25 is a genuine variable. Off-peak, Gatwick to Heathrow typically runs 60–75 minutes; during peak traffic (roughly 6:30–10am and 3:30–7pm) that can stretch to 90–120 minutes. Once you add border control, baggage, and re-checking in at Heathrow for a long-haul departure, a realistic minimum for this kind of connection is 5.5 hours or more.
This is exactly the scenario where a flight-tracked transfer earns its keep — see our Gatwick, Stansted or Luton transfer pages, or the Heathrow Airport Transfers hub.
Reducing the risk
Separate tickets mean you're on your own if the first flight is delayed. A single booking gives you rebooking rights.
If your baggage is through-checked, some airlines let you stay airside for the connection — ask, as it isn't always automatic.
Whatever this guide suggests, add 15-30 minutes more if you can. It's rarely wasted.
Why choose us
If your inbound flight runs late, your pickup adjusts — no calls, no extra charge.
Fixed pricing means no surge when you're already stressed about timing.
Licence 11588, and a driver network you can rely on for the journeys that matter.
Reviews
★★★★★"Booked on the airline's 3-hour MCT, hit a slow queue at the desks and only just made it — next time I'm building in the extra hour this page talks about."
★★★★★"Landed at Gatwick with a Heathrow connection five hours later, felt like a lot until the M25 was exactly as bad as expected — driver had already built in the buffer."
FAQ
Often, but not always. MCT is the shortest time an airline will sell you a connection for, and it's what protects your rebooking rights if you're on a single ticket. It doesn't always allow much margin for a slow queue at border control or a delayed bag, so a realistic time is usually 30-90 minutes longer than the MCT, depending on the scenario.
British and Irish citizens, EU/EEA and Swiss nationals, and citizens of Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and the USA, provided they hold a biometric passport and are aged 8 or over. This has been the case since 2019, not a recent change. Everyone else uses the staffed desks.
For eGate-eligible travellers, typically 5-15 minutes including the walk from the gate. For those using the staffed desks, it varies considerably with time of day and staffing, but 30-60 minutes at busy periods is a reasonable planning assumption, occasionally longer.
Your flight is tracked automatically at no extra charge, so if your inbound flight runs late, your RushXO pickup simply moves with it. For inter-airport connections especially, that removes one major source of stress from an already tight schedule.
If you're on a single ticket and the delay was the airline's fault, they're obliged to rebook you free, though not necessarily on the next available flight. If you booked separate tickets, or the delay was outside the airline's control, you're typically responsible for the cost of rebooking yourself.
Many visitors now need a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation or a valid visa/eVisa arranged before travel — this is separate from eGate eligibility and doesn't affect airport speed, but you must have it sorted in advance. Check the current requirements for your nationality on gov.uk.
Explore further
Tracked automatically, free · 24/7 · TfL Licence 11588 · built for tight connections