American Airlines Debuts New Time-saving Feature for Connecting Passengers at London Heathrow Airport—What to Know
Dallas passengers are in luck.
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An American Airlines airplane flying over the houses of Myrtle Avenue in London, a famous location for plane spotting, for landing at London Heathrow AirportAmerican Airlines is taking part in a pilot program to allow passengers connecting at Heathrow to bypass a second security screening.
It is currently only for those flying from Dallas, and it is unclear if it will expand.
Heathrow is one of the busiest airports at the world, and its security can often take a long time which means this program could be a major time-saver.
There’s a new way to save time at one of the busiest airports in the world.
Passengers flying on American Airlines from Dallas / Fort Worth Airport (DFW) and connecting at London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) will soon be able to go directly from their inbound plane to their gate, without needing a secondary security stop. International passengers frequently have to clear local security before continuing on their journey with a connecting flight, and this pilot program aims to simplify the travel experience.
American describes its participation in the program as a "founding partner" with the United States and United Kingdom governments, and the effort was described as "first-of-its-kind." There was no guidance for how long the program would run for, and whether it would expand to additional airlines.
"There's no need to go through security again," explains a promotional video of the new feature.
Best of all, the feature also extends to luggage, so passengers with international connections in London do not need to get their baggage and have it re-screened for their next flight—they head straight to the next gate.
While the development is exciting for frequent flyers, the program does not extend to every flight. United Kingdom or Ireland flight connections are examples of two countries where it does not apply. The airline encourages passengers to verify whether they need to go through security again, or can utilize OneStop.
“This partnership simplifies international air travel for our customers, and we look forward to opportunities to expand it to more airports, including from LHR to DFW, in the future,” American Airlines Chief Government Officer Nate Gatten said in the release.
American is a member of the Oneworld Alliance, which also includes British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Iberia, Qantas, and others. This means a passenger connecting from the DFW to LHR flight wouldn't have to clear security if they are booked on a Oneworld airline departing from Terminal 3 or 5. The new feature is helpful for business travelers, or leisure travelers to London for the upcoming summer vacation travel season.
The process of one-stop security is similar to international pre-clearance facilities . For example, some airports allow passengers to clear U.S. Customs and Security at international airports, and as a result they will return to the United States as domestic passengers. This provides quick access for connections and avoids going to customs when landing. Dublin Airport in Ireland has a U.S. Preclearance facility and claims it can help save time.
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