Racing across Heathrow to get my luggage… but where is the coach?
Surprise, Surprise!
It’s time for one more surprise as I get off the Boeing 777-200ER and head through the bowels of Heathrow and wait for a coach home.
Because there’s nothing like a surprise when it comes to luggage or when the coach is exactly the wrong location…
In this surprise-laden adventure
- We all know the drill by now… don’t we?
- The early morning road to nowhere (and Heathrow Terminal 3 first thing in the morning, with an equipment change shock)
- Morning Lounging at the Cathay Pacific and American Airlines Lounges
- AA87 London Heathrow to Chicago O’Hare – Main Cabin Extra
- Into the USA and The Crowne Plaza O’Hare
- Hyatt Regency O’Hare
- Airplane Art Special from the Hyatt Regency O’Hare
- Various nibbles around Chicago
- An Instagram Trap? Coffee at Brü
- Chicago Classics: Giordano’s Deep Dish Pizza
- Enjoying a Chicago River tour… in the rain
- Back to O’Hare and the British Airways lounge
- BA296 Chicago O’Hare to London Heathrow – Club World (Club Suites)
- Racing across Heathrow… but where’s the coach?
- To onward surprises
Getting off the aircraft I knew exactly where I was… sadly. It had parked at the far end of Heathrow Terminal 5 C – the last gate furthest from arrivals.
From the plane to the exit. Well, that’s the plan…
And we all know what that means – time for a round of airport cardio.
After walking through the jetbridge, I finally popped up at the south end of Terminal 5 C.
The walk continued as I headed past the small rooms and towards the automated transit to Terminal 5 A.
Transit is frequent enough – with both shuttles active today. That makes a difference when they’re both working. When it’s down to one transit shuttle, it becomes a game of sardines and patience. It’s almost worth walking back to Terminal 5A.
And sometimes, it can be worth it.
Arriving at Terminal 5 A, it’s time for the well-trodden path of heading to the lifts, and then heading up to the immigration hall to reenter the United Kingom.
Joining the masses
This vending machine outside immigration must be one of the bigger drivers of revenue at Heathrow…
I skipped past the machines in the rejects line and waited a few minutes to be processed.
Thankfully, I had a much friendlier agent than the one encountered the last time coming through Heathrow (even if the processing power was still the same) and was through in a matter of minutes.
Once you pass immigration, you’ll come across the Travelex booth and ATMs. Please – avoid changing currency or withdrawing cash from here – your wallet will thank you – least of all the ATMs want £2.50 to withdraw your money (regular bank ATMs won’t charge, but you might be hit for fees as I discussed here)
And past these scammy cash machines.
Down we go.
With that, it was time to play the game I hate the most at Heathrow Terminal 5 – waiting for luggage.
Now, this was going to be a real challenge, as I had booked just over an hour and twenty from landing to catching the coach. That is usually plenty of time.
Not today.
The first bag came out after a short wait. The second bag… took much longer.
Much longer – to the point where I was close to abandoning the bag at Heathrow.
That reminds me. I need to put a new AirTag battery in the ski bag.
50 minutes after landing, an agent handed the bag to me as an outsized item, apologising for the delay.
Sigh. Luggage delivery is the one thing that British Airways fails at its home hub. And that’s been true for some years now.
Sadly, I didn’t have time to wait, as the coach back to Birmingham would depart in 10 minutes – meaning I had to get my skates on. I rushed through customs and out into the real world.
Rushing through Duty Free
Later Terminal 5
Once in the public area, I headed out of the terminal and to the coach stands, waiting for the coach.
To the coach
And waited.
And waited.
I hoped the coach was going to come – they are sometimes late.
Eventually, a member of the dispatch crew came up and asked which coach I was waiting for. I advised them I was waiting for the 210 to Birmingham. The agent told me that it would be starting at Heathrow Central Bus Station today instead of Terminal 5.
****. It would be departing in 30 or so minutes, so I had time to race back into the terminal, grab a train to the Central Terminal Area and meet the coach.
I thanked the staff and asked them to hold it for me or put me on the next coach. As I was starting to wheel my crap away to Heathrow Terminal 5 train station, I was called back. They had kindly asked a RailAir coach to drop me off at Heathrow Central Bus Terminal.
Phew.
RailAir Heathrow Terminal 5 to Heathrow Central Bus Station
With my bags loaded, I boarded a RailAir bus for the short ride around the Heathrow complex. This operator uses Mercedes Benz Coaches for the ride – and they looked pretty well appointed, with fabric seats.
That’s good in theory – but if you’re a passenger with liquids that spill… fabric takes time to dry out…
I took a front-row seat, mainly for convenience and for a quick escape when I got to Heathrow Central Bus Station.
I was taking zero chances at this point.
The bus made its way around the Heathrow perimeter, popping out near the roundabout which has the 1/3 model A380 lives. This where the coach turns left to go under the North Runway.
Getting off the coach at Heathrow Central, the Birmingham Coach was only a few stands across, with the Heathrow dispatch staff checking I had made it over successfully from Terminal 5.
With a smile, the driver accepted my baggage for the journey back to The Midlands.
National Express 210
Heathrow Central Bus Station to Birmingham Digbeth Coach Station
I had made it with a good 15 minutes to go – but to be honest, I was happy in my seat. I had some water with me and at that point in time, wandering off to get a coffee was not on the agenda.
Not my seat.
At 12:50, the coach reversed from Heathrow Central Bus Station and it was time to head off. This coach had a trainee driver and an instructor for the ride.
The coach would head to the M4, M25, then the M40 to the Midlands, with two stops in Oxford, continuing to Birmingham Airport and finally Digbeth Coach Station for the City Centre.
Time at this point was immaterial. My mind was elsewhere as I was unpacking the past few days. It was not to the point where I wanted to fall asleep, but to the point where exhaustion was starting to set in.
I used the phone to keep me occupied as the coach headed past the Chilterns, before slowing for Oxford.
There was a layover in Oxford as there were a few things to be done by the driver but I’ll be honest – all I ever see of Oxford is the coach station and the way in and out. Although, there is a branch of the camera shop chain I normally use.
I should visit sometime.
With a few more passengers loaded, the coach left the historic city centre, with it bound for the Birmingham area.
Exiting Oxford, the coach rejoined the M40 for the journey and back to the Birmingham box – the motorways which surround the city and its suburbs.
Of course, this is where the coach met traffic, as it’s coming into an area nearing peak time, as well as through a major set of roadworks.
Local traffic is the panacea to a fast trip – it will always slow you down.
With ease, the coach exited to Birmingham Airport to drop off some more passengers, and to perform a crew change.
It was time for the final leg, which would take the coach down the A45, through local sights to the Coach station – with it taking the back roads there, as the main road is still a hot mess. Hopefully, we’ll get some Light Rail extensions out of this.
Although Digbeth has been a hot mess for a while whilst they try and expand the light rail service there.
Eventually, I made it to the coach station. From there it was a matter of grabbing my bags and ordering an Uber for the final leg home (as I have long given up with black cab drivers in the city).
The joy of Digbeth
The driver weaved their way through the traffic, as Birmingham traffic was jamming up. Considering it was the start of the school holidays, it was never a good sign – especially on a Tuesday afternoon.
An immigrant poking through
I was dropped off outside the flat and for the final time (and the sounds of the suitcase handle giving out), I wheeled everything in.
The end of an eventful journey.
Next was the part that I always dread. Where to start with unpacking…
Next:
To further surprises in the future.
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SO what was the premise of this rambling pictorial ? Took up a lot of space with photo.’s
Wonderful segment.
Brings back memories of running through Heathrow to Birmingham and Manchester from eons ago