Cheap Flights from Heathrow

London Heathrow Airport (airport code LHR) is the busiest airport in the UK, and the busiest in the world in terms of international passenger traffic. It is the only major international airport actually within the boundaries of Greater London, but that does not necessarily make it the most convenient airport to use. Landings at Heathrow can be delayed for up to an hour because of traffic backed up on the runways, or because there are no parking slots open, and navigating your way through Heathrow's four (soon to be five!) terminals can be time consuming and frustrating. Still, it is a major hub for British Airways, bmi and Virgin Atlantic and served by dozens more carriers which all fly to hundreds of destinations around the globe - so you just might have to buck up and use Heathrow once in awhile! If you do, here are some survival tips:

• You can get a list of all the cities Heathrow serves, as well as the airlines which fly to them, on this page.
• Getting to Heathrow is not difficult, but the quickest transportation methods are naturally the most expensive. All your options are listed on the left side of this page.
• The maps you will need to find your way around this enormous airport are here - allow for plenty of time to get from check-in to your gate.
• Should you need to eat something while you wait for your flight, you will have these restaurants to choose from.
• Heathrow leaving you bored? There is wireless access throughout the airport (for a fee, of course) and two internet kiosks for your amusement. Just pray one of them is near your terminal.

Although Heathrow hosts loads of major airlines, many choose to utilize other London airports because of the strict limits on operations between Heathrow and the United States. At this point, only four airlines are permitted to fly routes between Heathrow and the US (British Airways, United Airlines, American Airlines and Virgin Atlantic Airways). For this reason, several major airlines fly into Gatwick or Stansted rather than Heathrow. This flight restriction, called the Bermuda II agreement, has been revised and renegotiated over the years, and some of the limits on flights between the US and Heathrow may soon be dropped. The effect this will have on traffic at Heathrow remains to be seen.