Would you rethink a BA flight through London?

[Anonymous]

We are flying on 2 British Airways flights next month, have a layover in London then onto Asia for both.

Reading the recent report stating that ISIS did not intend to take down a Russian liner but rather a British flight and also stating London was a next target, I'm slightly freaking out.

I know the chances of anything happening are slim, but I'm still worried.

Would you try to cancel or change your flight? I'm usually the one that rationalizes this type of thinking but traveling with my kids just takes my thinking to a more emotional level.

[Anonymous]

I don't like connecting at LHR but apart from that no, I wouldnt change my plans

[Anonymous]

Connecting through LHR sucks, terrorists or no terrorists. And how much are you paying in taxes?!

[Anonymous]

Only if I was weak and cowardly.

[Anonymous]

I fly to London all the time because my family is there. However, if it's not too much trouble to change flights and you don't need to fly through London, why not change, if it will set your mind at rest?

[Anonymous]

You'll likely be on an American flight to LHR, and then BA out of London.

I expect security at Heathrow is rather tight right now. Which means nothing except make sure your layover is long to allow for going through it again.

[Anonymous]

I would not want to go through immigration at LHR or pay the prices for flights through that airport. But if you fly economy, I think BA is pretty nice, especially on the newer planes.

There were 470,695 flights into and out of LHR last year. EVEN IF it was a target, your odds are still pretty good. I know it's sort of morbid to think of it that way, but it's the kind of thinking that helps me sleep at night.

[Anonymous]

I understand, OP.
DS and I are scheduled to fly to London on Christmas Day and back on New Year's Day. I am a nervous Nellie and am thinking about canceling the whole trip.

[Anonymous]

Do you guys live in dc? Do you not realize we are at risk here too?

[Anonymous]

My DC has connecting flights through LHR in a couple of weeks on BA. I figure the security is high so it should be fine.

On the other issue the airlines seem to adjust ticket prices to balance the taxes. This was the cheapest connection we found.

[Anonymous]

Never! There is way too high a chance of terrorism. I don't go to Paris, NYC, Spain, Moscow, or any other place where there have been attacks. Too risky.

[Anonymous]

My DH and other family members are flying from Heathrow tomorrow and I haven't thought twice about it. There's a huge difference in security at Heathrow compared to Sharm El-Sheikh. It's got to be one of the safest places to fly out of, I would have thought. You'd be mad to change, IMO.

[Anonymous]

Honestly you'll have more of a chance of a car accident on the way to the airport than a terrorist hit on the plane. Seriously. You are probably mathematically safer taking a bus to the airport, or even walking, then driving vs. the risk of a terrorist attack.

But if it makes you feel better, change it up a bit and try another airport. I'd second also the comments about taxes--flights through LHR pay an OBSCENE amount of taxes vs. other airports.

I'd also add it's a bit often quicker to go the other way, direct to Tokyo from IAD and then on to your final destination. You might consider that option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Never! There is way too high a chance of terrorism. I don't go to Paris, NYC, Spain, Moscow, or any other place where there have been attacks. Too risky.

Is this the same person who hasn't been to NYC since 9/11?

[Anonymous]

I suggest rethinking LHR, but not for fear of terrorism. I fly to the UK frequently, and I HATE LHR, which is crowded, huge, and seems to have more delayed flights than other airports (due to limited runway space?). Also, they've misplaced my luggage from 5 out of 11 flights in the last year. My experience with LHR has been worse than my misadventures at JKF, and that's saying a lot...