All passengers must clear security control before entering the departure lounge at Heathrow.
It pays to clear security control early to avoid any delay to your journey. You'll then leave yourself time to relax before your flight, to enjoy the shops, bars and cafés in the departure lounge, and to get to your gate in plenty of time.
Please be aware that airlines may impose limits on your hand baggage, and that only limited quantities of liquid items can be carried through security control.For most destinations anything you buy after security control can be taken on to the aircraft – store staff will be able to advise you.
Self-service check-in
Most airlines offer self-service check-in kiosks where you can choose your seat and print your boarding card, then take your baggage to the bag-drop facility. Airline staff will be on hand if you need assistance.
Online check-in
Use online check-in to select seats and print boarding passes before you get to the airport. Then when you arrive, just drop your baggage at the bag-drop kiosk and you're ready. To find out if you can use this service, please check with your airline.
Please note that passengers who have checked in online will still need to arrive in good time for their flight. Please pay close attention to the times given by your airline for dropping bags, collecting boarding cards and arriving at the gate.
