I studied abroad in Cambridge and lived in the UK during my 20s, so I’ve flown in and out of Heathrow at least a dozen times and have had fairly good experiences overall. It’s also ranked 22nd in Skytrax’s 2025 list for top 100 airports in the world, which is considered the Oscars of the aviation industry.
But Heathrow, one of the busiest airports in the world, can be chaotic. My first issue was during the self-service bag drop. This is a great time-saving feature at Heathrow, but my luggage got flagged for being one pound overweight. A nearby staff member told me the scales are extremely sensitive, and I’d have to shuffle some things around. It’s not a huge deal, but definitely something to know if you’re flying through this airport and happen to be a chronic overpacker (ahem, me).
The staff member then said I could go to the north or south security zone. I opted for the north, only to be turned away because the entire zone had suddenly closed. This led to a massive rush of people heading to the south zone.
The security line also took longer because of the general confusion around Heathrow’s very strict policy for liquids in carry-ons. People held up the line as they tried to organize their bottles into plastic bags, and carry-ons kept getting flagged if a stray bottle was found.
So, if you’re heading to Heathrow soon, be extra careful with your luggage and liquids and bank some extra time in case of long lines. That way you won’t have to be the person sprinting to their gate (ahem, me again).