Tom was concerned we’d need an ETA to transit through London for our five-hour layover at Heathrow Airport. After checking online many times to ensure we wouldn’t have an issue, we decided not to bother. Here’s the information we found on this topic:
As of May 2025, whether you need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to transit through London Heathrow Airport depends on the nature of your transit:
No ETA Required — Airside Transit
If you’re transiting airside—meaning you remain within the airport’s international transit area and do not pass through UK border control, you do not need an ETA. This exemption applies to Heathrow and Manchester airports and was implemented in January 2025 to facilitate smoother international connections.
ETA Required — Landside Transit
If your transit involves passing through UK border control—for example, to collect and recheck luggage, switch terminals without a secure connection, or stay overnight—you are considered a landside transit passenger. You must obtain an ETA, unless you already hold a valid UK visa or are otherwise exempt.
Key Considerations
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Check with your airline to determine if your connection requires passing through border control.
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If you have two separate tickets or need to collect and recheck your luggage, you will likely need to go landside, requiring an ETA.
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If your layover is under 24 hours and your baggage is checked through to your final destination, you may be able to stay airside.
For the most accurate and up-to-date information, consult the UK government’s official guidance on transit visas and ETA.
On another note, after the fiasco in Nelspruit on the way to the airport, as described in yesterday’s post here, the remainder of the travel time was incident-free. We didn’t sleep much on either of the two long flights.
Overall, I watched four or five movies. We both had trouble with the sound in our monitors, making movie-watching less enjoyable. We didn’t experience any significant turbulence or delays. The first flight was with Virgin Atlantic, and the second was with Delta.
The food on both flights was awful. They both served a choice of chicken rice curry, laden with flour, and a vegetable pasta dish, neither of which I could eat, nor did Tom care for either option. Then again, we don’t fly for the food. Sure, it may be better on Business or First Class, but we’re not willing to pay six or seven times the fare we pay for Coach tickets. We nibbled on some peanuts, and Tom ate the bread, crackers, and desserts served with each meal.
To our surprise, we neither felt bad after staying awake, missing an entire night’s sleep. At the airport in Minneapolis, we picked up the rental at Sixt, the best price we could find for a nice Subaru SUV. By the time we were on the road for the 20-minute drive to the hotel, we realized we needed to eat and stopped at a Jimmy John’s to buy bread-free unwiches (sandwiches using lettuce instead of bread), knowing that once we arrived at the hotel, we’d be ready to eat.
On our way, son Greg called and said he wanted to see us immediately, and he met us at the restaurant. I can’t describe how meaningful those big hugs from Greg were. I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. We both looked and felt tired, but we didn’t care.
We checked into the hotel in no time at all. But before we ate those delicious unwiches, we both got busy unpacking. We got everything put away so we could sit down, relax, and watch a show, after loading our various streaming services to the big TV monitor.
We decided we’d have to stay awake until 10:00 pm to ensure we’d adapt to Minnesota time as quickly as possible. We nodded off a few times but woke each other up to avoid taking a nap and upsetting the intended schedule. Last night, we both slept about six hours. My Fitbit indicated I’d slept about six hours, which made me feel good today. Neither of us has jet lag, this time around.
Today is Memorial Day in the US, when we honor veterans who lost their lives but we have no plans. All the activities with family and friends will begin in a few days and continue through the three weeks we are here in Minnesota.
We’ll make every effort to post daily while we’re here. Thanks for all the love and support from our readers!
Be well.
Photo from ten years ago today, May 26, 2015:
