Pet pick up after flight

It sounds like there are a number of folks on this thread bringing their animals in this Oct.  I'm coming in with my Dalmatian mix dog on 24 Oct too and I can't wait!  I think I've got all my paperwork in order, but I won't sleep well until I've got her in the country.  Good luck to everyone bringing an animal in sometime soon!  Let us all know how it goes.

Ours are coming in on the 22nd, Laura - two days before yours.

Happy travels to you mhs!  I'm flying into Heathrow as well.  I'll be think of you those last couple days that I'm in the states!!  ~Probably also wishing I was in your shoes - already traveled with happy dogs in the UK.

This is good info.  I am travelling on the same flight as my pets on 10-24 from Dulles into Heathrow.  My husband (who is already in the UK) will be there waiting for me, but I was concerned about the timing involved to pick up the pets as we will have a driver (who may not like to wait).

As long as the timing doesn't get too much further onto the other side of a couple of hours, it can work out just right anyway, considering that once you deboard your plane, you then have to get yourself to the luggage area (which for me at Gatwick seemed like an endless walkway-walk across the entire airport!), wait for your luggage, grab your luggage, another long walk to find and get to the immigration/border desk area (don't suppose that's the official name but it's all just a blur to me now) wait in line there, get checked through there......

By the time I had cleared all these and finally got to call the ARC to see how my cat was faring, they told me they had (by then) already dealt with him, said he was great, and the time they told me to come and get him was almost upon me; we had a beverage then we made the drive over there. As far as I remember of my own experience, it seemed to work out over two hours anyway.

I spoke to the Cargo office at Heathrow a few days ago. My cats are flying into Heathrow on the 20th (alone) and I am flying down from Edinburgh to get them and then fly them back to Edinburgh with me on BMI (on the same day).

The cargo office told me that they would be ready to pick up 2 hours after they arrive at Heathrow, but not to book my flight back to Edinburgh any less than 6 hours after they arrive. I guess because by the time I pick them up, get a cab back to Heathrow, check them in for their 2nd flight, and get to the terminal, it will be about 4 hours. My flight back to Edinburgh with the cats departs exactly 6 hours after they arrive 

So maybe this is where they are getting the 6 hours from??

Anyway...Tuesday should be interesting. And for anybody that wants to fly their cats within the UK in the future...BMI is the only one who will do it. BA will fly them as cargo of course, but they quoted me 460 pounds for two cats from London-Edinbugh. BMI will simply check them as baggage and is charging me 40 pounds per cat.

For anyone else interested in this:  My dog flew into Heathrow on Saturday. Her flight landed at 11:44pm and she was released to me at 2pm.  It seems like the 2 hour window is pretty standard across the board (eventhough you will see signs at the ARC warning you of 4 hour wait times).