Terminal 3 at Heathrow is one of the busiest international arrival points in the UK — handling Emirates, Etihad, American Airlines, Delta, Virgin Atlantic, Qatar Airways, Qantas, and dozens of other major international carriers. This guide covers exactly what happens when you land at T3, where to find your driver, how long the process takes, and the fastest way to get to your London destination.
The main carriers at T3 include: Emirates (Dubai), Etihad (Abu Dhabi), American Airlines (New York JFK, Boston, Dallas, Miami, Chicago), Delta Air Lines (Atlanta, New York JFK), Virgin Atlantic (New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Boston, Seattle, Las Vegas, Miami), Qatar Airways (Doha), Qantas (Sydney via Dubai), Air India, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, and Malaysian Airlines. If you are flying from the Gulf on Emirates or Etihad, or from the US on American or Delta, you will almost certainly arrive at Terminal 3.
After the aircraft parks, you will follow signs to UK Border Control. Journey from gate to passport control takes 10–20 minutes depending on the gate location. The process then depends on your passport:
After passport control, you collect checked baggage from the T3 baggage reclaim hall. Belt assignments are displayed on screens. Allow 20–40 minutes for bags to appear after landing, longer for wide-body aircraft (Emirates A380, American B777).
When you exit baggage reclaim through customs (the green "Nothing to Declare" channel for most passengers), you enter the T3 Arrivals Hall. Your driver will be standing in the arrivals hall meet and greet area with a board displaying your name. The meet and greet area is immediately visible as you exit customs — it is the section with people holding name boards on the left-hand side as you walk out.
If for any reason you cannot see your driver, call the mobile number in your confirmation email. Do not exit the arrivals hall or go to the car park — your driver is inside. We include 60 minutes of free waiting time from your actual landing time, so there is no pressure to rush through.
For a typical Emirates or Etihad flight from Dubai: 10–20 min walk to passport control + 20–40 min at Border Control + 20–40 min baggage reclaim + 5 min to meet driver = 55–105 minutes total. Allow 90 minutes as your planning figure. For early morning arrivals (before 7am) when queues are short, you may clear in 45–60 minutes.