Flights from Chicago to London leave from O’Hare, and all of the regular nonstops land at Heathrow. The flight takes a little under eight hours, and with London six hours ahead of Chicago for most of the year, an evening departure brings you into Heathrow somewhere between early morning and lunchtime. That makes the first day in London the hardest part of the trip, and it is where a bit of planning, including how you get from the airport to your hotel, pays off.
We are Airports Taxi UK. We run fixed-price airport transfers from Heathrow and Gatwick, meet Chicago flights in the arrivals hall, and track each flight so the driver is there at the real landing time. From Heathrow to central London, a saloon currently costs £67 one way. Below you will find the airlines, the terminals, the entry rules and the practical details of getting into the city.
Airlines Flying Chicago to London
Three airlines fly nonstop from O’Hare to Heathrow: United, American Airlines and British Airways. That gives you around four flights a day, departing between mid-afternoon and late evening Chicago time. American and British Airways sell each other’s flights through their joint business, so you can end up on a BA plane with an American ticket, or the other way round. United sits in a different alliance and a different terminal, and that matters when you are arranging a pickup.
| Airline | From | Heathrow terminal | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|
| United | O’Hare | Terminal 2 | Morning |
| American Airlines | O’Hare | Terminal 3 | Morning |
| British Airways | O’Hare | Terminal 5 | Morning to midday |
The terminal is shown on your boarding pass and in your airline’s app. When you book a taxi with us, give us the flight number rather than the terminal. We pick up the terminal and the live arrival time from the flight data, and the driver goes to the right arrivals hall. This helps if the airline changes the aircraft or the operating carrier at short notice.
Finding Good Plane Tickets From Chicago
With three airlines competing, fares from Chicago to London are usually reasonable outside the summer peak and the Christmas holidays. Midweek departures in January, February and November tend to be cheapest. If you are flexible, compare the United flight with the American and BA flights, as they often price quite differently on the same day. Also check the arrival time. A flight that lands at 7am gives you a long first day, while one that lands nearer midday lines up better with hotel check-in times.
Some travellers save money by connecting through Dublin, Reykjavik or another European hub, but that adds hours and another chance to miss a connection. For most people, the nonstop is worth paying a little more for, particularly with children.
UK Entry: ETA and eGates
US citizens need a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation to visit. It costs £20, you apply through the official UK ETA app or on GOV.UK, and the decision usually arrives within minutes. Apply at least three working days before you fly, just in case. You cannot board your flight without it. If you are only changing planes at Heathrow and not going through UK passport control, you do not currently need an ETA. If you leave the airport, even for a few hours, you do.
On arrival, US passport holders can use the eGates at UK border control. You scan your passport, look at the camera and walk through, and at busy times it is usually far quicker than the staffed desks. Children under 10 have to use the staffed desks, and so does the rest of their group.
Winter Flights and Delays
O’Hare in winter means snow, de-icing and the occasional long wait on the ground. If your departure is delayed, you do not need to call us. We follow the flight from take-off, and the driver adjusts to the real landing time. If the flight is cancelled and you are rebooked, just send us the new flight number and we will move the booking at no charge.
Heathrow to Central London by Taxi
From Heathrow, the car takes the M4 and A4 into west London, then heads through Knightsbridge or Kensington to the West End. Allow 45 to 75 minutes to central London. Weekday mornings are the slowest, and Chicago flights often land right in the rush hour. Because the fare is fixed when you book, heavy traffic does not add to the cost. Our current fixed fares from Heathrow to central London are:
| Vehicle | Takes up to | One-way fare |
|---|---|---|
| Saloon | 4 passengers, 2 large cases | £67 |
| Estate | 4 passengers, 4 large cases | £74 |
| Executive | 3 passengers, 2 large cases | £87 |
| People carrier (MPV) | 6 passengers, 4 large cases | £86 |
| 8 Seater | 8 passengers, 8 large cases | £86 |
| Executive Minivan | 8 passengers, 8 large cases | £114 |
For a hotel in Kensington, a saloon is around £59. For the City, near Liverpool Street, it is around £79. Use the booking form at the top of this page with your exact address for your own price. A return booking takes 5% off the second leg.
Train or Taxi From Heathrow?
The Heathrow Express gets to Paddington in about 15 minutes, the Elizabeth line takes a little longer but goes on through the West End and the City, and the Piccadilly line runs to central London in around 50 minutes. For one person with a small bag, staying near one of those stations, the train is hard to beat on price.
The taxi comes into its own with a family, a group or a lot of luggage. A family of four pays one fare for the car instead of four tickets, the bags go in the boot at the terminal, and the next time you lift them is outside your hotel. It also saves working out Tube connections at 8am after a night with little sleep.
Where Our Chicago Customers Go
Most of our Chicago pickups go to hotels in the West End, Kensington and the City, but a good number go further. Oxford is about an hour from Heathrow by car. Windsor is 20 to 30 minutes away. The Cotswolds are around an hour and a half. For a trip that starts outside London, a car from the airport saves carrying cases through London and out again on the train. See our Heathrow to Oxford taxi and Heathrow to Windsor taxi pages for fares.
Business travellers heading for Canary Wharf or the City can book an executive car, and we can send receipts for expense claims. For conference groups, an 8-seater or a 16-seater minibus moves everyone together for one fare.
Meeting Your Driver at Terminal 2, 3 or 5
Each Heathrow terminal has its own arrivals hall, and they are not next to each other. Terminal 5 is on its own on the western side of the airport, while Terminals 2 and 3 are in the central area, a few minutes’ walk apart. After customs, you come out through one set of doors into the arrivals hall, and that is where the driver will be standing with a board showing your name. If you cannot see them straight away, stay in the hall and call the number on your confirmation, rather than going out to the kerb. Pickups at Heathrow are made from the short-stay car park next to the terminal, so there is only a short walk with your bags.
Travelling With Children
UK law requires a suitable child seat for young children in most cars, and US seats are different from the ones used here. Tell us the ages of the children when you book, and we will fit the right seat or booster before the driver sets off for the airport. Strollers and travel cots go in the boot, so mention them too. With two children and holiday luggage, an estate or a people carrier is usually more comfortable than a saloon.
First Day in London After an Overnight Flight
Try to stay awake until the evening. It is the simplest way to get your body onto London time. Leave your bags at the hotel if the room is not ready, get outside in daylight, and walk. Hyde Park, the South Bank and the streets around Covent Garden are all good for a slow first day. Keep the big sights for day two. For more ideas, see our page on things to do in London.
- Contactless bank cards and phones work on buses, the Tube and in almost every shop.
- The UK drives on the left. Take a taxi or the train on day one, not a rental car.
- Plug adaptors for UK sockets are type G. Bring one or buy one at the airport.
Heading Home to Chicago
Flights from Heathrow to Chicago mostly leave in the morning and early afternoon. Aim to be at the terminal three hours before departure, which from central London means a pickup around four hours before your flight. Tell us the flight number when you book and we will suggest a time. We drop at the departures forecourt of Terminal 2, 3 or 5.
Questions About Flying Chicago to London
How long is the flight from Chicago to London?
About 7 hours 50 minutes eastbound. The return is longer, usually around 9 hours, because of the headwinds.
Do any flights go from Chicago to Gatwick?
Not as regular nonstops at the moment. The nonstop flights from O’Hare all go to Heathrow.
How much is a taxi from Heathrow to central London?
£67 for a saloon and £86 for a people carrier, fixed at booking.
What if my bag is lost at Heathrow?
Report it at the baggage desk in the reclaim hall, then call us. The driver will wait while you sort it out.