Heathrow has finished its terminal occupancy review, and five airlines will change terminals. Delta, Finnair and Japan Airlines move from Terminal 3 to Terminal 4, LATAM moves from Terminal 3 to Terminal 2, and China Southern moves from Terminal 4 to Terminal 5. These Heathrow terminal moves are expected in 2028. The biggest effect lands on Delta and Virgin Atlantic, which have a joint venture and share Terminal 3 today. They'll end up in different terminals, and Head for Points reports that Virgin Atlantic will consider all available options to challenge the decision. Here's who moves, who's affected most, and what to check when you book.
Who Moves Where
Both Head for Points and One Mile at a Time report the same five moves.
- Delta, Finnair and Japan Airlines: Terminal 3 to Terminal 4
- LATAM: Terminal 3 to Terminal 2
- China Southern: Terminal 4 to Terminal 5
One Mile at a Time puts these airlines at under 4% of Heathrow's traffic. It calls Terminal 3 the airport's second busiest terminal. A Heathrow spokesperson quoted by One Mile at a Time said that these occupancy reviews usually happen once a decade, and that the last one was in 2014, when Terminal 2 opened.
Why Delta and Virgin Atlantic Are the Story
Head for Points says Delta and Virgin Atlantic have been together in Terminal 3 since 2013. Under the plan, Delta moves to Terminal 4, where its SkyTeam partners Air France and KLM already operate. Virgin Atlantic stays in Terminal 3.
Virgin Atlantic's CEO said in response that "Heathrow has chosen to split ours after more than a decade together." In the statement Head for Points quotes, he also said the airline will "consider all available options to challenge this outcome." One Mile at a Time notes that Delta passengers will no longer be able to use the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, and that connections between the two airlines will be more complicated.
What It Means for Finnair, JAL, LATAM and China Southern
Finnair and JAL flyers leave Terminal 3, which has the cluster of oneworld lounges that both outlets mention. Both airlines join other oneworld carriers already in Terminal 4. One Mile at a Time says the lounge options in Terminal 4 aren't nearly as good.
China Southern moves into Terminal 5 with British Airways, with which it has a joint venture. LATAM moves to Terminal 2, which One Mile at a Time doesn't expect to be a big change given LATAM's small presence at Heathrow.
What to Do Now
Nothing changes for trips this year or next, since the moves are expected in 2028. When you book Delta, Virgin Atlantic, Finnair, JAL, LATAM or China Southern through Heathrow for that year, check which terminal each flight uses and allow extra time if you're connecting between Delta and Virgin Atlantic.
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