From Heather McKay, LHRSW

For those of you traveling out of LHR during this bust season, please bring food with you while you wait for your flight!

In high seasons the CSRs utilize a NRSA center where all the Sas are processed for ALL flights. You surrender your boarding card and then wait in a hallway with up to a hundred fellow hopefuls. (We fondly refer to this as the standby corral). As you are in an International terminal without your boarding card, you have no way of re-entering the transit lounge where all of the food/drink/duty free is located. People have been stuck there for hours and if you do not fly through there regularly, you are not wise enough to pack a sandwich and drink.

Remember to pack a picnic before heading to "gate 17" (the standby area). You've been warned!