ajnz

Good description of the process, DCF!. Even as a frequent LHR pax I don't think I'd be able to make it in the time you've described. I think my best NZ2/NZ39-to-tube experience was about 40 minutes and that was with no baggage. Immigration can be incredibly variable at LHR.

DCF

All around the world airlines are avoiding inter-lining luggage as much as possible, because the initial carrier has to accept liability if anything goes wrong.

I have failed in the last year to get Air NZ to interline baggage to onward First Class flights on UA and US and domestic flights on BD, where I had bought separate tickets - although UA did connect back onto NZ on my return trip

I just don't believe that they will connect your bags on to CDG.

AND THIS IS WHY YOU CANNOT USE THE "FLIGHT CONNECTIONS" BUS TO GO STRAIGHT FROM T1 TO T5.

For you to be eligible to use Flight Connections - and have the 90 minute legal connection time between T1 and T5 - you need to be travelling EITHER

1) On a single PNR, with luggage already tagged to your final destination

OR

2) Have separate PNRs, but carry-on luggage only, and have already checked in online to your second flight. (and some security staff have been known to dispute this one).

And before you consider packing American-sized carry-on, bear in mind that Air New Zealand allows Business passengers 2 pieces of carry-on weighing a maximum of 15 pounds per item, but BA only allows one piece of carry-on, and if you use Flight Connections you have no facility for checking in luggage with BA.

jvonnie1

I guess I'll just have to change my connecting flight to CDG for a later time, even if I have to pay a fee, just so I don't have to rush and worry. Would 4 hours be enough time to connect in LHR to CDG?

DCF

4 hours is plenty, so long as NZ2 is operating on-time. And it very rarely arrives late at LAX from AKL.

I'd personally take 5 hours, but I'm conservative after being burned with connections in the past - not necessarily at LHR. 4 hours should work nine times out of ten.

serfty

Last month we were inbound to T3 transiting to T5 for a BA flight to Prague.

We landed at 7am; after a 10 minute walk to "flight connections" and getting straight onto an "airside" bus, we not get airside at T5 until after 8:35am.

So even with luggage checked through and staying airside it took over 1½ hours.

SFOSpiff

I think I could have pulled that off in 25 minutes, one time when BA was still in T1. From the moment I stepped off the plane, cleared immigration, went upstairs, checked my bag with BMI, and cleared security, total elapsed time was 20 minutes.

Heathrow is funny that way. I think they make it easy once in a while so you'll be forgetful enough to endure the 2 hour sagas now and then.

birder

Ooops! I meant to say, I would not take this risk personally.

oranjemakker

I think this is perhaps a little exaggerated, not sure whether the OP has any Star Alliance status but I have never had my carry on weighed on NZ. Maybe I am just lucky but thats my experience anyway. I have certainly been in economy with more than one item before (e.g. bulky laptop bag/briefcase plus suit bag). Also, it seems to me that if you arrive via interline at BA gate and have two bags they are going to gate check the second bag or let you take it on board.

DCF

That depends upon the current security system. I have seen passengers going through security at Heathrow Flight Connections being told that they cannot bring through their second piece of carry-on luggage, even though that rule supposedly stopped in 2009!

And my carry-on luggage is frequently weighed when I travel on NZ, usually at AKL if I don't go through Premium passport control (e.g. if I go to the shops after check-in).

Blackcloud

Same experience in both LHR, SYD, WLG and AKL for NZ.

Top Bloke

Why not just go back downstairs and get in the lift @ premium check in?

zqsn5678

premium check-in at AKL DO weight GE's carry ons even traveling in BP. many times they asked me wether my bag is over 7kgs i said no, they insist to weight it.

oranjemakker

Wow... I stand corrected! Sorry!

And now that I think about it, I was asked at check-in in Melbourne a few weeks ago to weigh my tiny bag which I thought was ridiculous, but the check-in man insisted. it duly weighed about 3kg. I would have kicked up a filthy stink if it had been say 8kg and they had tried to stop me... are they ever that strict? This same person made a big deal about letting me "get away" with being 1kg over the 25kg limit per bag for one of our pieces of luggage (we were two GE's and one Gold with two of us travelling in works deluxe).

DCF

I avoid trouble by the simple expediency of carrying a small rucksack in my rolling hand-luggage.

When I'm flying in Australia or NZ I take the rucksack out before passing security and stick my iPad and various small heavy items in it, leaving me a 5-6kg piece of luggage plus the rucksack as my computer case.

I then stick the rucksack back in the hand luggage the moment I'm through security.

I must confess to a disgusting sense of delight every time I see a passenger - usually from North America - get stopped when they try to take an oversize bag weighing upwards of 10 kg (20 pounds) into the cabin. I hate how North American travel has been ruined by passengers being encouraged to carry their luggage in the cabin.

So I'm all for limits on carry-on. Next I'd like a worldwide ban on passengers taking their own food onboard too, to prevent that awful stink you get when you're flying in North America!

serfty

With S2S, MEL check-in staff have been instructed to weigh ALL carry-on luggage. The other week they put a green "Approved" sticker on mine after doing so.

I guess many are trying to avoid paying $20 extra for a checked bag.