how early can you check in at Heathrow?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Chicago, IL USA
Posts: 49
how early can you check in at Heathrow?
My wife is flying AA Saturday night Chicago-Heathrow, arriving 11:30 AM Sunday. Then after layover, departs 10:30 pm on BA Heathrow-Tel Aviv.
Question: How early is she allowed to check in for her BA flight? Ideally she's wants to check in for BA flight right away and take a train into London for a while so she can get rid of her bags.
Thank you!
Question: How early is she allowed to check in for her BA flight? Ideally she's wants to check in for BA flight right away and take a train into London for a while so she can get rid of her bags.
Thank you!
#2
Join Date: May 2005
Programs: BA Gold, AA PLT PRO, AGR, Strawberry (Nordic Choice), Marriott Bonvoy
Posts: 4,151
Originally Posted by mdf63
My wife is flying AA Saturday night Chicago-Heathrow, arriving 11:30 AM Sunday. Then after layover, departs 10:30 pm on BA Heathrow-Tel Aviv.
Question: How early is she allowed to check in for her BA flight? Ideally she's wants to check in for BA flight right away and take a train into London for a while so she can get rid of her bags.
Thank you!
Question: How early is she allowed to check in for her BA flight? Ideally she's wants to check in for BA flight right away and take a train into London for a while so she can get rid of her bags.
Thank you!
#3
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EP 3MM, UA Silver, Bonvoy LT TIT, Hyatt Explorist, HH Silver, Caesars PLT
Posts: 7,259
AA might even be able to issue a boarding pass for the TLV flight. (At BOM 24+ hours out, Swiss has issued me a BP for a separately booked flight LAX-LAS.)
#4
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: MSP (and will only fly NWA in re-routes if I HAVE to)
Programs: AA EXP (4.5MM), hotel programs as needed
Posts: 5,800
The destination may be an issue (security levels) .. but in general AA > BA interline luggage is fine.
I arrived LHR at like 10am on AA and had an 8pm departure on BA .. checked luggage thru and entered the UK (they look a bit funny at immigration when you say you are coming there for the day) took the HEX train to town .. had lunch .. took the train back to LHR .. had a shower in the BA lounge and took my flight. YUP the luggage made the long connection all right.
I arrived LHR at like 10am on AA and had an 8pm departure on BA .. checked luggage thru and entered the UK (they look a bit funny at immigration when you say you are coming there for the day) took the HEX train to town .. had lunch .. took the train back to LHR .. had a shower in the BA lounge and took my flight. YUP the luggage made the long connection all right.
#5
Join Date: May 2005
Programs: BA Gold, AA PLT PRO, AGR, Strawberry (Nordic Choice), Marriott Bonvoy
Posts: 4,151
Originally Posted by JGR01
took the HEX train to town
(If anyone wants to do this and feels like thanking me for the tip, then please PM me as I can get a referral bonus and I think you get an extra bonus also for doing this....)
#6
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Canberra, ACT, Australia
Programs: QP Life, AA Nothing, QF Bronze
Posts: 946
Interline is definitely the way to go. If your wife cannot get them to interline it will be a bit more of a fuss, but not too bad.
Officially, BA will not let her check the bags in until 3 hours before the flight. However when flying in premium cabins, or as an elite travelling in coach, I have had them take my bag much earlier than that, so if she is an elite or booked at the good end of the plane it's worth a try.
If they won't take the bag, there is a secure luggage store in Heathrow Terminal 4 (which is the terminal the Tel Aviv flight leaves from). They charge 6 pounds per bag per day (or part thereof), so quite reasonable.
Officially, BA will not let her check the bags in until 3 hours before the flight. However when flying in premium cabins, or as an elite travelling in coach, I have had them take my bag much earlier than that, so if she is an elite or booked at the good end of the plane it's worth a try.
If they won't take the bag, there is a secure luggage store in Heathrow Terminal 4 (which is the terminal the Tel Aviv flight leaves from). They charge 6 pounds per bag per day (or part thereof), so quite reasonable.
#7
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: London
Programs: AA EXP 2 MM
Posts: 2,823
Piccadilly Line
Originally Posted by mdf63
Ideally she's wants to check in for BA flight right away and take a train into London for a while so she can get rid of her bags.
#8
Join Date: May 2005
Programs: BA Gold, AA PLT PRO, AGR, Strawberry (Nordic Choice), Marriott Bonvoy
Posts: 4,151
Originally Posted by nbevan
Although the Piccadilly Underground line is slower, its a more convenient (and cheaper) way to get to many parts of London by public transport.
#9
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PIT/DFW/MEL; AA Exec. Platinum & 4MM, QF WP
Posts: 7,689
Originally Posted by nbevan
Although the Piccadilly Underground line is slower, its a more convenient (and cheaper) way to get to many parts of London by public transport.
#10
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: AA Lifetime PLT , BA Silver , BD RIP , HH Gold, SPG / Marriott PLT , EF Subscriber
Posts: 6,698
Originally Posted by martin33
but then getting back to T4 would be unpleasant as the station is closed until September.
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Chicago, IL USA
Posts: 49
the result
Thank you everyone for all of your useful comments. In the end, my wife DID get to check her bags all the way through to Tel Aviv when she checked in at ORD. She is not an elite, so I was slightly surprised!
#12
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: NYC
Programs: AA Plat, CO Silver
Posts: 138
Another alternative would have been to check the bags at the booth right outside of the customs exit - it is over on the left as you exit
- there is a fee but it can be very convenient - even for carry ons that you dont want to lug into town for the day. Cannot recall the name of the place but have used it often on long layovers when I can get into town.
- there is a fee but it can be very convenient - even for carry ons that you dont want to lug into town for the day. Cannot recall the name of the place but have used it often on long layovers when I can get into town.