Other Middle East and Africa Frequent Flyer Programs - LY punctuality on LY315 TLV-LHR

I'm flying TLV-LHR this March on a Sunday and connecting to an AA flight on a separate ticket.

LY315 departs 09:15 arrives 13:35 and I want to connect either to an AA flight leaving at 4.30pm or one at 6.30pm. I'd like to try going for the earlier AA option since it minimises my waiting time.

I'd like to know how punctual the LY flight generally is. Will LY check my bags through despite the separate ticket? Or am I better to book the later AA flight, and then try to standby on the earlier departure if LY is delayed a bit?

Of course, if I do choose the later AA flight and then find that I want to try standby on the earlier one, I probably won't get myself an exit row, although it seems less bad than possibly making problems if LY is delayed and I miss the earlier flight.

Please advise....

LHR doesn't seem like a :55 connection is viable....BA's web site lists a within-terminal-3 connection as requiring a 60 minute minimum connection, although obviously you're not bound by their rules if you book the flights yourself. If you do book it, it seems like a case where I'd want a good backup plan....

A. LY morning flights are pretty good with their on time departures as the planes lay on the ground all night or arrive early in the morning. LHR however may be problematic and airbourne delays of 30-45 minutes may happen.

B. 3 hour connection should be more than enough even if your bags are not checked-through. LY should be able to check your bags through even if it is on separate tickets.

C. Stand-by for an earlier flight with your bags checked-through to the next - I doubt they will even let you and if they do - I doubt your bags will make it.

I'm flying TLV-LHR this March on a Sunday and connecting to an AA flight on a separate ticket.

LY315 departs 09:15 arrives 13:35 and I want to connect either to an AA flight leaving at 4.30pm or one at 6.30pm. I'd like to try going for the earlier AA option since it minimises my waiting time.

I'd like to know how punctual the LY flight generally is. Will LY check my bags through despite the separate ticket?

From 13:35 to 16:30 you have almost 3 hours. Unless you have mixed up your 12/24 hour clocks and the AA flight is at 14:30 and not 16:30! Assuming it is at 16:30 (4:30pm) you will have plenty of time. Nothing at all to worry about. The LY flight often gets in up to half an hour early.

My experience with checking bags through is that if you give them your onward ticket at the checkin they will check your bags through regardless as to whether it is the same ticket or not.

LHR doesn't seem like a :55 connection is viable....BA's web site lists a within-terminal-3 connection as requiring a 60 minute minimum connection, although obviously you're not bound by their rules if you book the flights yourself. If you do book it, it seems like a case where I'd want a good backup plan....

13:25 - 16:30 is 2:55, not :55.

Thanks everyone -- that's really helpful. I'll go with the earlier flight then and save myself 2hrs waiting time. That's why I love this board. What would I do without your advice? :):)

I confess that I read too fast and the change in notation from 24h time to 12h time caught me up....Thanks apirchik and mikeb for pointing this out and my apologies for a less than useful response!

I confess that I read too fast and the change in notation from 24h time to 12h time caught me up....Thanks apirchik and mikeb for pointing this out and my apologies for a less than useful response!

Next time I will be more consistent. Perhaps my problem was that US time formats (and hence AA's schedule) uses the 12hr clock, whereas Elal quoted using 24hr format. As a European, I have grown up with and much prefer 24hr format (it also makes for a smaller probability of mistaken flight times!)