I've booked a trip in April and am a bit nervous about my connections, (especially since there's a transfer between BA and VS in LHR - and there's only one LHR-SFO flight that day)
Do you have any advice?
Note - I booked them all first class to take advantage of any queue-jumping.
Also - Because they were award tickets from both airlines, they're ticketed separately, so baggage (4 pieces) must be collected and re-checked.
Flight 1 - Transfer in LHR:
Arrive Terminal 3 on VS 20 (Upper Class) 10:40 AM
- need to collect bags and pass through customs/immigration
Depart Terminal 5 on BA 438 to AMS (club europe) 1:15 PM
Flight 2:
Depart ORY on BA 303 at 7:35 AM
- When should I arrive at ORY? (Club Europe check-in)
Transfer in LHR
arrive terminal 5 at 7:55 AM
(collect baggage and check in, Upper Class)
depart VS 19, terminal 3 at 10:35
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You could ask at check-in at SFO to see if VS will check your bags through to ORY. If your bags are checked all the way through, you can stay airside at LHR and follow the purple Flight Connections signs from T3 to T5. You would got through security in T5, but no need for immigration/customs.
If you bags are not checked through, you will have to go through immigration and collect them in T3 and exit landside through customs. You can then take the free Heathrow Express transfer train the T5.
This all works the other way around to (ie. ORY-SFO).
Your flights on both VS and BA will be in business class (VS do not have first class, and BA do not operate first class on shorthaul flights).
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Well if the flights are on time, you will just about have time but with collecting your bags it is quite tight. Unfortunately during bad weather flights from places close by to the UK like AMS and ORY, do always suffer worse, as ATC won't let them take off just to join a holding patten.
I am pretty sure that you won't be able to through check your bags, so this will add time to your connection. BA won't through check your bags onto a Virgin Flight out of ORY, I am pretty sure.
On the outbound leg, why not make the AMS leg a bit later and have time to enjoy the wonderful T5 lounges to be on the safe side.
On the return leg, you can't make the ORY earlier but why not travel the day before and have a night in London on your way home, just to be on the safe side.
You might of course be lucky and all your flights will take off on time but as your on seperate tickets, if this does not happen, you might end up missing your flight and I don't think either airline will be able to help as you are not through ticketed.
Anyway that is my advice to you.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MarkBearSF
Yeah, whatever. I'm "Club Europe" on BA and "Upper Class" on VS.
The point remains that I'm booked in a class that offers expedited queueing.
Well, my personal advice, even with the benefits of being on a business ticket are that if there are weather problems in LHR or AMS and ORY, you will have problems.
If everything is on time, it will be ok but unfortunately we do still get fog and high winds around that time of the year sometimes.
I hope whatever you decide you have a great time.
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This isn't a connection I would be comfortable about, mainly due to the checked luggage situation (4 bags!!!!!). And believe me, I like to keep connections as short as possible.
I see the biggest problem is on the outbound. Let's say the Virgin flight is delayed by its average delay (28 minutes). You could be looking at getting landside in T3 at 12 midday. Which means you could get to T5 using the Heathrow Express at 12:30, and you need to be checked at 12:30. This is not exactly a doomsday scenario either.
On the return you suggest BA303 leaves ORY, I think it's CDG. Both airports are OK for a 1 hour check-in, maybe an extra 15-30 minutes to allow for transport delays, so aiming to get there 1:15 minutes before departure. ORY in particular is quite fast. CDG can have slightly painful security delays but these times should be OK.
Now assuming you get according to your timetable about 8 am, allow 20 minutes for delays, you should be landside before 9:00 and therefore at T3 for 9:30. No problems there, in normal circumstances.
Separate tickets means a big risk. I'd make sure you have good flight insurance, but I'm not sure your first set of flights would be a good idea.
I would book a later flight to AMS in particular. And pay cash (shock horror) if necessary to have a reasonable flying experience. And go hand luggage only, you could transfer airside that way.
OOPS - you're right CDG, not ORY for the return! (That'll teach me to be all sophisticated by using airport codes)
Thanks all. (More specific advice as to where to go, things to avoid at the airports etc would be appreciated as well, since I'm really not very familiar with any of the airports)
For the inbound connection to AMS, I was limited on flights because I used points. I'm a bit less worried about this connection, because if I miss it, there are a number of LHR-AMS flights later that day and I'm not picky about the seats on an 80 min flight. (I only booked club europe for the logistics)
For the outbound connection - yeah, it's tight, but I'm not willing to pass up a day in Paris (would you?) - and if I need to spend a day in London because of a travel emergency, then c'est la vie!
...and the 4 bags are for 2 people (1 week river cruise then 6d in Paris)
OOPS - you're right CDG, not ORY for the return! (That'll teach me to be all sophisticated by using airport codes)
Thanks all. (More specific advice as to where to go, things to avoid at the airports etc would be appreciated as well, since I'm really not very familiar with any of the airports)
For the inbound connection to AMS, I was limited on flights because I used points. I'm a bit less worried about this connection, because if I miss it, there are a number of LHR-AMS flights later that day and I'm not picky about the seats on an 80 min flight. (I only booked club europe for the logistics)
For the outbound connection - yeah, it's tight, but I'm not willing to pass up a day in Paris (would you?) - and if I need to spend a day in London because of a travel emergency, then c'est la vie!
Paris is not one of my favourite cities to be honest with you. That's just my opinion....
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MarkBearSF
OOPS - you're right CDG, not ORY for the return! (That'll teach me to be all sophisticated by using airport codes)
Thanks all. (More specific advice as to where to go, things to avoid at the airports etc would be appreciated as well, since I'm really not very familiar with any of the airports)
For the inbound connection to AMS, I was limited on flights because I used points. I'm a bit less worried about this connection, because if I miss it, there are a number of LHR-AMS flights later that day and I'm not picky about the seats on an 80 min flight. (I only booked club europe for the logistics)
For the outbound connection - yeah, it's tight, but I'm not willing to pass up a day in Paris (would you?) - and if I need to spend a day in London because of a travel emergency, then c'est la vie!
Well as long as your tickets are the kind that you can transfer if late. Are you sure that is the case?
I personally prefer London to Paris but if you have friends there, I guess that makes sense but you will be very stressed if the weather is bad. I see this all the time, trust me.
Anyway good luck. I personally would not do this myself.
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Well as long as your tickets are the kind that you can transfer if late. Are you sure that is the case?
Anyway good luck. I personally would not do this myself.
Are there any kind of redemption tickets that you can transfer if you miss them? I was thinking that new tickets would have to be purchased, which would be too much of a risk for me. But then I'm unadventurous like that .
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It's pretty much a case of following the signs at LHR. Assuming you need to collect your bags:
T3-T5 the route is Immigration>Baggage Reclaim>Customs>Train to T5>Check-In (Zone H for Club)>Fast Track Security (lane to right of South Security)>Galleries Club lounge (follow signs to North/South lounges)
T5-T3 the route is Immigration>Baggage Reclaim>Customs>Train to T3>Check-In (Zone A, right hand side for Upper Class)>Fast Track Security (special lift immediately adjacent to check-in)>Clubhouse (follow signs to Lounge H)
Heathrow Express train transfer between terminals takes less than 5 minutes, excluding waiting time (trains are every 15 minutes).
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CreativeBill
Are there any kind of redemption tickets that you can transfer if you miss them? I was thinking that new tickets would have to be bought, which would be too much of a risk for me. But then I'm unadventurous like that .
I thought that too! By the time you miss the flight, you have lost the ticket unless it is flexible but I am not an expert on reward flights.
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(All my opinions are my own personal opinions and I do not speak for or on behalf of British Airways)
For the outbound connection - yeah, it's tight, but I'm not willing to pass up a day in Paris (would you?) - and if I need to spend a day in London because of a travel emergency, then c'est la vie!
I think with this attitude you can't go wrong
The biggest risk is the outbound ticket on VS--longhaul flights usually cost more to replace if you miss them. However, if that UC ticket is changeable or retains value if you no-show, then your risk pretty much comes down to a hotel room in London, with which I see you have no proble
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