kingcole974

Just wondered how strictly this enforced?

On an upcoming trip I am travelling with non status PAX. We are in Club and they are in WTP.

As Silver, we shall guest them into the lounge but due to being in London on the day of departure, we will likely be wanting to check bags about 4-5 hours before.

Is this likely to be an issue?

corporate-wage-slave

At T3 and T5, there is a rule that you cannot check in until 3 hours before, or even less if leaving first thing in the morning, check-in opens at 05:00 hrs. This is waived for Sapphire and above, and Club / First passengers, who can check in at any time on the calendar day of departure.

For non status passengers it is strictly enforced. At the back of the check in area at T5 you will see a single line of seating and many passengers sitting there. These people will generally be waiting until T-3. If you are checking in with your guests then I guess they may over-ride the time limit, but I don't think you can assume it will happen.

If HBO then there's no time limit.

LondonElite

Unless you are into people watching at airports, I can't imagine a good reason to get to an airport 5 hours before a flight. No lounge is that interesting. At LHR you can usually check in this early with status (many outstations won't have anyone near the rented BA gates at T-180minutes). Two hours is plenty, but to each their own.

Edit: note that each Silver can only guest in one person, so I'll assume you are both thus enabled!

flatlander

Sometimes there's not much else to do than go to the airport. For example if one has the late flight from an airport outside the main city and is oneself working at more distant place, it may be a choice of staying in a boring remote location or travelling to the airport and waiting in a slightly less boring airport. Or transport may force an early arrival.

For example I get this often at SFO. From where I have business in the back end of Silicon Valley to SFO for the afternoon flight, I can either stay in somewhere extremely boring like a hotel lobby in Santa Clara after checking out, or go to SFO to check in and wait there. It's not really feasible to do anything else (and HBO is not usually an option in this case for me).

I agree seeking out a long stay at an airport is a minority preference.

gismo1554

Definitely they enforce the rule! I got to the airport 3 hours and 20 minutes early and still had to wait the 20 minutes (joys of getting a 3 hour bus journey to the airport).

kingcole974

Yes, we are both silver.

Is there a technicality here that would work for me? Am I right in thinking that it's only bag drop that does not open to them before T-3 ?

If this is the case and I check their bag on my ticket (I won't use my allowance) and as they will already have their boarding pass, they can simply go straight to security.

Or will security not let them pass more than 3 hours before?

corporate-wage-slave

Well that's why I mentioned it, hoping you would take the subtle hint! Never mind, cat out the bag. The point that now has to be made quite heavily is that when you hand over the baggage you need to be able to truthfully say that you packed it yourself and haven't been given anything to check in onboard. If your friends are nearby, checking in at the same time, and are able to give the required answer then I guess that will be fine. It's just check-in that is under this time limit, many locations don't allow baggage check-in until 90 minutes before departure even for status travellers, and one advantage of HBO travel is that you are free of this constraint.

andrelux

On a side note, I was just thinking the other day that I can't remember the last time I was asked those questions. I thought they'd dropped it, since everyone always answers yes anyway (didn't seem worth explaining that the missus usually packed for me as she's much neater at it - didn't matter if it creased on the way back since it was generally dirty washing anyway).

darthlemsip

As I was scrolling down readin C-W-S reply I was thinking exactly the same thing. Can't remember the last time I was asked on any airline, let alone BA

rapidex

I nearly always answer "yes" even though my wife packs for me or chaos ensues.The only time I said no was when I checked a completely empty bag,and a supervisor was needed to see if I was allowed to check an empty bag that nobody had packed.

If your friends are travelling on the same flight as you checking in their bags will get you to the lounge earlier.It may not be the letter of the law but it is in the spirit.

kingcole974

Thanks for the confirmation and feeling s bit daft for being so slow on the uptake!

710 77345

Indeed, no point at 'hinting' at things rather than just saying it on the internet, as it rarely helps the person you're trying to help.

Maluku_Flyer

The things you can learn on FT.

I didn't even know there was such a rule. Except, obviously, at outstations where the check-in staff doesn't arrive before T-3 of a BA flight departing.

Maluku_Flyer

I've often arrived at airports many hours before my connecting flight. Either because I built in an extra buffer due to arriving on an unreliable feeder (see my sig). Or because there was simply no alternative to arriving early on a feeder flight.

sts603

What airports don't open check in until 90 minutes prior except maybe some very small out stations or very early in the morning? I've never seen anything under 120 minutes