kingcole974

On Monday we are booked on the flight to LGW that leaves about 1630.

We are arriving on the QR flight which is scheduled to arrive at 1120. The earlier flight is 1225, so clearly it wasn't a good idea to book this one, but if we happen to be early, it could be possible.

The flight we are booked on looks sold out (tried making a dummy booking and it said as much) but the earlier flight would let me book seats.

To complicate matters slightly, myself and 2 kids are booked via On Businsess miles which I understand are flexible but my wife is booked on a revenue HBO ticket. Am I right in thinking her ticket could be changed for a fee and mine and my kids for no fee? Both subject to availabilty I realise.

What would be the latest I would need to be at check with our bags to ask about getting on the earlier flight and is check in / bag drop the correct place to ask?

If it's 45 mins before then in theory I might make it if the plane made up just 15 mins (we are J from DOH) where if it's an hour I would a lot of lucky elements to combine to even make this a possibility.

I should add this is not the same ticket, so will be collecting bags and rechecking.

UKtravelbear

What's the BA bag drop time at LGW for the earlier VCE flight? That might be the main block to doing anything.

kingcole974

I assumed it was 45 mins as short haul. Are there different rules at different airports?

rapidex

I think the OP is trying to get to LGW from VCE

LondonElite

I think that both in theory and in practice this is unlikely to happen.

windowontheAside

I also think this is hugely optimistic.

If I understand you correctly, you have 1hr5 to deplane at VCE, claim bags, clear immigration, change 2 sets of tickets and then checkin before the cut off.

Also, I may be wrong but I thought OB bookings have the same 24hr cutoff for changes as Avios bookings.

LondonElite

That's right, and BA doesn't do standby.

corporate-wage-slave

I suspect the same too. There may, of course, be local reasons why it may happen. For example the QR flight comes in a bit early, the London flight is running a bit late, the grround staff fear there may be overbooking on the late flight. But generally the system is against the passenger unless there is a good 90 minutes to go before departure. Furthermore, for small delays, they don't shift the flight closing times. I don't know about the OB ticket, but for HBO that needs to be reissued by 1 hour before (scheduled, generally) departure. Plus two PNRs will make the task look twice as painful to the ground staff. By all means ask, but I would expect that you'd need to expect a few hours at Marco Polo airport.

orbitmic

+1

Also, if I'm not mistaken, even plus fares must technically be changed at least one hour before the flight. The chances that you have gone through immigration, collected bags, and made it back to the BA counter by that time are slim at best even if we forget the fee issue and the need to find 3 seats.

mmxbreaks

You intend to land/collect bags/reticket/drop bags in 45-mins... not gonna happen. I'd take it easy and not worry about even attempting to change it.

Every airport-based conversation I've had with BA about ticket changes - even on flights which are oversold by 7x pax - they've tried to charge me. The company would rather boot passengers off oversold flights than putting its frequent flyers on earlier flights... which just meant I went to the lounge for four hours and ate/drank everything instead.