Thanks all for your comments and advice. I think I'll go with the 65min connection and try to keep my parents moving along, while preparing them for perfect hand baggage obedience to avoid a secondary security screening nightmare that might finish us altogether!
Originally Posted by
henkybaby
If you are worried that your parents cannot make the connection, I would ask for assistance. I have made similarly timed connections with my mother, without any problems, driving around in a buggy. Quite fun too.
They are a bit slow, but not immobile ... and would definitely not welcome me arranging a passenger assistance transfer!!
Originally Posted by
cmcbugg
Yes, if it's booked as a single ticket, BA will move you to a later flight. You might not get the next scheduled flight however, it'll all depend on availability/standby etc.
It will definitely be on a single ticket. On the basis that the 65min connection should be fine, I think the safety net of ANY flight later that day would do
Originally Posted by
mikeyfly
I had a T5-T3 connection yesterday; the late in bound resulted in an automatic rebook on to a later flight. I didn't take the rescheduled flight, but it seemed to work seemlessly
The prospect of a late inbound doesn't bother me since the outcome will be obvious. It's just an on-time arrival with slow progress through LHR that bothers me!
Originally Posted by
corporate-wage-slave
It won't be a golf buggy at T5, I doubt many people would regard the experience as fun! More like a squawking mini milk float.
But yes, if you are late you will be rebooked. One advantage of using the App is that you can monitor this yourself and may not need any intervention. If you arrive on time you need to get to T5A Flight Connections by 06:00 or thereabouts, maybe a bit later if HBO, and that shouldn't be too difficult from T5C if JNB is on time or even a little early as it sometime is. The only hassle would be if the second service was full, and there is a risk that you may not be sat together, but hopefully that's not a problem. So you could, the night before, just check ExpertFlyer - or the BA thread - to see if the Belfast service is fully booked or not, just to be forearmed...
A milk float ... like a scene from Father Ted, perhaps... That'll be a NO!!
Getting to T5A by 0600 should be fine - I was more bothered about the shambles that North security can bring to connecting at that time - with a lot of overseas pax unfamiliar with the UK security process slowing it further.
I should admit that my wife and I did this very connection earlier this year. The inbound flight was 5 min late. We made it fine, but the BHD flight was boarding when we got to the gate and I'd say the margin was 10 min. The main holdup for us was the security queue. I asked the original question since it seemed feasible that the parentals could slow the process by that 10 mins...
Thanks very much for your responses - 65 min connection it is!
Cheers
DCf