We are travelling back from Quito to Manchester via Madrid and LHR. Our LHR-MAN flight was booked separately and when the flights were booked the MAD-LHR was due to arrive in T5, but several months after booking the flight was switched to T3 (both bookings were made with BA). So we are going to have to pick up our bags in T3 LHR tomorrow and head to T5 to check bags in again. I asked the agent at Quito whether he would check our bags straight through to Manchester and was a straight no (I did ask BA about this before our trip and apparently some airports will still oblige).

I appreciate that checking bags through on two bookings stopped some time ago, but why was this stopped? I suspect there was considerable discussion at the time but I could not find the threads. Seems to have added significant inconvenience to passengers and adds to the workload of staff who have to check in bags a second time. I would not have minded normally but have damaged my back and really did not want to have to carry our bags from T3 to T5. I hope my wife is feeling strong 😉.