Opinions please...
Later this month I'm flying LHR - OSL (cheap ET ticket) and then OSL - LHR - SYD (ET/WT+). I've got 6 hours in OSL (arrive 1100, depart 1700
- no lounge access either) though I might break the monotony with a quick trip into the city for lunch or something. I then arrive at LHR at 1820 for the 2150 SYD flight - a 3h30 connection all in T4. Now I've got 3 choices with what to do with my checked baggage:
1) Check it in at LHR in the morning for all of LHR - OSL - LHR - SYD. This might get a raised eyebrow from whoever is manning the FBD desk but it involves the least hassle and means I have loads of time to make the connection at LHR.
2) Check it in for LHR - OSL, collect it at OSL and then check it back in for OSL - LHR - SYD. This perhaps reduces the chances of it going AWOL in OSL and still means I can make an easy connection at LHR.
3) Drop my bags off at left luggage in the morning and fly to OSL and back with only hand baggage. Then go landside on arrival in the evening, collect the bags and check them in only for LHR - SYD. Doing this means the chances of losing my bags are minimal BUT I'd have to keep my eye on the time. If the OSL - LHR sector is an hour late departing (which it very well could be), has to cross a runway at LHR and then parks on a remote stand (and we all know how long that can take) then I might only have <2 hours in which to get landside (IRIS access though), get my bags, take them to FBD and get through slow-track security. Also, it's a bugger to do considering I'll have been up since about 5-6am and have a 24hr flight coming up.
I'm leaning towards option 1 in terms of simplicity but I don't want my bags to go AWOL. I'm not staying at a hotel in SYD where getting my bags 24hrs later is 'easy' - I'm going out into the outback to do conservation work for 2 months and I'll be hours away from the airport.
So what do you reckon I should do?
Also, a quick question regarding the Aussie ETA visas. As it's all done electronically I assume they just take your passport at checkin, tap away on their keyboards a bit and all is done? Then it's just the standard "do you want to kill the PM/Shane Warne?" type questions at the other end?
TIA