Swanhunter

Departing

• The process is slightly different for F/J/Silver/Gold or the normals in WT+/WT.
• If travelling with hand baggage only, and you OLCI, no need to get there more than 75mins before departure. If checking bags, I’d recommend an extra 15mins or so. Both of those would be comfortable.
• BA flights go from Terminal 2A. 2A is to the right as your car goes up the ramp, and you should get your driver to drop you at the far end door.
• Normals should have a copy of their e ticket with then. Show this to the guard, and proceed into the terminal for x-ray and check in.
• F/J/Gold/Silver should track down a member of contract staff (normally wearing a BA sash). They will escort you into the terminal (no need for a ticket normally) and ensure your bags get put through the x-ray as quickly as possible. All bags need to x-rayed, but tell them what is to be checked in as a sticker and cable tie is needed for hold bags. N.B Cricket balls are not eligible for hand baggage.
• You also get baggage tags at this point, keep the one/s for your hand baggage as they are important for later.
• The Premium check is in a room around the corner. It often has a big queue while Y can be deserted, so feel free to confuse your escort and check in at the Y counter. They have all the relevant tags and lounge invites, saving you standing in a queue. The staff are often nicer too, less DKYWIA’s I guess.
• Fill in the departure card while checking in. Eligible pax get a lounge invite, as well as their BP.
• Immigration is down to the right. Those in F/ Prem or GGL get another escort through and will be invited to use the F/J line at immigration. This is normally closed off, but it seems that anyone in an airline uniform can lift the rope and wave you through. To enter the regular line you will need to show your BP.
• Immigration will want to see your BP, passport and card. Like arrivals, there is a passport stamp check after the counters.
• Turn right, walking past the old lounges. Down the escalator and to the right is the now exclusive to BA lounge. It’s big – though gets full on a Friday night with a 70J 747 and assorted elites down the back and is for all pax.
• In the lounge there is a reasonable selection of hot and cold snacks (if you are feeling brave) plus self serve beer, water and soft drinks along with a small bar selection. Excitingly there are dedicated loos and a choice of two slightly erratic wifi providers. Smokers will need to head next door to the Clipper Bar (used by all other airlines) for a smoke, noting that drinks are not free here. Cricket will often be playing on the plasma screen, a welcome change from the global standard of CNN.
• Boarding is normally called in the lounge. Resist the temptation to head straight off. There is invariable a whopping queue at security. Instead wait until they evict you as the queue will have shrunk
• Security does not need laptops out, but will need to see liquid bags. Everyone gets frisked, your BP is stamped and so is the tag on your bags. In theory only one bag is allowed, but many get away with two.
• If you have come through securiy early, it is worth fighting to the front as F/J/Gold/Silver do get priority boarding. If boarding has already started when you reach the gate, hang back. The crowd is normally dense and pushing through is not easy.
• Before leaving the gate lounge your BP will be checked, as will the stamp on the bag tag. There is then a secondary security check for lucky selected people (travelling in F does not exempt you from this) followed by another BP check, then 10 paces on your BP is ripped in half. You then saunter down the jet bridge (often another queue) and stop onto the plane.
• After 3 security stations and 6 checks of your BP, you’ve made it.