Originally Posted by Smirnoff

LCA has a check-in scrum. Has thou forgotten who thy travelling neighbours will be? There are technically 3 counters (first ones to the right hand side of the terminal as you go in), marked something like "Club Europe", "Bag Drop" and "Customer Services". All 3 signs are ignored by all. The LCA secret - OLCI and PYOBP work a treat. Turn up late at check-in. At around 1600 is perfect, ie around 50-60 mins before departure, and the check-in desks will be queue-less. The other passengers think they are on a charter and will be queuing 3 hours before the flight goes. Stroll up at 1600, drop your bags, and you'll be through passport control and security within 5 minutes of arriving at the terminal. You do NOT want to spend any more time that is absolutely necessary airside, unless you are a fan of Burger King and overweight tattoed pink people. You will get access to the glorious Sunjet Lounge even if travelling in ET, on the basis of your Silver Card. Make sure you get an invite from the check-in staff (who are all lovely by the way).

Originally Posted by Smirnoff

I would recommend OLCIing them in, PYOBPing, and if they don't have email/printer access - select the "FAX BP" option, to get the BPs faxed to where they are staying. I would suggest they arrive one hour before departure. It is VERY hot airside, and the fry-up at Burger King doesn't help. They can pay for access to the Sunjet Lounge if they want. If so, tell them to turn right immediately after security, past the luggage shop, and up in the lift (opposite Burger King) to the first floor. The BA flight goes from pen number 4. It is a pen, and resembles something you might herd sheep into, and is a particularly unpleasant place to stand, waiting for the bus to the plane. Newpapers are in the pen on the right. LCA is good at priority boarding, so if they need extra time boarding, do tell them not to be shy but to make themselves known when they annouce pre-boarding, which means they will be on the first bus, will be first out of the pen, and will avoid the worst of the mad dash to the steps up to the plane.