NDS88

I’ve booked an award ticket for Nov on AA that arrives into LHR at 7, there’s a separate paid ticket on aer lingus flight at 9:45 to Ork. As a us citizen, is that enough time to make it? Unclear yet whether I’ll have checked bag or not, I might try taking my us-sized carry on for AA flight, but then turning that into my checked bag for aer lingus - not sure if I can do that at aer lingus gate and avoid having to do customs in Lhr or not, as I understand I’d have to if I check my bag on AA flight (since separate itenararies). Thoughts?

alserire

It should be if all is on time but you do have to go through border control and security before boarding the EI. And border control can be very busy at that hour of the morning in LHR. So if everything it on time you should be ok. But if there's any delay you could miss your connection. AA and EI depart from different terminals so that needs to be factored in too.

NDS88

Does it make any difference as to whether I have checked luggage or not? Thought that, if I didn’t have checked luggage. I’d need to go through security but *not* customs.

ROKNA

Option 1 - Hand Baggage Only
You follow the purple route which is semi airside you get to T2 transfer area, go through security, then you go through the UK/Ireland border (VERY VERY important you go through the correct path here). Customs done in Dublin on arrival


Option 2 - Checked Baggage
You exit through the UK border in the terminal of arrival (T3?), pick up bag, clear UK customs then exit into public terminal and get to T2 (T3-T2 is walkable)
Check in at T2 and clear security again. Customs done in Dublin on arrival


Without a checked bag this is a realistic connection assuming a reasonably on-time arrival. Best case transfer time is about 40 minutes. Too many variables on the other way thanks to the potential for long queues and poor baggage handling

JohnIreland

I think Hand Baggage Only is your best option as it keeps you airside and you don't need to account for the extra bag drop time.

NDS88

If I bring, on my US -> LHR flight, a US-sized carry-on, will I be able to bring that with me into the T2 gate (for Aer Linus LHR-ORK flight) *without* needing to go through customs, and just check at the boarding gate as checked baggage?

irishguy28

Do you actually here mean immigration and/or security? Because customs is the last step before you leave the airport, and I fail to see the relevance of customs to your journey.

If you stay airside and connect airside, then you avoid the regular/full immigration control. There will also be a security check.

Does anybody know if EI operates a "compliance" timing check of the same sort that BA operates at LHR? I once almost came a-cropper when self-connecting at LHR, staying airside, and flying onwards with a BA boarding pass generated while I was airside at Heathrow. At the time I didn't realise that if you didn't scan into the "normal" (from landside going to airside) security with your boarding pass, as a Heathrow-originating passenger, at T-40minutes (or whatever the timing is), then you are actually marked as a no-show. At the gate, I was shown as having been offloaded as a no-show. Having a Gold card at the time definitely seemed to ease the recovery process!!!

NDS88

Good question! My understanding is that - if I enter Heathrow from the AA flight from the US with *only* carry-on bags, then I still need to go thru immigration/security to transfer to my ORK flight in Terminal 2..... but that if I have checked bags, but flights are on separate itineraries, then I will need to go thru immigration/security, and *also* through customs to pick up my checked bag, get it processed, and then check it in for my ORK flight out in the 'general check in' area.

If the above is correct, then of course I'd rather stick with just carry-on bags on the AA flight from the US, but I'm unclear if I can get over to T2 with my non-EMEA-size carry-on, and then just deal with it as checked baggage once I'm at the Aer Lingus gate.

stifle

That is accurate.

Aer Lingus will charge you €35 to gate-check a bag if it's oversize.

NDS88

Perfect, then I'll just buy a ticket that includes a checked bag, and just check it at the gate. Anything to avoid having to "be safe" and book the next flight out like 4 hours later...

irishguy28

If you purchase a checked bag, it will need to be given to them at the landside check-in desk rather than at the gate.

If you arrive at the boarding gate with a bag that has to be checked, you will have to pay. The fact that you paid already for a checked bag, and then failed to use that allowance by going to the check-in desk, will not mean you get to gate-check it for free.

(Gate-checking is not a service provided for the convenience of passengers. It is a punitive measure to prevent people arriving at the boarding gate with oversized carry-ons. Passengers should check luggage landside to avoid further charges)

Nil SeAnn

If you choose the carry-on option, be aware that EI gate agents will check your bag weight to make sure it's 10kg or less.

Pete_23567

I don’t think this is very common… I’ve flown 14 return flights this year and I’ve never had my carry on bag weighed? Fair enough if it looked huge - but I’ve always had a laptop case and carry on probably 15kg between them with no issue

Nil SeAnn

My 3 LHR-SNN flights in the last few months with a roller bag were all weight checked. Marginally over weight once so removed a few things into my jacket and all was fine.

Pete_23567

Very interesting to know… I’ve been out of DUB to LIS, FCO, BCN, BER and MUC and not been weighed… to be fair my carry on has prob been under 10kg but my laptop bag can vary wildly