SFplat

Hi All,

I'm flying AA to LHR shortly.

I have a seperate ticket from LHR to BOM on Emirates. Flight leaves about 2 hours after my AA flight arrives.

Both flights are at Terminal 3 at LHR.

My question:
having never done this before, I'm wondering if I'll need to go through customs at LHR or if I can use any kind of 'connecting flight' pathway.

I will have checked bags that I'll need to collect and recheck in LHR because I can't check them in all the way from the US.

Thx.

landspeed

If it's true that you can't interline baggage, you'll have to go through immigration, as the baggage claim is past immigration.

If you were carry-on only or interlining baggage, you could stay airside (but still have to pass through the security check at flight connections).

Globaliser

If you can possibly through-check the bags, do it. Quite apart from the delays involved in clearing immigration, waiting for baggage delivery and then clearing customs, the AA check-in area at LHR T3 can be a complete zoo.

If you can through-check the bags, then you will stay entirely within T3 without having to clear immigration or Customs. Make sure you follow the signs for flight connections Terminal 3, because otherwise you will get taken off to the Flight Connections Centre where you definitely do not want to be. Intra-T3 connections are very easy.

in31122

Based on my own experience flying AA to LHR and EK onwards, you can absolutely through-check your bags. In fact, because part of your journey involves transatlantic travel (subject to the piece concept with baggage), you do not have to hold yourself to the 20kg limit imposed by Emirates. However, this is only applicable if you are through-checking bags, so I would only do this if you are also making a quick connection on your return.

zakami

I second this. You should be able to checks your bags through (I have done this and also on reverse - EK to AA at LHR). And of course you do have to go through security again. The first time I did this, I did not bother to go through security but fortunately for me the person at the Flagship Lounge caught this or I might have missed my plane.

SFplat

Thanks for the great replies.

I'll call AA again and ask about checking the bags through on our JFK-LHR-Dubai-BOM flights. That's the outgoing itinerary.

(On the way back we are stopping for a few days in London, so we don't want to check them through.)

I'm not sure about the "pieces" concept. I'm off to go read about it on Emirates website.

Thanks.

Dave Noble

"In fact, because part of your journey involves transatlantic travel (subject to the piece concept with baggage), you do not have to hold yourself to the 20kg limit imposed by Emirates."

This is not true. Since they are separate tickets the piece based system only applies to the AA flights. The Emirates baggage allowances are based on the weight base system and can be charged as such.

"However, this is only applicable if you are through-checking bags,"

And as long as they do not charge. Even if this works on the outbound, if returning the same way, Emirates will go "Keerrr Ching" if you try to check in with 64Kg on the return

Dave

InterflugIL62

SFPLAT- I don't understand why you are unable to check your bags all the way through. AA and EK should have an agreement on such a transfer.

If bags are transfered, no customs. If you must claim them, then yes, have to go to beloved T3 passport control, Yanks to the far end of the room , then down to bag reclaim and customs, then have to go over to 3 Departures for recheck, which will take quite a bit of time. ( You will be lucky to do all that in 2 hours, especially if queues/lines for T3 security are long)

If bags are transfered which I hope they can be, simple in-Terminal transfer at 3 and yes, you go through security. EK uses the UA lounge.

One sidenote for when you come back, atleast as far as AA. A friend went to Dubai then came back via AA from CDG. Security at CDG gave him a hard time because of the 'Arabic' stamps in his passport and he was quite pissed about it. So just be warned when you get back you may get an extra question or 2.

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YAS+

Dave Noble

"( You will be lucky to do all that in 2 hours, especially if queues/lines for T3 security are long)"

Security lines at LHR are not really the issue here imo. EK closes it check in desks ( iirc ) at 45 minutes before departure, leaving 75 minutes to collect bags and get to check in. It isn't far from arrivals to departures and 45 minutes should be enough to get to clear customs and collect bags. Once checked in, you should have no trouble gettign to the flight in time

It would be unsporting of AA to not check the bags through, however they are under no obligation at all to do so

Dave

JohnAx

Be sure to allow a few extra minutes for checkin - we were off to CAI via JFK, starting from LGB, and the agent knew that it was possible to interline the bags at JFK but wasn't quite sure how to do that.

After five minutes of her running around trying to find someone who did, we said what the heck, we've got a long connection, we'll just carry them over. Big mistake, even without customs to worry about.

ejward2000

Baggage transfer at Heathrow can be slow even within the same terminal. If your AA flight is late,transfer could be a problem. Consider telling AA at check-in to place priority tags on bags or use carry-on to stay airside.