gutterman

that is good to hear, so far the BC cabin is only about half full, I'm coming back on the 11th, and booked the trip months ago so I am hopeful. Thanks again for the tips and insight

gutterman

How have you handled the "luxury tax" for upgrades from LHR? Is it done at checkin (I'll be originating in TXL, will they collect it there) or at connections?

Wings Plus

Potential flight with only one and a half hours to connect. Anyone familiar with connecting in London, know if I have to go through security, change airlines and connect. Are they in the same terminal? Any lounge advice for MUC?

dstan

Greetings Wings Plus, and welcome to FlyerTalk!

Another moderator has merged your thread into this existing thread and I'd encourage you to review upthread for more info. You can also use Search Within Thread to look for specific info.

For lounges at MUC, check this thread:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...solidated.html

Wings Plus

Yes Tx dstan for moving as well as the link....will do and sorry for posting a new thread....cheeers wings

RChavez

The luxury tax is only applicable for people originating or stopping over in LHR, not connections. If your inbound flight is on a separate ticket, retain your boarding pass to show the AA agent when you request the upgrade.

That way you won't have to pay the tax.

ilhooq

The tax is definitely collected on connections. I just paid it. Make sure that you have valid payment information included in your upgrade request (I assume it's eVIP) and make sure that payment includes your complete credit card info including the 3- or 4-digit card code. I recently had an EXP agent tell me that without the payment info stored "there was no way that upgrade was going to clear!" Some agents don't know how to do them "right" since AA doesn't prompt them and doesn't automatically use the same payment info as your ticket for the upgrade. Way more complicated than it used to be.


For the MUC-LHR-ORD passenger:

An hour and a half T5 --> T3 connection on a Sunday morning should pose no huge problem, other than the T3 security line, which has no Fast Track line from the Flight Connections side. I just did MUC-LHR. Prior to T5, the buses were impossibly slow. They have it together now. If you're really pressed for time, once you board the bus, move to the opposite side, as the exit side is swapped on arrival at T3 and you can be first off the bus.

After security -- prepare for TSA-style policies and attitudes -- you should proceed immediately to your gate (if assigned) and prepare for very long walk and a traditional European boarding scrum. AA boarding at LHR is a total disaster; they have no idea what they're doing for most flights. Some flights, they do Priority AAccess. Not always. Prepare to have people cutting in front of you, regardless of cabin.

I suggest you check your bag all the way through at MUC to stay as unencumbered as possible. BA will charge you excess if you're not on a codeshare (more than 1 bag or more than 23 kg). If you're on an AA codeshare, they will charge you per AA's policies. Keep your baggage receipts, as AA will want them at the LHR transfer desk. If you're on an AA codeshare you will get both BPs, if not BA will not print your AA BP in MUC and AA will reprint it at LHR in any event. Hidden AA elves will retag your bags as Priority (if you're in J or F) at LHR if BA doesn't at LHR. No idea...

Have a great flight.

nbevan

Whether you pay the duty depends on whether the flights are "connected":

There have been previous reports that having PNRs linked is sufficient to make the flights connected, and avoid the tax. Presumably this would only be possible if the flights were both booked with AA (or with another provider who can link bookings).

Gamecock

On the luxury tax, does it count for European flights?

I recently upgraded a LHR-FRA flight on LH with miles and there was no mention of a Luxury Tax.

nbevan

Officially you should have paid an extra £11.

AA and BA consistently follow the rules, although there have been other reports of some airlines failing to collect the tax for upgrades.

Gamecock

Thanks!

glboisvert

How does that work the other way? I'll be traveling ORD-LHR-EDI and need to check two bags since I'll be in EDI for 5 months. Will AA charge me the $50 at O'Hare, and then I show BA the receipt when I get to Heathrow? Or will BA charge me $50 more? Or by Baggage Receipts do you mean the claim checks, and BA doesn't care how much you paid AA to check the bags through to Edinburgh?

nbevan

If you check your bags through, there is no extra charge from another airline while your bags are in transit.

ilhooq

If AA checks your bags ORD-LHR-EDI, then you pay AA and you're done with it for that direction of travel, correct.

The baggage receipts are what we used to call claim checks in the US, back when they used to check them, way back when.

BA will want to see them when/if you stop at a transfer desk on the way from T3 --> T5. That connection is far more difficult in terms of time consumption because of security at T5, so even if you're Fast Track, bring lots of extra patience and something to read in line. Haven't scrolled back to see if that's covered recently in detail.

The T3 Flagship Lounge at LHR is also closed for refurb, so EXPs should bring their EXP card with them and proceed directly to the BA Galleries First and completely bypass the Admiral's Club, unless you really have a lot of time and you really want to appreciate the contrast between the two in favor of the BA lounge.

IncaFlyer

If I'm connecting from AA to Gulf Air, I think it is a T3 --> T4 connection. Has anyone ever made this one and will I be ok with a 1:50 connection time?

This will be over the holidays, so not sure if the BA strike will cause things to be crazier or more calm at LHR...