Originally Posted by Campion76
(Post 31286338)
Apologies, I'm trying not to replicate a previous-answered question here, but I'm hoping you can help me out. I'm flying this weekend on a non-connecting flight from EWR-LHR on Virgin Atlantic (arriving T3, I assume), then transferring to a BA flight from T5 seven hours later.
I can either check or not check my luggage. Checking would be nice because it's a long trip and I'm not sure I can fit all my liquids into one quart-sized container (special contact lens solution). However, after reading through the instructions, it looks like it might just be easier to suck it up and carry on my suitcase at EWR, thus preventing the hassle of going all the way landside, going through security again, etc. I would swear that a couple years ago, doing almost the same thing, when I got to T5 I was able to give my hand luggage (including a carry-on suitcase) to a BA rep somewhere in the middle of T5 and just leave it there for a few hours. I am sure I didn't pay for this service. However, I can't find anything on Heathrow's or BA's sites about this. Since I didn't pay, I don't think it was the left luggage service. Can anyone tell me what this was and if it's still there? If not, do I have any options other than lugging a suitcase around T5 with me for seven hours (I don't have lounge access). If you’re traveling on separate ticketing, you’ll have to go through immigration, retrieve your baggage, go through customs and proceed to the rail terminal. Take the train to T-5, check your baggage in and go airside. New members’ first posts go to a moderation queue as part of our spam prevention program; it can take a little time to review and release. No need to apologize; we have deleted that post. /Moderator |
Thanks! Perhaps my question wasn't clear. I understand how to get between terminals, I'm trying to figure out what to do with my bag in T5. I could check it, but since I have no status I think I have wait until 3 hrs before boarding. Or I could carry it on. In that case, I have a vague recollection of an area airside in T5 where BA would hold my suitcase. That's what I can't find any info about.
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Originally Posted by Campion76
(Post 31286338)
Checking would be nice because it's a long trip and I'm not sure I can fit all my liquids into one quart-sized container (special contact lens solution).
I can use the small travel pack bottles for onward travel, as they are under 3 oz. You might want to look at a Boots website to see if your desired brand of contact lens solution is available. You can also just call them and ask. I offer this info in the event you decide to go all carry-on. |
Originally Posted by Campion76
(Post 31286666)
Thanks! Perhaps my question wasn't clear. I understand how to get between terminals, I'm trying to figure out what to do with my bag in T5. I could check it, but since I have no status I think I have wait until 3 hrs before boarding. Or I could carry it on. In that case, I have a vague recollection of an area airside in T5 where BA would hold my suitcase. That's what I can't find any info about.
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Originally Posted by Campion76
(Post 31286666)
Thanks! Perhaps my question wasn't clear. I understand how to get between terminals, I'm trying to figure out what to do with my bag in T5. I could check it, but since I have no status I think I have wait until 3 hrs before boarding. Or I could carry it on. In that case, I have a vague recollection of an area airside in T5 where BA would hold my suitcase. That's what I can't find any info about.
1) Going landside to check your bag is not that big of deal, specially since you have a 7 hour layover. You have to go through security anyway, even if you stay airside. There is an extra step - immigraiton - that used to be a pain for non-european travelers (long lines). But good news is that US citizens are now eligible for e-gates. I haven't tried them myself but I assume they save a lot of time. 2) There are a couple of lounges for pay at terminal 5, Premium Plaza and Aspire. I have been to one of them (can't recall which one) and it was not bad for a few hours. For sure it is not comparable to a First Class lounge, but it was decent and better than being stuck outside. I assume they have a place to store your carry on. Access is for up to 3 hours I think, so you will have to make sure you tell them how much you intend to stay. It might a little bit more expensive than advertised because of that. |
Originally Posted by Campion76
(Post 31286666)
Thanks! Perhaps my question wasn't clear. I understand how to get between terminals, I'm trying to figure out what to do with my bag in T5. I could check it, but since I have no status I think I have wait until 3 hrs before boarding. Or I could carry it on. In that case, I have a vague recollection of an area airside in T5 where BA would hold my suitcase. That's what I can't find any info about.
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Originally Posted by KARFA
(Post 31286911)
use the self check in desks in t5, you can check a bag from 0500 on the day of travel regardless of cabin or status. |
Originally Posted by Campion76
(Post 31286959)
Thanks! And this is landside? As in I would check my bag, pick it up, etc., then take transpo to T5?
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Connection question in LHR
Flying AA metal getting in at 12:05 in LHR. Had to book connection separately, flying on to Lyon. BA flights either 1:55 pm or 6:55 pm. 1:55 to little time? Hate to add 5 hrs connection time. I’ve only connected from another destination in Europe through LHR. Are all AA flights going to be arriving in terminal 5? And do all flights to European destinations fly out of terminal 5? I know there are some flights in and out of terminal 3 but maybe just a few long haul flights. we will have checked bags, I assume we will be able to check through to Lyon, or not? If so, will we have to retrieve then recheck after immigration, etc.? Seems if no and we are able to check through to Lyon then 1:55 becomes much more realistic, correct? |
Originally Posted by Jonesdds
(Post 31304045)
Flying AA metal getting in at 12:05 in LHR. Had to book connection separately, flying on to Lyon. BA flights either 1:55 pm or 6:55 pm. 1:55 to little time? Hate to add 5 hrs connection time. I’ve only connected from another destination in Europe through LHR. Are all AA flights going to be arriving in terminal 5? And do all flights to European destinations fly out of terminal 5? I know there are some flights in and out of terminal 3 but maybe just a few long haul flights. we will have checked bags, I assume we will be able to check through to Lyon, or not? If so, will we have to retrieve then recheck after immigration, etc.? Seems if no and we are able to check through to Lyon then 1:55 becomes much more realistic, correct? Passport from where? AA will not through check luggage on separate tickets. That is your big problem Did you consider the Eurostar train & French train? BA forum thread ---> https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brit...ng-lhr-t5.html Click to open the wiki. Better on a laptop compared to a phone OW thread https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/onew...d-threads.html AA thread https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...2016-a-22.html Edit AA thread--->https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...-ba-ib-t5.html |
I'd choose the flight that leaves at 6:55pm. AA uses terminal 3 not terminal 5. Given that you'll have two reservations its cutting it extremely close. You will have to recheck bags as you will have two separate tickets and they will not tag your bag all the way to Lyon.
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1) All AA flights are at T3.
2) Currently BA's Lyon flights are also at T3. 3) you can check which terminal at LHR at: https://www.heathrow.com/airport-guide/which-terminal 4) the 1:55 BA flight would leave too short a time between flights (note, seperate tickets are not a connection) with checked bags. 5) AA will not through check bags on seperate tickets. You will have to clear immigration, claim your bags, and check in with BA. |
Originally Posted by Mwenenzi
(Post 31304059)
IMHO 1:55 is far short a time with separate tickets. A small delay and you are toast
Passport from where? AA will not through check luggage on separate tickets. That is your big problem Did you consider the Eurostar train & French train? That said, I wouldn't book this short AA-BA with checked bags |
Originally Posted by mvoight
(Post 31304125)
There are days when Eurostar stops in Lyon.... Of course, it is a bit easier to fly there.
That said, I wouldn't book this short AA-BA with checked bags |
Originally Posted by Jonesdds
(Post 31304045)
Flying AA metal getting in at 12:05 in LHR. Had to book connection separately, flying on to Lyon. BA flights either 1:55 pm or 6:55 pm. 1:55 to little time? Hate to add 5 hrs connection time. I’ve only connected from another destination in Europe through LHR. Are all AA flights going to be arriving in terminal 5? And do all flights to European destinations fly out of terminal 5? I know there are some flights in and out of terminal 3 but maybe just a few long haul flights. we will have checked bags, I assume we will be able to check through to Lyon, or not? If so, will we have to retrieve then recheck after immigration, etc.? Seems if no and we are able to check through to Lyon then 1:55 becomes much more realistic, correct? |
Originally Posted by gateH15
(Post 31304222)
even tho MCT will be met and he could technically be protected it’s too short of a connection to clear immigration, get the bags and recheck it. |
You have 1.50 not 1.55 - your maths is off and 5 minutes matter.
And you have less than that as you must have completed the BA check-in process / bags dropped off by T-45 not just be in a queue. So you have 1.05 to deplane, clear passport control (quick these days due to the e-gates), collect bags and then get to the BA check-in desks. All assuming you arrive on time. If you arrive late you have even less time. I wouldn't be comfortable with that. And if you miss the 1.55PM BA flight they won't automatically just rebook you onto the next one. Not sure what the AA policy is in these cases with separate tickets - read variable reports that they will and they won't/ |
As others have mentioned, 1:55 is too short of a time to be at all comfortable on making the BA flight to Lyon. That being said, the nice thing about having your second flight leave from T3 is the abundance of lounges to try out (AA/BA/CX/QF) and they are all very close to each other. As an EXP you can even try the F lounges/sections where available.
With the later departure, you can leisurely check them all out, take a shower,,relax, and have lunch and/or nibble on the various offerings the lounges provide. Of course this means you will have the opportunity to try out quite the selection of champagnes ;), or other beverages. This scenario is much preferable to trying to rush in a panic to catch the earlier flight, if even possible. |
Originally Posted by no1cub17
(Post 31304400)
MCT doesn't matter because this isn't a connection, these are separate tickets.
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LHR is one of the worst airports in Europe for connections or the non-connection you have. I would try to route thru a different airport. And having two different tickets is risky (delays) and inconvenient (no check thru). Did you try to look for different routings?
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Originally Posted by Jonesdds
(Post 31304045)
Flying AA metal getting in at 12:05 in LHR. Had to book connection separately, flying on to Lyon. BA flights either 1:55 pm or 6:55 pm. 1:55 to little time? Hate to add 5 hrs connection time. I’ve only connected from another destination in Europe through LHR. Are all AA flights going to be arriving in terminal 5? And do all flights to European destinations fly out of terminal 5? I know there are some flights in and out of terminal 3 but maybe just a few long haul flights. we will have checked bags, I assume we will be able to check through to Lyon, or not? If so, will we have to retrieve then recheck after immigration, etc.? Seems if no and we are able to check through to Lyon then 1:55 becomes much more realistic, correct? Advanced Search: Search threads only, results as threads, key search term “lhr” (very common terms or those of three or fewer terms must be enclosed in quotation marks, Search is case-ignorant). Moderator In your case, as others have said, 1:50 between flights would be quite risky. You’ll arrive T-3, have to arrive in the U.K., collect your bags and recheck at T-3. |
Originally Posted by Unterwegs
(Post 31305294)
LHR is one of the worst airports in Europe for connections or the non-connection you have. I would try to route thru a different airport. And having two different tickets is risky (delays) and inconvenient (no check thru). Did you try to look for different routings?
As mentioned above the 1:50 connection is too short given the checked luggage. So that leaves the 5 hr. connection, which will be plenty of time. While I agree it's a moderate PITA to have to clear immigration, re-check bags, etc., this is a T3-T3 connection, so far from the end of the world, and nowhere near bad enough that I would spend hundreds (if not thousands) in potential change fees & fare differences to avoid. Really not a big deal at all...land, get the immigration/baggage/re-check formalities out of the way, take a shower and have lunch in the CX lounge, and you'll be boarding to LYS before you know it. |
Originally Posted by hbtr
(Post 31304330)
Over the years about 70% of my AA flights int LHR have experienced some sort of delay, often due in part to some sort of flow control where you are stacked up somewhere near London for 15-30 minutes. |
Originally Posted by Jonesdds
(Post 31304045)
Flying AA metal getting in at 12:05 in LHR. Had to book connection separately, flying on to Lyon. BA flights either 1:55 pm or 6:55 pm. 1:55 to little time? Hate to add 5 hrs connection time. I’ve only connected from another destination in Europe through LHR. Are all AA flights going to be arriving in terminal 5? And do all flights to European destinations fly out of terminal 5? I know there are some flights in and out of terminal 3 but maybe just a few long haul flights. we will have checked bags, I assume we will be able to check through to Lyon, or not? If so, will we have to retrieve then recheck after immigration, etc.? Seems if no and we are able to check through to Lyon then 1:55 becomes much more realistic, correct? I had a similar ~2hr connection time. On the way back to the US, I did not make it to my flight to LAX. By the time I cleared immigration and collected my bag, I was not allowed to check-in. As it was the last flight of the day to the US, they re-booked me on the first flight next day. Nice that they were able to re-book but arriving one day later was not fun. So, yes, go for the longer connection. You will appreciate not having to rush and being able to take your time for every step of the transfer.
Originally Posted by Unterwegs
(Post 31305294)
LHR is one of the worst airports in Europe for connections
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Just another chirp to take the longer connection. Better safe than sorry with such things.
If in J, enjoy the arrivals lounge once bags are checked back in with BA. Have a shower, a bite to eat, and just relax. An extra couple of hours isn’t going to be the end of the world, and it’s much better not having to stress over making another flight on a tight schedule. Have a nice trip. |
Originally Posted by thunderlounge
(Post 31306062)
Just another chirp to take the longer connection. Better safe than sorry with such things.
If in J, enjoy the arrivals lounge once bags are checked back in with BA. Have a shower, a bite to eat, and just relax. An extra couple of hours isn’t going to be the end of the world, and it’s much better not having to stress over making another flight on a tight schedule. Have a nice trip. |
Originally Posted by KARFA
(Post 31286972)
yes. You would go through immigration at T3, collect your bag, go across to T5 (use HEX or tube) and go up to check in on the top floor to check your bag.
Originally Posted by Jonesdds
(Post 31304045)
Flying AA metal getting in at 12:05 in LHR. Had to book connection separately, flying on to Lyon. BA flights either 1:55 pm or 6:55 pm. 1:55 to little time? Hate to add 5 hrs connection time. I’ve only connected from another destination in Europe through LHR. Are all AA flights going to be arriving in terminal 5? And do all flights to European destinations fly out of terminal 5? I know there are some flights in and out of terminal 3 but maybe just a few long haul flights. we will have checked bags, I assume we will be able to check through to Lyon, or not? If so, will we have to retrieve then recheck after immigration, etc.? Seems if no and we are able to check through to Lyon then 1:55 becomes much more realistic, correct? |
Originally Posted by mvoight
(Post 31304125)
There are days when Eurostar stops in Lyon.... Of course, it is a bit easier to fly there.
That said, I wouldn't book this short AA-BA with checked bags |
Originally Posted by Jonesdds
(Post 31310508)
I was considering doing this, is there a station close to the airport or would I have to go downtown, Pancras station? If it was a quick taxi there I'd think about it. Assume requires a change of trains in Paris? We'll have two large suitcases and the carryon's so trying not to make it too difficult....
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Originally Posted by teemuflyer
(Post 31305023)
As others have mentioned, 1:55 is too short of a time to be at all comfortable on making the BA flight to Lyon. That being said, the nice thing about having your second flight leave from T3 is the abundance of lounges to try out (AA/BA/CX/QF) and they are all very close to each other. As an EXP you can even try the F lounges/sections where available.
With the later departure, you can leisurely check them all out, take a shower,,relax, and have lunch and/or nibble on the various offerings the lounges provide. Of course this means you will have the opportunity to try out quite the selection of champagnes ;), or other beverages. This scenario is much preferable to trying to rush in a panic to catch the earlier flight, if even possible. If both of my tickets are AA, even though one purchased and one is award am I really not able to combine them and have luggage checked all the way through? Yes, the second flight would be on BA metal but AA ticket. |
Originally Posted by Jonesdds
(Post 31310609)
Yes I wondered what lounges I'd be able to access. That does make the wait go much quicker. I am EXP and would most likely be flying coach on a AA award ticket(maybe BA award ticket), after a biz class flight on AA. So I would have access to those first class lounges? Does AA have Flagship lounge in LHR at this point? Probably be last on my list with CX and QF being the most interesting.
If both of my tickets are AA, even though one purchased and one is award am I really not able to combine them and have luggage checked all the way through? Yes, the second flight would be on BA metal but AA ticket. AA does have a Flagship First Lounge (the last of it's kind) in LHR, but all the other lounges I mentioned are available for you to try as well. Totally acceptable to hop around to check them all out. And alas, if you purchase one ticket and use awards on another, they are unfortunately considered separate tickets, thus no checked luggage through between those flights. |
Originally Posted by teemuflyer
(Post 31310646)
As an EXP on AA (OW Emerald) you have access to all OW First Class and below lounges when traveling internationally, including one guest when flying on OW flights. Doesn't matter if you are using rewards or cash for the tickets.
AA does have a Flagship First Lounge (the last of it's kind) in LHR, but all the other lounges I mentioned are available for you to try as well. Totally acceptable to hop around to check them all out. And alas, if you purchase one ticket and use awards on another, they are unfortunately considered separate tickets, thus no checked luggage through between those flights. OP, forget the train. You have to take the Tube from Hatton Cross to King’s Cross, walk .2 miles to St. Pancras. Absolute minimum an hour, I’d give it 1.5 hours. You need ~an hour to check in and do security at St. Pancras International, then 6 hrs or longer to Lyon, depending on connections (usually at Lille). OTOH, you’d arrive and depart LHR T-3 for LYS, and you have plenty of lounge choices. https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...aa-fliers.html |
Originally Posted by Jonesdds
(Post 31310609)
If both of my tickets are AA, even though one purchased and one is award am I really not able to combine them and have luggage checked all the way through? Yes, the second flight would be on BA metal but AA ticket.
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Originally Posted by anabolism
(Post 31313224)
This is a fairly recent (last couple of years) AA policy change, and another customer-hostile policy from AA. As I said upthread, if you can combine both sets of flights into one record, then separate tickets can be issued out of that one PNR and in most cases AA will then happily through-check your bags. AA can issue an award and a revenue ticket out of one PNR, but it gets tricky and I think one needs to be booked first. I think the revenue ticket needs to be booked first but I am not certain.
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Originally Posted by JJeffrey
(Post 31313273)
AFAIK they both need to booked at the same time over the phone in order for this to work. Obviously it takes a very well trained agent who knows what they're doing, probably a lot of HUCAs. Only a few very anecdotal data points on here of any success with this. If one ticket is already booked then it's not possible to add the additional paid/award flight onto the existing PNR.
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How about KLM in T4?
Looking on arriving T4 (KLM) two hours before departing on AA from T3. Not sure we can avoid the need to check bags (and thus I assume do immigration/baggage claim in T4 and landside xfer).
Is this plausible or cutting it too close? |
Originally Posted by dannyp123
(Post 31316749)
Looking on arriving T4 (KLM) two hours before departing on AA from T3. Not sure we can avoid the need to check bags (and thus I assume do immigration/baggage claim in T4 and landside xfer).
Is this plausible or cutting it too close? I think 2 hours is simply not enough, if i were you I would want at least 3 hours between those two, i assume these are separate bookings and there is no protection as well? |
Originally Posted by dannyp123
(Post 31316749)
Looking on arriving T4 (KLM) two hours before departing on AA from T3. Not sure we can avoid the need to check bags (and thus I assume do immigration/baggage claim in T4 and landside xfer).
Is this plausible or cutting it too close? |
You don't have two hours! you have 2 hours less the bag drop cut off time so a lot less time than you think. I think AA is no later than 45 mins so you'd have 1hr 15 mins. If it's an hour ...
Given the MCT for people with proper connections between T4 and T3 is 90 minutes using the airside system a self connection of less than that going landside is a recipe for disaster. And I'm not sure AA would rebook you for free if you arrive late for something that isn't either their or a partner airlines fault. |
Thanks everyone - guess I should book the earlier incoming flight to get the extra 80 minutes for the connection
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