PepeBorja

I need to book 2 flights from LHR to MUC on BA for Sept.

Their website shows 2 prices 109 w/o bags and 119 w/bags. Should I buy the w/o bag tix and save the 10 Quid per pax because by Sept then my US AIR Plat status will give me oneWorld rights for 1 bag per pax?

HNL

Makes sense to me.

ow tip: the folks on the BA board prefer British Airways v British Air or Brit Air.

PepeBorja

Thanks. I will double check with the War Department make sure she wants to fly rather than take Eurostar to Paris and the TGV to Munich. Certainly would be different to be on high speed rail and trains that don's say Amtrak

The only downside is spending the day traveling rather than having a few hours too stroll around in Munich during Oktoberfest.

TravellingSalesman

Alas, the OWE benefit that allows you to check an extra bag does not apply to hand luggage only fares. See for example here:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...a-baggage.html

PepeBorja

Got it. So its like a no benefit then since the fare itself already includes 1 bag. Its only 20 Quid more for 2 tix but was wondering if the benefits applied to such fares. I certainly have no appetite to argue with an agent over 20 my status and ability to check in bags.

I may just book Lufthansa as they are cheaper. Don;t know about the fare including bags. Thanks for the info.

Dave Noble

If you hold OWE Status

Book a hand baggage only fare on British Airways and zero luggage allowance
Book any other fare on British Airways and will be allowed an additional piece on top of the ticketed allowance

JDiver

Definitely, hand baggage fees don't allow for checked luggage. LH might be cheaper, as might airberlin / air berlin from LHR to MUC.

Pray tell, what AMTRAK trains are "high speed"? (European high speed trains are at or above 186 MPH / 300 kph.) (Definitely LON-MUC would be slower.)

Dave Noble

I think that the poster was stating that it was good to be on
high speed trains and
trains that do not say Amtrak

i.e that Amtrak trains are not high speed

PepeBorja

The journey seems a bit complicated as the prices are cheap with very early flights or late flights. Anything in the decent hours range of 10 to 12 am is a lot more expensive. I'm on Holiday so rising up at 4 am to catch a 7:35 flight is not my idea of fun.

Flying seems to require 2 hours before check-in plus another 20 minutes on the Heathrow Express. The full journey about 4.5 hours vs. 9 for the train trips. The question I guess is how to best spend the time. A lazy day in London with a late fight to MUC or just enjoy a long choo choo ride to MUC. I will let "her" decide. We are traveling on miles and hotel points ($260 for the entire 8 night trip) so paying high dollars for the LHR to MUC flight is not a deal breaker. My goal is to try to spend as little on transportation and instead splurge in fun stuff.

The good news is there are plenty of choices. The bad news is there are plenty of choices.

SJC AA

The BA lounges at Heathrow are quite nice and with status you should be able to arrive 1.5 hrs before departure with no problem. (Longer if you want to spend time in the lounges.)

Munich airport is quite efficient, but the train into town is not particularly great by European standards.

You could take one method one way and one the other...

BoeingBoy

Possibly the poster was using "high speed" as a relative rather than absolute term. Certainly Amtrak has nothing that compares to the European high speed trains, but it's not a mode of European transportation. In the U.S. Amtrak does operate some high speed trains, compared to other trains that it operates in the U.S.

The French TGV is 5th fastest in the world - absolute top speed, not normal operating top speed. If you'd prefer "high speed" as an absolute term I'm sure you won't mind not referring to European "high speed" trains...

Jim

Dallas49er

1. Eurostar and TGV is wonderful. Worth paying up for.

2. While MUC is a shining jewel of cleanliness and a tribute to Teutonic efficiency, LHR is, to be polite, an unpleasant experience. LHR-MUC is like the scene in the "Wizard of OZ" where Dorothy leaves her house and enters OZ.

3. IMHO (based on 5+ years experience) you can indeed "stroll" through Munich, for a couple of hours during Oktoberfest, but if you are not going TO Oktoberfest itself, you may find the city packed and hotels and restaurants difficult and/or expensive. The weekend after the opening weekend has become "Italian" weekend. where it seems like all of Italy relocates to MUC.

4. I am planning on being there this year again, so if you wish, you may PM me.

GOOD LUCK.