Back-to-back / Immediate Turnarounds at BA Destinations
 

Hi All,

I was wondering about immediate turnarounds on the same aircraft at BA destinations and where this was easy to do and where it should be avoided. We all have weird and wonderful reasons for wanting to do these so I thought others may find a more general discussion useful without the usual “why are you doing that?” type comments when someone asks ;)

From what I’ve seen posted in various FT threads and a couple from my own experience the following are airports that don’t spit you out into arrivals and allow an immediate turn without having to re-clear central security:

ABZ, AMS, BLQ, CPH, DUS, EDI, GLA, HEL, FRA, JER, LIS, MUC, NCL, ZRH

I’d like to know which other BA destinations allow for immediate turnarounds on the same aircraft without the risk of missing the flight and which should be avoided?

I’d also be interested in hearing experiences of crew reaction to seeing you again so soon (or if they even noticed!)

So, what do you know …

HAM is normally on the Good list, similar to CPH.

MAD is on the Good list.

EDI - if bus - can leave you the wrong side of main security.

FRA - you don't avoid main security and that can be painful. Tight turnaround times too.

MXP there is a security scan but it's so lightweight. They only get about 6 transfer passengers a day they almost are shocked if someone uses it. The turnaround time in MXP is also generous.

WAW is similar, but they have a thing about wires. But the dedicated security is just a hop above the main departure level.

TXL - on the Good list, because the security is at the BA gate, and though it can be deathly slow, if you are in the queue they won't leave without you.

IST - there is a transfer path which is relatively quick. On the medium list since you will have a gate security scan and some long walks, on the other hand the BA lounge is next to the transfer escalator.

GIB - I don't think you avoid the security scan but again no danger of missing the flight since it's a smallish airport.

IOM - same as GIB.

To avoid: FRA (definitely), and BRU (peak periods, though it's not too bad).

Madrid should be fine, as long as you're sure it's the same plane. BA use T4S, Iberia use T4, so make sure you don't actually have to do the dash between the too! (If you do, you'll need to clear immigration, head down several floors, catch the train, go up, go out to the end of the terminal, exit through immigration)

Assuming a BA back-to-back at Madrid T4S, you come straight out into the terminal at the gate, and then grab a seat and wait for boarding. Or, it's a 4-5 minute walk to the lounge if there's time!

Should be theoretically possible at ABZ, though I'm sure the ground staff there wouldn't know what to do with a transfer passenger, when you arrive, you walk right through departures, so you could just stop there and wait at gate 5 for he BA flight.

GLA would definitely be one of the easiest to do this.

Not that I've done it, but HEL springs to mind.

bjorns

I did this for a TP run LHR-MAN-LHR-MAN-LHR.

Great fun and camaraderie. At MAN for the first time, I asked and showed my boarding pass for the return, and after a brief chat, was allowed into departures without having to go around.

Cabin Crew was very surprised when I reboarded and sat in the same seat. The Purser suggested they see this a lot and kept calling me George (Clooney) - for my looks obviously. :rolleyes:

After 2 hours in LHR, I reboarded for the second trip. The cabin crew going off duty from the first trip had forewarned the crew on the second trip who, captain included were waiting for me. Much laughing and discussing the implications of failing to achieve the magical number of TP's ensued.

Back at MAN, there was a possy of about 8 people come to look at the madman. One guy on his break sat with me in the lounge and I think I did eventually manage to convince him I was not completely bonkers.

A fun way to spend a morning.

Wife left me though.... (almost)

What about DUB which can be a good place to start a trip on BA?

GVA can be added to the list too. Just need to go back up the escalator to gate B32 (usual gate for BA to LHR). A 10 second walk and no security involved.

Thanks for the replies so far, this is very useful.

Does anyone know the situation at NCE? I actually went there last year but the flight was delayed and it was late and I wasn’t paying any attention on arrival so can’t recall if we were spat out in the non-Schengen gate area or into an arrivals path…

Also any more interesting experiences with cabin crew when doing this?

Decants into arrivals, passport control is fastish but you need to go out from the 300 gates to baggage collection (3 minutes) then take a right and go up the stairs by baggage belt 2 to get to transfer security. Then it's a saunter back to the gate area (1-2 minutes). Normally doesn't take too long but fate reserves the right to kick you in the teeth if you attempt a back-to-back, as you can't get to the fast track from the transfer entrance.

GOT should be possible as the passport control is virtually next to the gate

I've done this twice at JER, the first time it worked fine (arrival treated as "Domestic" ie turn right for lounge and waited for boarding). The second time, a month later, we were basically treated as an "International" but with no-one checking passports. No route through to Departures, locked doors, unhelpful staff. So, rapid sprint through baggage reclaim, past customs, out into the car park, across to the landside Departures bit, back inside, wave BP, very slow and methodical security scan, through the shopping mall, down the corridor, and back to the other side of the glass door I had been at 20 mins previously. 5 mins in the lounge and we boarded again. Won't be doing that again!

Surely VIE would be one of the easiest ever possible? With no segregation of arriving and departing pax, one could literally arrive and within about 5 metres rejoin the departing queue at same gate at the baggage scan belt.

BA usually use the B-pier as was (now the 300s) which has segregated arrivals. You will also have to clear Irish immigration, though I've never had any more than a 30s queue here. From baggage reclaim, there is a transfer route up to security, or you could use fast track if eligible. Fast track is usually very fast, but regular security can be brutal in DUB.

Sometimes BA use the old pier A which does allow a same plane turn (non segregated).

The main thing at DUB is the lengthy turnaround time in the schedule, though this is all a bit academic given BA's punctuality performance on the Irish routes!

As for BHD, it should be possible to stay airside, though the airport isn't set up for it and I can't imagine anyone has ever done it. You could jump the roped off access from the jetty into the lounge, but you'd need someone to open the doors into the lounge. Most of the time the access from door B and C into the departure gates is open and unmanned so you could always nip up that way. If not, it's a small airport and security can be super quick (but equally super slow -record 15 mins to clear with no actual queue!)