Dec 23, 2016, 9:07 am
Last edit by: corporate-wage-slave
Baggage issues
Can I check my luggage in before my positioning flight?
It isn't guaranteed. You can certainly try, and many FTers have done this without issue, provided the longhaul sector is in Club World or First, or you have at least Silver/Sapphire status. But there is a risk the agent won't let you do this before the first leg. See this post for more options and ideas:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/27654059-post328.html
Can I check my luggage in before my positioning flight?
It isn't guaranteed. You can certainly try, and many FTers have done this without issue, provided the longhaul sector is in Club World or First, or you have at least Silver/Sapphire status. But there is a risk the agent won't let you do this before the first leg. See this post for more options and ideas:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/27654059-post328.html
Ex-Mainland Europe Travel Planning Guide
Oct 31, 2014, 3:06 am
#166
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,970
I'm trying to convince my wife to do an ex-EU, as there are some incredible fares right now. I want to do DUB-LHR-MIA return with a car.
Day 1
Morning positioning flight to LHR-DUB
Day in Dublin (neither of us has ever been)
Start main trip in the evening: DUB-LHR
Return home to SW18 for the night
Day 2
LHR-MIA
Last Day/next as overnight flight
MIA-LHR
Wife to go home, me to do LHR-DUB-LHR
Before I book, I just have a few questions.
1) Can I call the UK Silver Line to book this (i.e. an ex-EU with a car booking)? With the overnight, I can't make it work on ba.com, but would gladly take advice here. Flights on aa.com are much more expensive so that's out.
2) Is this itinerary workable - i.e. safe enough to ensure I make the evening flight on the outbound?
3) Do I need to take my baggage for the main trip to DUB to check, or can I take it to LHR on day 2?
4) Can I avoid having the bags checked through to DUB on the return? I want to get the LHR-DUB-LHR bit done that day. I want to do it for the TPs, so don't want to faff around heading over to LCY. It's not a problem if not, we'll pack carefully and I'll have the bag checked under me.
5) If MrsGM and me are on the same PNR, will it cause a problem if she sacks off the last leg?
6) As the car makes it a holiday, can I UUA to F (it would be on AA) if seats come up? Do AA sometimes release seats close to departure, like BA?
Thanks!
Day 1
Morning positioning flight to LHR-DUB
Day in Dublin (neither of us has ever been)
Start main trip in the evening: DUB-LHR
Return home to SW18 for the night
Day 2
LHR-MIA
Last Day/next as overnight flight
MIA-LHR
Wife to go home, me to do LHR-DUB-LHR
Before I book, I just have a few questions.
1) Can I call the UK Silver Line to book this (i.e. an ex-EU with a car booking)? With the overnight, I can't make it work on ba.com, but would gladly take advice here. Flights on aa.com are much more expensive so that's out.
2) Is this itinerary workable - i.e. safe enough to ensure I make the evening flight on the outbound?
3) Do I need to take my baggage for the main trip to DUB to check, or can I take it to LHR on day 2?
4) Can I avoid having the bags checked through to DUB on the return? I want to get the LHR-DUB-LHR bit done that day. I want to do it for the TPs, so don't want to faff around heading over to LCY. It's not a problem if not, we'll pack carefully and I'll have the bag checked under me.
5) If MrsGM and me are on the same PNR, will it cause a problem if she sacks off the last leg?
6) As the car makes it a holiday, can I UUA to F (it would be on AA) if seats come up? Do AA sometimes release seats close to departure, like BA?
Thanks!
2) Yes, looks reasonably safe. Even if you have a very long delay getting to DUB you could always forget the Dublin walkaround and just get your first leg back.
3) Checking in bags on day 2 at LHR is fine.
4) Depends on the check in agent. Not sure what they are like at MIA.
5) No shouldn't do.
6) Yes, UuA to F is fine for an exDUB sale for BA metal flights. Are you on AA or BA metal for the TATL though? BA can UuA any business class fare bucket, so I class which this will book in to can be UuA'ed. However, if you are on AA you can only UuA from fare classes J, C, D so it won't work with an I class booking.
Oct 31, 2014, 3:16 am
#167
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver, ZSL Silver
Posts: 2,552
Brilliant - thanks for the great advice as always, KARFA.
The TATLs I want (found on ITA and ba.com but with a different first flight) are on AA 77W. They are considerably cheaper than on BA metal. In fact A fares are cheaper than any CW ones on the dates I've selected. There are no Avios F seats available at the moment on any of them anyway and I like AA J on the 77W so it's not a big issue. I don't often get to pay cash for J, so will enjoy using the new AA seats again. Good to know that I class can't be upgraded on AA. I didn't know that.
The TATLs I want (found on ITA and ba.com but with a different first flight) are on AA 77W. They are considerably cheaper than on BA metal. In fact A fares are cheaper than any CW ones on the dates I've selected. There are no Avios F seats available at the moment on any of them anyway and I like AA J on the 77W so it's not a big issue. I don't often get to pay cash for J, so will enjoy using the new AA seats again. Good to know that I class can't be upgraded on AA. I didn't know that.
Nov 2, 2014, 9:19 am
#168
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: From ORK, live LCY
Programs: BA Silver, EI Silver, HH Gold, BW Gold, ABP, Seigneur des Horaires des Mucci
Posts: 14,216
4) There are a lot of check-in agents in the USA who will get very persnickety about short-checking baggage. It is a big issue in their domestic market.
Nov 2, 2014, 12:39 pm
#169
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: London, mostly
Programs: BAEC gold (silver most of the time), ex-bmi (RIP) ex-silver, and a fistful of Amexes
Posts: 177
...and airport hotels?
Hello-- this is an ~excellent~ very useful thread. The only thing I'd add is mention of hotel in the airport grounds at easy walk with luggate? There will be times that you arrive on the last of the evening and intend the first of the morning...and the airport hotels that are a shuttle ride away are very effective at confusing themselves with the ones that are a short walk away, from what they put on the interweb. We all know about the Sofitel at LHR5 or the Hilton at ORD, that sort of thing
FWIW to make a start, the ones I've seen with my own eyes recently:
AMS - Mercure airside, Hilton and Citizen M walkable
CPH - Hilton across road
FCO - Hilton
Will add Dublin once I've seen it in person: we're looking at an ex-EU originating there and Mrs.Rat's family are the O'Rats of Done Leery, so we'll certainly need a walkable airport hotel to ensure our hangover doesn't mean we miss the plane...
FWIW to make a start, the ones I've seen with my own eyes recently:
AMS - Mercure airside, Hilton and Citizen M walkable
CPH - Hilton across road
FCO - Hilton
Will add Dublin once I've seen it in person: we're looking at an ex-EU originating there and Mrs.Rat's family are the O'Rats of Done Leery, so we'll certainly need a walkable airport hotel to ensure our hangover doesn't mean we miss the plane...
Nov 2, 2014, 12:47 pm
#170
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Falkirk, Scotland,VS Red, BA Gold, HH Diamond,UK Amex Plat
Programs: Master of the Privy Purse des Muccis
Posts: 17,916
Hi,
BRU- There is a Sheraton within walking distance of the terminal.
Regards
TBS
BRU- There is a Sheraton within walking distance of the terminal.
Regards
TBS
Nov 3, 2014, 2:55 am
#171
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London and Zurich
Programs: AA, BA, Mucci: Sir Roger des Directions Routières, PCR
Posts: 13,609
Yes, the BRU Sheraton is landside with an entrance from the terminal IIRC. Very pleasant, my o/n stay wasn't long enough.
Just on the off chance, any hint on a JFK airport hotel? We'll be connecting the next day from BA T7 to AA T8.
Just on the off chance, any hint on a JFK airport hotel? We'll be connecting the next day from BA T7 to AA T8.
Nov 3, 2014, 4:07 am
#172
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: HEL
Programs: lots of shiny metal cards
Posts: 14,106
HEL - Glo "in terminal", Hilton just outside
DUS - Sheraton just outside
VIE - NH Hoteles across the road
WAW - Marriott Courtyard just outside
ARN - Radisson Blu "in terminal"
CPH - Hilton "in terminal"
DUS - Sheraton just outside
VIE - NH Hoteles across the road
WAW - Marriott Courtyard just outside
ARN - Radisson Blu "in terminal"
CPH - Hilton "in terminal"
Nov 3, 2014, 4:21 am
#173
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: USA and UK
Programs: British Airways Executive Club Silver, Alitalia Freccia Alata
Posts: 1,351
For me at least- the point of ex-EU trips is getting a cheap ticket to xyz, therefore, I personally try to reduce cost as much as possible. For BRU- the Ibis Budget (with a hotel shuttle) more than does the job usually at the very reasonable price of £35.
Nov 3, 2014, 9:01 am
#174
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: London
Posts: 17,007
Can we separate this information into a new thread? It would be helpful in general to know where the walkable hotels are from a BA terminal perspective.
I hate shuttle buses.
I hate shuttle buses.
Nov 3, 2014, 2:02 pm
#175
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: From ORK, live LCY
Programs: BA Silver, EI Silver, HH Gold, BW Gold, ABP, Seigneur des Horaires des Mucci
Posts: 14,216
Hello-- this is an ~excellent~ very useful thread. The only thing I'd add is mention of hotel in the airport grounds at easy walk with luggate? There will be times that you arrive on the last of the evening and intend the first of the morning...and the airport hotels that are a shuttle ride away are very effective at confusing themselves with the ones that are a short walk away, from what they put on the interweb. We all know about the Sofitel at LHR5 or the Hilton at ORD, that sort of thing
FWIW to make a start, the ones I've seen with my own eyes recently:
AMS - Mercure airside, Hilton and Citizen M walkable
CPH - Hilton across road
FCO - Hilton
Will add Dublin once I've seen it in person: we're looking at an ex-EU originating there and Mrs.Rat's family are the O'Rats of Done Leery, so we'll certainly need a walkable airport hotel to ensure our hangover doesn't mean we miss the plane...
FWIW to make a start, the ones I've seen with my own eyes recently:
AMS - Mercure airside, Hilton and Citizen M walkable
CPH - Hilton across road
FCO - Hilton
Will add Dublin once I've seen it in person: we're looking at an ex-EU originating there and Mrs.Rat's family are the O'Rats of Done Leery, so we'll certainly need a walkable airport hotel to ensure our hangover doesn't mean we miss the plane...
PS it's Dun Laoghaire
Nov 3, 2014, 2:11 pm
#176
Join Date: Dec 2012
Programs: GGLfL
Posts: 1,127
LUX - spoilt for choice with a NH Hotel and a Campanile next door and an Ibis across the road, all an easy walk.
LCA - nothing within walking distance
CAI (well, sort of ex-EU) - the Novotel is walking distance across the car park
LCA - nothing within walking distance
CAI (well, sort of ex-EU) - the Novotel is walking distance across the car park
Nov 4, 2014, 8:30 am
#177
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 37
The details seem to me rather irrelevant by comparison with the big question of how Gustav can convince his wife (Alma presumably) to do the ex-EU thing. I have never dared suggest it to my wife (Harriet S).
Hector B
Last edited by Prospero; Nov 4, 2014 at 2:41 pm Reason: Repair quotation
Nov 19, 2014, 6:56 am
#178
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Singapore
Programs: SQ TPPS, BA Silver
Posts: 333
Thank you!
Therefore I think you're going to plan on using passports, walking to the transit (T4 is absolutely vast), passports again, then taking the lifts. Incidentally they seem to "simplify" the airport, so you will probably be looking for zones off the passenger information screens, it's not as simple as saying "this way to T4S", more like follow the signs to zone M, R, S or U.
Sitting in the Madrid T4s Lounge right now awaiting my IB A340 flight! Indeed, I had to get off BA Cityflyer at T4, get a chop on my passport (thankfully no questions), walk really far, take the train to T4S, then chop my passport again before coming airside. Probably not the best way to do a turnaround at Madrid, but had not much choice as the LCY-MAD flights are the only cheap one-way flights to Madrid! ex-LHR is madness!Once again, thank you for your help!
Dec 30, 2014, 12:50 pm
#179
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Hampshire
Programs: BA (Gold)
Posts: 41
What are peoples experience with Geneva? Are the ex LGW and LHR flights likely to be using gates close to each other? Just looking at a possible spin with 90mins between arriving ex LGW and departing LHR
Dec 30, 2014, 1:33 pm
#180
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: UK
Programs: Mucci, BA, AF
Posts: 10,129
Yes, right next to each other. However, if your LGW-GVA is late and you miss your GVA-LHR, you're on your own.