MAN - LHR on Christmas day
Oct 27, 2014, 3:06 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Glossop
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 344
MAN - LHR on Christmas day
Have managed to book rewards flights to GIG over christmas.
The problem is that the flight leaves LHR at 12:30 but there is no MAN - LHR service to connect.
A Virgin flight arrives 11:30 which is too tight. Possibility of connection via Brussels.
We have to go on 25th because of work & family things on 24th.
Any ideas apart from leaving early and driving down?
The problem is that the flight leaves LHR at 12:30 but there is no MAN - LHR service to connect.
A Virgin flight arrives 11:30 which is too tight. Possibility of connection via Brussels.
We have to go on 25th because of work & family things on 24th.
Any ideas apart from leaving early and driving down?
Oct 27, 2014, 3:34 am
#2
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,967
So there are flights from MAN on Christmas day (I am on one of them in fact), but only two and this is the timetable:
12:00 25 Dec-13:05 25 Dec
BA1395
15:00 25 Dec-16:00 25 Dec
BA1399
As neither is early enough to connect your options are to fly down the night before and stay in a hotel near LHR, or drive down. I think the little red option is too tight as you say, not because I think there will be any delays on 25 December but because you will need to collect your bags and get across from T2 to T5, check in, and get to security by T-35 minutes. If you have HBO then you could at least do the airside transfer option, but it is still too tight and there is no mis-connection protection for you.
12:00 25 Dec-13:05 25 Dec
BA1395
15:00 25 Dec-16:00 25 Dec
BA1399
As neither is early enough to connect your options are to fly down the night before and stay in a hotel near LHR, or drive down. I think the little red option is too tight as you say, not because I think there will be any delays on 25 December but because you will need to collect your bags and get across from T2 to T5, check in, and get to security by T-35 minutes. If you have HBO then you could at least do the airside transfer option, but it is still too tight and there is no mis-connection protection for you.
Oct 27, 2014, 4:39 am
#7
Join Date: Jul 2006
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Oct 27, 2014, 6:48 am
#9
Join Date: Nov 2010
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Oct 27, 2014, 7:26 am
#10
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: London
Programs: BA
Posts: 2,368
Equally, I spent what seems like all of Christmas Eve on the M6 a few years ago. Post lunchtime seems to be far worse than pre lunchtime.
Oct 27, 2014, 7:33 am
#11
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: MAN/BHX
Programs: ABBA
Posts: 6,027
But late night is usually empty unless there's an accident. I did St Ives (Cornwall) to Warrington in 4 hours one late Christmas eve (about 7pm-11pm).
Oct 27, 2014, 7:52 am
#12
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: London
Programs: BA
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Oct 27, 2014, 9:10 am
#13
Join Date: Feb 2014
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 263
Almost everything will be open as normal, the only exceptions are there might be a few less staff in the shops and they might not open quite as early or close quite as late as normal. This has been my experience on past Christmas Days.
In reply to FlyerGill my personal choice would be to drive down on the day. As has been said the roads are normally fairly quiet so it would at least be a fairly smooth journey.
Flying on Christmas Day can be a great experience. I encountered a flight a few years ago where the crew had decorated the whole of the inside of a 747 (and much to the chagrin of some passengers boarding) there was a large sprig of mistletoe hung over the boarding door.
In reply to FlyerGill my personal choice would be to drive down on the day. As has been said the roads are normally fairly quiet so it would at least be a fairly smooth journey.
Flying on Christmas Day can be a great experience. I encountered a flight a few years ago where the crew had decorated the whole of the inside of a 747 (and much to the chagrin of some passengers boarding) there was a large sprig of mistletoe hung over the boarding door.
Oct 27, 2014, 9:39 am
#14
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 3,926
Perhaps BA could introduce a hotline for something equally important, like ......