Greg66

For future reference, this is my preferred ex-EU template:

Travelling with wallet, passport, phone and 2x printed BPs:
Day 1 am: Locator flight LHR -> EU
Day 1 pm: Leg #1 of ex-EU ticket; EU ->

Return home for the night of Day 1.

Travelling with hold luggage:
Day 2: Leg #2 of ex-EU ticket: LHR-> long haul destination
(as long as there is <24 h between leg 1 and leg 2, there's no price penalty).

Day n: Leg #3 of ex-EU ticket: long haul destination -> LHR

Day n/n+1 (if overnight flight): Leg #4 of ex-EU ticket: LGW/LCY-> EU, or
Day n+2 (if overnight flight): Leg #4 of ex-EU ticket: LHR-> long haul destination

This works, and (so far) has been stress free.

PWOZUK

Whilst I see the logic in this, I'd quite like a little time in DUB if possible. If I go for the early afternoon LHR-DUB, there is a risk it goes tech or is cancelled and I cannot get bumped onto the last LHR-DUB flight, which as Pilot37 rightly states seems the least likely to get cancelled given the knock on effects on the following AM DUB-LHR.

If my preferred BA LHR-DUB is cancelled, can I ask for a code share on EI from T2, or are my only options any remaining BA flights from T5?

PWOZUK

I can see that clearly choosing the penultimate flight is risky, as it might go tech with me on it and be overtaken by the later (last) LHR-DUB flight , before being cancelled.

binman

Ok so I booked a B2B at DUB when it was very doable and now a bit concerned. Flight is in July.

I am taking the penultimate flight ex LHR to return on the last ex DUB at 20.40. What is passport control like at that time of night?. It will be me, a phone and headphones + passport. I am in CE both sectors.

Kgmm77

The positive is that departure fast track security should be less than 5 mins. However immigration c8pm will be busy, but not as bad as 10pm-midnight last Ryanair wave which is really bad.

You should be ok, but go quickly & know where you are going when you go into arrivals hall.

dca100

[QUOTE=NWIFlyer;28478008]it does seem the one report of it being too close for comfort arose because the transfer route was used rather than taking the more conventional (for FT) Fast Track security from landside. Even then, the poster made it./QUOTE]

FWIW, the close call I experienced was mainly down to the long immigration queue (which fortunately I managed to jump - exceptional circumstances). I've done the non-transfer route at Dub several times before and while I would agree it's quicker, I would not have said it would have been a lot quicker on the day of my travel.

In my view a DUB b2b is now an immigration queue lottery. I only made the flight because I a) jumped two queues and b) did two sprints through the airport.

MBDublin

I came through the 200 gates on BA828 yesterday. It took me 7 minutes from the aircraft door to exiting into the arrivals hall. If I was doing a back to back I think I would have made it comfortably with FT security.

However points to note;

1. I was in row 1 and first down the steps.
2. EU immigration was a little busy but with 6 desks open it moved quickly. I would estimate about a 14 person queue for each desk.
3. Non -EU immigration was a disaster with a long queue around the back of the hall.
4. The E passport machines are out of action at present.
5. The situation is highly variable depending on the arriving flights from the 300 and 400 gates ahead of the BA arrival.

KARFA

Thanks for the observations. Just a few notes,

2 - this is now the major issue, variability of the queue length for the immigration from the 200 gates

3 - yes I think dylanks (who is a non-EU) has mentioned this too so for any non-EUs I think DUB is a very big no-no for a b2b

5 - the arriving passengers from the 300 gates (the ones BA used to use a while ago) feed in to a separate immigration hall. This hall always seemed very quiet and whilst a 300 gate did involve going landside it was never really much of an issue

NeverFirst

Agreed, this is the way to go (if you can manage the extra day);

Day 1 (positioning) - Fly LON-DUB in the morning, do some work, see the sights, have lunch, whatever.
Day 1 (start of long-haul) - Fly DUB-LON in the evening. Go home & sleep in your own bed, see your family, etc.
Day 2 - Fly LON-<wherever> (with hold luggage if necessary). Do whatever you have to do.

<wavy lines>

Day 10 - Fly <wherever>-LON. Probably arrive on Day 11 tired. Go home/office and drop off luggage.
Day 11 - Fly LON-DUB early afternoon, then back in the evening. Go home, sleep well.
(You could even make the LON-DUB another day return on day 12, if you feel like it.)

The key for me is to get back home on that first evening - it really makes the start of the Long Haul a lot less stressful (as well a not having to worry too much about missing one of the Back-to-Back flights.

rossmacd

Or just drop the last LON-DUB sector

Deckard

How comfortable would people be with BA832 landing 08:45 on a Sunday, to take the BA833 departing 9:20 back to LHR if HBO? 35 minutes. Or should I EI out arriving 08:05? 1'15"?

Thanks for your thoughts. Off to PHL. I could take an AA plane 2 hours later but the BA one has F UUA.

PWOZUK

Given all that has been reported up thread about immigration, the need now to go landside and back in through security, I for one would not risk it.

Fly to DUB the night before. Or if the AA flight DUB-PHL is on one of the A330, stick with it.

Deckard

I'll stick with the A330 - looks lush. Thanks for the feedback.

AlanA

Did that route last August, was excellent. Looking to do the same 2018 November, but not seeing the flights this November...

TravellerFrequently

AA A330s are pretty good in J. I enjoyed the BA lounge at PHL before our flight.