NWIFlyer

Following up from the c-w-s http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...ial-guide.html, another B2B option for ex-Norway fares is BGO. It's slightly further than LHR-SVG, but sometimes fares can be less (at least they were for my positioning flights).

BGO is currently re-developing, so this advice only applies to the terminal layout as at May 2016, although this is expected to continue well into 2017. The guide is for a turnaround at gate 22, although other gates - if used - should be very similar.

So, the good news ... like SVG, turnaround at BGO is pretty much foolproof. Even if you inadvertently end up going through immigration, do not worry - simply turn left and immediately re-enter the gate area literally just five yards away.

As you reach the end of the jetbridge, you'll see the gate area immediately in front of you, probably filled with standing departing passengers because of the lack of seating in the departure area. Passport control is to the right, the boarding area and other seating to the left.



You do not need to go through passport control. You'll see a tensabarrier dividing the passport queue from the boarding queue, but you just stay to the left side of it (in the case of gate 22) - the pic below is taken from behind, showing the green barrier. The woman with the bag is heading for the passport desks.



Once you avoid the trap of straying into the wrong queue, you'll find yourself in the departure lounge. It really is absolutely tiny, so it's pretty much impossible to get lost!

To the left as you walk up the jetbridge is a small seating area - which contains probably less than 30 seats.



In this area, you'll also find a free chilled water outlet and the entrance to the toilets.





That is, to all intents and purposes, it. The only other option available is the duty-free shop, for which you'd have to go through passport control, walk 10 yards into the shop, then 10 yards back out again to re-present your passport. On a 35 minute turnaround, it should be perfectly possible to do this.

All that's then needed is to show your next boarding pass at the desk and walk back down the jetbridge and onto the plane.

bonzo

Very nice! I am doing this b2b again in exactly 7 days as a starting point to my last Viking. Completely foolproof I have a slight preference for SVG as the non-schenegen departure lounge is bigger hence more likely to find a seat whist waiting to reboard, but that is not even a first world problem.

corporate-wage-slave

Goodness, I've got competition! Seriously though, thank you for doing this, the SVG timings don't always work, so that's another good reason to add the Bergen option.

NWIFlyer

Never, c-w-s! Your pic of the water dispenser at SVG was my inspiration .

When I pass back through in a week's time I'll try to grab a better picture of the arrival view at the top of the jetbridge - that's really the only point you could possibly get something wrong by heading towards the passport booths, and it could conceivably happen if there's a lot of passengers standing around waiting to board.

NWIFlyer

Having returned through BGO at the end of my eu-EU, I've now managed to re-take the 'arrival' shot at the top of the jetbridge and amended the first post.

MrsNWI and I, as we were first off the plane this time, managed to cause some confusion - we headed left and waited to re-board, and the rest of the business class cabin managed to follow us rather than heading right to the passport booths ... cue the lady at the desk pointing towards the passport booths and trying to get us to pass through them, not remotely understanding why on earth we should want to get back on the plane, and the immigration officers waving wildly at us in a vain attempt to engage our attention.

Eventually we sorted it out and managed to shove our fellow passengers in the right direction. There's obviously not quite enough of us doing this yet to implant the necessary knowledge and traction ...!

dsf

I've done BGO back to back 4 times, including being first off; my strategy for not confusing my fellow passengers nor staff is to walk fast and make a beeline for the loo!

NWIFlyer

That may have been worse - I sense the woman who was sitting in 1F may well have followed me in there as well!

It's probably my own fault for overtaking them in the jetbridge in order to ensure I got a clear shot of the gate area for the benefit of FT ...

KARFA

I have just done another b2b at OSL this morning. You guys doing SVG and BGO are wimps!

NWIFlyer

It's called experience, young KARFA . Or, more commonly translated as: "Given advanced years, you'll be glad of the lack of walk and stress!".

Heaven knows how dear old Uncle T copes ...

KARFA

I prefer the challenge. Where is the fun of just getting off and straight back on the aircraft?

corporate-wage-slave

In a fit of jealousy, I'm taking the liberty of adding a few more photos here. Starting with the money shot, which demonstrates the distance from the seating area to the aircraft.



This is the Duty Free shop, just across the corridor from passports. I had a look at prices and they are comparable with LHR (Gordon Gin 1 litre at £14.20 compared to £14.50 in London).



The Norwegians are quite fond of aquavit, so there are two shelves like this, prices, in the £10 to £30 area.



I couldn't see any sign of their local "cognac" made with potato peelings.

Some BA advertising in the airport:



And there is somewhere else to go in BGO apart from the airport:

Prospero

Fantastic thread - now added to the forum dashboard.

KARFA

Quick update regarding the new terminal opening. I am passing through BGO today and near security there is a screen with a countdown clock to the new terminal which has 157 days and just over 22 hours to go. This suggests the new terminal will open on Thursday 17 August and the b2b potential may be affected beyond this date.

rjhcambs

We are passing through BGO on 2nd September so will report back if nobody beats me to it.

Globaliser

Sadly, with the arrival at LHR today of BA759, the availability of BGO as a back-to-back point has ended, as BA has indefinitely suspended the BGO route with effect from the beginning of the northern winter 2017/8 season which starts tomorrow.

See BA.com - no direct flights from London to BGO or SVG [suspended from 28 Oct 2017] for more.