Cheapskate22

Flying tomorrow PRG - LHR - SFO, and have a b2b positioning flight LHR - PRG. Question I have is how early can I checkin in bags for the long-haul LHR-SFO sector at Heathrow?

My understanding is it's fine to checkin bags for part of the journey, before the PRG-LHR leg is flown, but if I'm doing that at 5am (for a 2pm flight to SFO) is that going to be a problem?

I've called BA and they didn't have a clue, so thought I'd ask the wisdom of FT.

Thanks!

irishguy28

If you are checking the bag in at PRG, it will go all the way through to SFO.

If you mean you want to additionally check a bag at LHR prior to departure to PRG, you can do it on the day of travel - but in this case from T5 (where your SFO flight departs from) rather than from T3 (where your PRG flight departs from).

Globaliser

It's usually fine, and if nobody at T5 objects to doing that for you, and you're flying F or CW or (as you seem to) you have status that entitles you to use the F or CW check-in areas, then any time on the day of travel should be fine.

But do make sure that you have a contingency plan in place in case you're not allowed to check the bag for sector 2 before you've flown sector 1.

konagirl2

You can check a bag in as soon as the check in desks open at 5am as a BAEC Bronze or above, or flying CW or F, just head to the CW or F check in area.

As a lowly Silver on a Y ticket, I wasn't able to check my bag in the way you describe in July this year. The CW check in agent tried to print the bag tag but couldn't and gave the explanation that the system knew I was leaving the country (on the positioning flight) before starting the LHR long-haul sector and wouldn't allow the bag to be stored at LHR. I hope you get a different response! (I wasn't b2b and so had enough time to check my bag to EU and then check in for the long-haul, but obviously with a b2b you'll need to use left luggage and check the bag in before the 60 minute bag drop deadline and the terminal change for you makes this a bit of a pain.)

Cheapskate22

Yes, I'm at the checkin desk now having a similar problem, where they're unable to check in the bag. Something about the system already saying I had bags and unable to add extra bags down the line. Seems to be a system problem rather than a policy thing, but none-the-less it's causing a headache!

Globalist

That's different from other experiences and a concern.
In my case I am technically not on an EX EU but the flight sectors are similar.

I am flying from Asia to AMS next week and would like to do a Few days in London at th end. It is cheaper to buy an AMS-LHR vv compared to changing my flight by adding a stopover, (fare difference and apd)

Now my thought is to fly LHR-AMS in Y and connecting b2b with my original flight in C from AMS to LHR and KUL. The 3 bags need to be checked in at LHR to be on the LHR- KUL flight as there is not enough time to bring them to AMS and check them in there.

If it is not possible to leave the bags in London then I need to book in a different way.

Globalist

ams2174

I had the same problem a few months ago when doing a b2b in Amsterdam for my Ams-lhr-kul-bkk flight, no matter what the lady at first check in or her supervisor did the system would not let me check in luggage until I had flown my first sector.

I don't know if this was because when checking in online I had stipulated I would be checking in 2 bags rather than selecting the not sure option.
the check in lady also seemed to think that the system recognised I was doing the b2b and so wouldn't allow it to happen either.
I had to leave it in left luggage and pick it up and check it in on my 8 hour layover on my way back later in the day which wasn't a problem.

It's just annoying as I was able to do it before although that was back in 2016

kingcole974

I had this exact issue on exactly this route. I was told that the issue was actually to do with me KUL BKK leg on Malaysian, in that it was sumply too early to check a bag onto this flight.

In my case the checkin staff were great and thought they had found a work around, only to come and find me in the concord room whilst awaiting my positioning flight to AMS. I was told the workaround had failed and on my return to LHR I would have to come via baggage claim where my bag would be waiting. I could grab it and recheck it back in.

This is exactly what happenend and worked pefectly.

I must say Ive done many other B2B from LHR and have early bag dropped fir the later long haul flight without issue on all other occasions.

Cheapskate22

Yes the various reasons that were given to me were:
1) I'm leaving the country and so it's against security regulation to leave the bag there (doubtful)
2) Having checked in online and defined I had 2 bags for the PRG-LHR-SFO journey, it then wouldn't let them remove the bags from the PRG-LHR leg and just check them in LHR-SFO (seems a system issue)
3) (and most worryingly) the system recognises that this is a way to get a much cheaper ticket and so blocks the bag check at LHR.

I submitted a complaint to BA and amazingly had a 'premier' relationship manager call me within 10 min to apologise and say it's absolutely possible to check in a bag for the long haul sector before taking the first leg, and apologised that the staff didn't know how to do it. So who knows!

Unfortunalty for me I've had to leave the bags in T3 luggage storage and unlikely I'll have time to pick them up and check them in on my way back (only 1hr 40 connection). I'll just have to do some shopping....unless of course any FTers flying to SFO today fancy helping out #desperate

mikeyfly

This is the major downside of back to back with checked luggage! I've only ever done HBO, otherwise I'd do the B2B the night before, not ideal for everyone, but this would cause too much anxiety for most

corporate-wage-slave

Irrespective of the current issue, this was always a bad idea unless you had a Plan B. If you do a search on this forum on the words "Plan B" you will see this has been consistently mentioned in this context by several different FTers. Even if the computers allow it, there is always the chance that you will meet an agent who will recall a memo from 2 years ago which asked agents not to check bags before leg1 has started.

Yes, you are very much correct on this point, the whole B2B logic works best if HBO. The core way around it if you do need to check luggage is either to spend a night at the start point (so typically not a B2B) or to do the B2B leg with a time separation before the longhaul sector, which can imply an overnight connection in London. Or have a Plan B.

Globalist

Makes perfect sense of course, in any case in the above scenario there is no plan B possible. Not enough time in AMS and only 1.5hr stopover on the way back in LHR which is not enough to go landside, pick up bags from left luggage, checking them in and meet conformance.

So I should go for a plan A that works, that that likely means coughing up the charge for the stopover change, or fly back to AMS on an earlier flight hoping for no huge 3hr delays.

Worst case is phoning BA to change my flight to another day if I am risk of missing it. The fares from Asia I book are always non flexible but seems they always have a change fee anyway and can be changed.

Globalist

konagirl2

I'm sorry it hasn't worked out for you, that is a real pain. For a b2b, the airline is going to know your passport details on both tickets so it is not impossible that the system puts two and two together and the preceding journey on a separate ticket sets off a flag.

With the bag at T3, then yes it is going to be very unlikely you will make the bag drop deadline, but it is still probably worth having a go as long as your AMS-LHR is on time or early, since even if you fail to make bag drop you should still have time to store your bags at T5 and make the 35 minute security conformance?

Maybe the regulars would know, if you had had more time at LHR at check in, would leaving bags at T5 give a few more minutes than T3? Coming off the AMS-LHR that would allow you to take the T3-T5 airside bus and then enter the UK at T5, rather than T3 immigration + landside HEX/Underground T3-T5 transfer?

corporate-wage-slave

Well this is right on the edge of sensible travel, to be honest and Globaliser indicated the potential problem in post 3 above. But yes, if the traveller had left the bags in T5, has e-gate access there is a good chance of this working if the bags were at T5, the flights on time, the buses working smoothly. It's not totally out of the question given they are in T3, and again assuming e-gate passports, but it will need quite a lot of luck for it to work (e.g. HEX not showing next train in 14 minutes....)

hearingdouble

I've never tried before, but in such a scenario is there any merit in a taxi from T3 to T5? Just thinking of ways to help the OP meet conformance!

Also, one think I don't think the OP has confirmed -- was the OP trying to check the baggage in at T3 or T5? I only ask because the luggage has been left at T3 left luggage (rather than the more logical T5, if the OP had been trying to check the bag in at T5 in the first place). If the OP was trying to check in a bag for the SFO flight at T3 check-in, that may have been why the system was refusing to issue the tag.