LHR earliest possible check-in?
 

What's the earliest I can check my baggage at Heathrow? I don't have much to do and wouldn't mind sitting at the airport. All information I find is for LGW or that I should be there at least 3hrs in advance. Flying CW to Tokyo.

hi
Welcome to flyertalk and the ba forum
as you are in club world , you can check in any time from 0500

regards

tbs

Just to add, you can also check in at 0500 if you are BA Silver or above (or the one world equivalent).

And if you are Bronze. Or Blue, Or a Refusenik. In any class of travel. Anyone can now check in at T5 or T3 on the day of departure, anytime. They actually switch on the self serve machines from 04:45 onwards, but security doesn't open until 05:00 or a minute or two thereafter. This was changed last year with the introduction of the self serve machines.

If you have to have a visa check(ie flying to USA) does this still apply, or do you have to stick to the 3 hr rule if you cannot use the check in machines.Travelling in Y with hold luggage.
Thanks

You can still go ahead and do the visa check at any point. I don't think that was problematic for HBO travellers without status before, it was just baggage check which had a 3 hour maxima.

And while I'm here, I need to congratulate Amateurflier on their first post to FT and the BA forum, welcome on board and I hope we see more of you here.

Ah, yes! Now I recall the thread a while back. Get everybody airside spending money rather than clogging up the check-in areas :)

Thanks

Hello,

This seems to be the best thread to post this question as it part answers it.

Travelling with a colleague on an ex eu itinerary thru OSL. He has now said he needs to take hold luggage. Doing a B2B in OSL with hold luggage is a no no by all accounts. So...

As per the info above he can check in his baggage for the LHR - HKG leg from 0500 that morning but this relates to a direct LHR - XXX itinerary, does this definitely apply to an ex eu as well?

Regards,

Kernow

There are few reports (and none recently that I can remember) of there being any real trouble with this.

However, if he is going to OLCI before going to the airport, it will be worth him selecting "Not sure" for the number of bags, so as not to impede the creation of a bag tag that is for LHR-HKG only. Selecting the wrong answer during OLCI is the only thing I can think of that's recently caused any problems, and that's only because the creation of redundant and unwanted bag tag records during OLCI has prevented the creation of new bag tag records without the system demanding payment for excess bags.

yes this should be fine. there are a few reports which occasionally surface of agents being difficult but there haven't been any recently so perhaps less of an issue now. in the worst case scenario your colleague could leave the bag at left luggage (ground floor landside opposite Giraffe) and retrieve it after return from OSL to check it in.

Thank you Gents. Informative and super quick as ever.

Pushing an older thread since my question is similar. Flying Club Europe, LHR to IST. How early can I drop off our checked luggage?

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you can bag drop at T5 from 0500 onwards on the day of your flight. You should be able to also do it from about 1830 the day before if that’s of any help.