Earliest check in - First - security?
May 14, 2018, 7:03 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 254
Earliest check in - First - security?
Hi all
Quick question. I'm flying LHR to SIN in First. Flight departs 19.55.
What's the earliest I can get into the lounges? I had thought I could drop bags and enter any time from 5am flying First. But I have a friend (who's familiar with airport security) who insists that you're not allowed to go through security any earlier than T - 6 hours. I think the reasoning is that they don't want people hanging around too long airside.
Does anyone know if this is true? I often check in for F flights quite early (4 or so hours before), but this time I'm probably going to get to the airport about 1pm.
Thanks in advance,
Quick question. I'm flying LHR to SIN in First. Flight departs 19.55.
What's the earliest I can get into the lounges? I had thought I could drop bags and enter any time from 5am flying First. But I have a friend (who's familiar with airport security) who insists that you're not allowed to go through security any earlier than T - 6 hours. I think the reasoning is that they don't want people hanging around too long airside.
Does anyone know if this is true? I often check in for F flights quite early (4 or so hours before), but this time I'm probably going to get to the airport about 1pm.
Thanks in advance,
May 14, 2018, 7:35 am
#3
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,791
It is indeed anytime the same calendar day of departure from 05:00 hrs onwards. There used to be a 3 hour rule for non status passenger without lounge access, but the self tagging baggage machines don't have a deadline programmed into them so they work at any stage in the day too.
May 14, 2018, 7:44 am
#4
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Lincolnshire, UK
Programs: BA GGL - maybe only briefly!
Posts: 1,378
That's good to know CWS, thanks. We have a 2.5 - 3 hr drive to LHR which involves the M1 or A1 and the M25 so we like to add some flex in addition to the suggested 3hr reporting time if we are travelling the same day. If traffic is light, we can end up there quite early.
May 14, 2018, 12:50 pm
#5
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 138
Lincolnite: watch out for potholes, cost me a bit last weekend coming down from that area
May 15, 2018, 3:08 am
#6
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Oxon, UK
Programs: Mucci des canapes, Skywards Gold, BAEC, IC Plat Amb, LH FTV
Posts: 1,951
I'll be doing something a bit more enjoyable in 10 days - leaving my bags at F check-in at 8am for a 9.15pm departure to JNB. The intervening period will be largely filled by attending the test match at Lords!
May 15, 2018, 2:51 pm
#7
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 189
In my experience with mainline carriers the 2 or 3 hr stuff is just a minimum availability. If someone is at the desk they will give you your boarding pass, etc. I did have a situation 2 days ago with Turkish airlines where the attendant wouldn't check me in, and I think told me I couldn't check-in until 3hrs before the flight. Admitted, there was a language barrier, but I went to the Turkish service desk, explained the issue, and was promptly checked-in, issued boarding passes, and headed to the lounge. This was after a seemingly heated exchange between the service desk person, and the check-in counter lady.
Never had a problem what-so-ever w/ BA.
Never had a problem what-so-ever w/ BA.
May 15, 2018, 3:45 pm
#9
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Oxford (&Western Isles )
Programs: BA GGL, CCR; RyanAir MillionMiler :( ;
Posts: 756
I've often had this problem in USA for internal AA flights, where I';m too early to check in bags. However, on about 50% of occasions the desk agent (esp middle aged females on the First desk, for some reason) will say, "let me see if i can get you on the earlier flight - which they invariably do. Nice 
May 15, 2018, 8:22 pm
#10
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA GGL
Posts: 1,578
At LCA the other day, the Swissport staff on my he BA desks flatly refused to take our checked luggage more than three hours ahead of time, claiming there were no containers to store them in for the extra ~4 hours prior.
May 16, 2018, 9:54 am
#12
Join Date: Mar 2015
Programs: BA GGL
Posts: 2,447
I've landed at LHR at 5am on one ticket, with 12 hours until the next ticket departure. Never had a problem as status holder going into Cathay, where I slept on the soft around the corner for three hours. And I've sat in T5 Galleries F for five or more hours no problems.
May 16, 2018, 12:47 pm
#13
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold / OW Emerald
Posts: 753
Outstations too often impose the 3 hour rule, regardless of your status. Even worse, sometimes check-in isn't open 3 hours before the flight. Such is life.
Always a pleasure to get early in Heathrow and look over the runway, though.
Always a pleasure to get early in Heathrow and look over the runway, though.
Apr 13, 2023, 5:39 am
#14
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: London, United Kingdom
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold;BA GGL; hhonors lifetime diamond; Marriott lt Gold; IH Plat Amb; Amex Centurion
Posts: 4,738
Does anyone know whether the position on early checkin at LHR is the same now? I have a friend who is stuck in London for today and has a flight at 1935 (Gold, CE). Does anyone think he would have a problem checking in at about 1400?
Thanks!
Thanks!
Last edited by hsmall; Apr 13, 2023 at 5:48 am
