FlyerTalk Forums - Transit visa?

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My daughter is currently at Heathrow, about to embark upon her honeymoon ( or so she thought) and heartbroken.
she and her husband are travelling BA First to Mumbai and then have a two hour window to travel on to Columbo with SriLankan .
The travel agent led them to believe that they would have an internal transfer, not need to reclaim bags, or clear immigration, therefore no transit visa was necessary.
Despite it being widely publicised that BA and StiLankan have a Interline Agreement meaning no such clearance is necessary, BA groundstaff are having none of it, and saying they cannot fly.
BA groundstaff have not always been correct in the past, in my experience.
can anyone please advise?
Many thanks
Deb

Are both flights on a single ticket?

They are on separate tickets, but TA booked through BA as they codeshare. Does that make sense?
Thank you for your reply

Oh. You might need a transit Visa if they cannot check stuff through. India can be tricky for this stuff. I think the guys at BA may be right. https://www.indiaodysseytours.com/knows/india-transit-visa.html

The third condition seems be the issue here.

Sorry to hear about this. Good luck

Edit, appears Sri Lankan has no interline agreement with BA.
https://www.srilankan.com/en_uk/coporate/faq-details?type=11

Thank you so much for the reply.
However, BA and SriLankan codeshare, and have Interline agreement, and confirmed onward flight is on the same day ?
That seems to fulfil the requirements, does it not?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lacemaker (Post 30606136)

They are on separate tickets, but TA booked through BA as they codeshare. Does that make sense?
Thank you for your reply

The issue may be that they are on two separate tickets and so BA cannot check the bags to the final destination on the second ticket. The link up thread states that a transit visa is needed if bags need to be rechecked. Is the checked luggage the only issue preventing them from boarding per BA? If so can they go HBO? I would also suggest getting in touch with the TA.

Code share and interline are different. The prior they have, the latter they don't

Sri Lankan is in Oneworld. Through checking on the same booking/PNR guaranteed ... even if two ticket numbers. Seperate bookings/PNRs ... no guarantee of through check. You might be out of luck.

If they travel Hand Baggage Only (quite a lot in the BA F cabin!) would that work? They could stay airside for their connecting flight to Sri Lanka.You would have to check how much baggage would be allowed in the cabin on UL.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TTmex (Post 30606193)

Code share and interline are different. The prior they have, the latter they don't

They are both in Oneworld!

Get what they can in their hand baggage and ditch the luggage if it means saving the holiday

BA no longer check through luggage on different tickets/PNRs. You can’t even check luggage through on separate BA ticketed and operated flights. I think the TA has given your daughter duff information. :(

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigjono (Post 30606209)

They are both in Oneworld!

Indeed, but looked at Sri Lankan air websiteand BA is omitted from the list of oneworld airlines with agreements. Strange, just going on that info

Quote:

Originally Posted by happeemonkee (Post 30606213)

This isn't quite correct. As bigjono notes above, the policy is that if on different tickets but same PNR - which is what the TA may have done - then because Sri Lankan is in oneworld then BA should through check the bags. The policy is here: British Airways' Speedbird Club: Welcome to British Airways Speedbird Club

Quote:

Originally Posted by BA

oneWorld guidelines for separate tickets

Only customers with separate tickets issued in the same PNR will be accepted for through check-in
Customers must be transferring to/from a oneWorld partner
Customers holding separate tickets are only eligible for disruption assistance after they have been accepted for through check-in.

If however the TA booked the tickets on separate PNRs, or on a different system/GDS which means BA agents at Heathrow aren't seeing or are refusing to see the one PNR, that may be the issue.

If they are in first, generous hand baggage allowance. Load up as much as possible and see if they will let them on with a few extra kilos. Not sure what else to suggest.