Back-to-back / Immediate Turnarounds at BA Destinations
Aug 2, 22, 5:40 am - Wikipost
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May 10, 22, 11:30 am
#976
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: BAEC GGL/CR; Hilton Diamond; Mucci des Puccis
Posts: 3,784
Originally Posted by barrister_haus
BA is at it again and cancelled my positioning flight to SOF the day before by TP run to LAX. Rescheduled on the flight the next day which would make it a B2B. Anyone recently been through SOF? I could leave it as a B2B but of course risk the whole trip collapsing if something goes wrong, or could take the flight the day before my original one and spend 2 nights in SOF. If anybody had any recent experience would be grateful. Dual US/UK citizen and flight is back to LHR so non-schengen to non-schengen.
I have a b2b for the return next week, and I also have a BA flight out on the morning of the 13th in case of Wizz not flying.
May 10, 22, 11:55 am
#977
Join Date: Sep 2021
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 5
Originally Posted by bisonrav
I'm doing a SOF -> LAX starting Friday 13th; my positioning will be on Wizz for about Ł20 from Gatwick on the evening of the 12th - it does come in at 0245 though. If you need another SOF option that isn't b2b, that's not a bad one.
I have a b2b for the return next week, and I also have a BA flight out on the morning of the 13th in case of Wizz not flying.
I have a b2b for the return next week, and I also have a BA flight out on the morning of the 13th in case of Wizz not flying.
May 12, 22, 1:26 am
#979
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: BAEC GGL/CR; Hilton Diamond; Mucci des Puccis
Posts: 3,784
I've done Dublin a lot recently, and my record in a quiet terminal is 35 minutes from the far end of the Ryanair bit through immigration and back to the far end. This was two separate tickets with a delayed first leg. You can expect the airport to be considerably busier than back when I did that, but the distances are less, so it's not impractical. One 20 minute delay in security though and you're screwed. You can go through either security for either terminal by the way, and the airport twitter will tell you quite accurately the processing times.
There is also some padding in flight times, though I'd say if I were to pick an airline for an outbound leg that I'd be most confident would have squeaky bum inducing delays taking off, it would be BA from Heathrow just at the moment.
There is also some padding in flight times, though I'd say if I were to pick an airline for an outbound leg that I'd be most confident would have squeaky bum inducing delays taking off, it would be BA from Heathrow just at the moment.
May 13, 22, 6:07 am
#980
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: BAEC GGL/CR; Hilton Diamond; Mucci des Puccis
Posts: 3,784
Originally Posted by barrister_haus
Let me know how SOF is when you get back and good luck. Don't really want to forego the BA positioning as it's 80 TP and I'm on track to renew my Gold before the TP's go up on 01 Jan (TP year ends 08 August).
Last edited by bisonrav; May 18, 22 at 12:03 pm
May 15, 22, 6:10 am
#981
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Flatland
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold 1MM, BA Gold, UA Peon
Posts: 5,905
I did a back-to-back at ARN (Stockholm) yesterday. It worked, with a few caveats and some differences from previous descriptions.
We arrived at gate 20, and I couldn't see any signs for higher-numbered gates such as "70, 82-87". From the gate, the route was up one level and along a corridor. Signs there pointed ahead to arrivals. Signs for transfers were present but had a previous arrow in the other direction covered over, and there appeared to be no way to go in the formerly-signed direction. I suspect BA is now arriving in a different part of the airport and the airport has been rearranged a bit.
I went forward to the immigration line (passport check), which has "EU/EEA" and "other" lines. Immediately after this, there is a left turn to "transfer" (and a right turn to arrivals). Turning left, there were staff at the transfer security and they had zero people waiting for them. Security screening was rapid and efficient. The staff helpfully asked if I knew which gate to go to, and directed me appropriately (while I know we arrived at gate 20, that wasn't obvious on arrival, only on departure).
Then downstairs to a shopping and gate area, forward towards gate 20, through the immigration passport check, and I was back at gate 20. There were no queues at the immigration exit line.
From arriving airbridge to in front of the departing gate took me about 12 minutes, but there are caveats:
As an aside, the crew were very curious to see me again ("That was a rapid turnaround!") and asked me about it later in the flight when I was talking to them. The senior cabin crew member did guess, correctly, both 'cheaper' and 'gets more [tier] points'.
Overall, this was (particularly with respect to the boarding passes) more fraught than in the times before the pandemic, but still do-able with significant caveats regarding the passport checks.
We arrived at gate 20, and I couldn't see any signs for higher-numbered gates such as "70, 82-87". From the gate, the route was up one level and along a corridor. Signs there pointed ahead to arrivals. Signs for transfers were present but had a previous arrow in the other direction covered over, and there appeared to be no way to go in the formerly-signed direction. I suspect BA is now arriving in a different part of the airport and the airport has been rearranged a bit.
I went forward to the immigration line (passport check), which has "EU/EEA" and "other" lines. Immediately after this, there is a left turn to "transfer" (and a right turn to arrivals). Turning left, there were staff at the transfer security and they had zero people waiting for them. Security screening was rapid and efficient. The staff helpfully asked if I knew which gate to go to, and directed me appropriately (while I know we arrived at gate 20, that wasn't obvious on arrival, only on departure).
Then downstairs to a shopping and gate area, forward towards gate 20, through the immigration passport check, and I was back at gate 20. There were no queues at the immigration exit line.
From arriving airbridge to in front of the departing gate took me about 12 minutes, but there are caveats:
- I hold an EU passport. I have no idea how fast the non-EU line was going. You would obviously need to be able to enter the Schengen area to use this path, whether with EU or non EU passport.
- I was among the first few people off the aircraft, and the queue at the passport checks was short in both cases. Had they been very long, I would have been in trouble.
- I think only a few gates feed into this passport line, but if any of these had a flight with a lot of third-country nationals and you were behind them the queue could be very slow indeed.
As an aside, the crew were very curious to see me again ("That was a rapid turnaround!") and asked me about it later in the flight when I was talking to them. The senior cabin crew member did guess, correctly, both 'cheaper' and 'gets more [tier] points'.
Overall, this was (particularly with respect to the boarding passes) more fraught than in the times before the pandemic, but still do-able with significant caveats regarding the passport checks.
Last edited by flatlander; May 15, 22 at 6:42 am Reason: imporve grammer speeling and.
May 15, 22, 6:26 am
#982
Join Date: Feb 2020
Programs: British Airways Executive Club Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador Elite, Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum
Posts: 933
Thank you for such a comprehensive and helpful account, @flatlander
May 16, 22, 2:11 am
#983
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Diamond, IHG Spire
Posts: 934
Back to back in MAN was never easy however the latest I can share that flight connection is closed in T3. So you have to go through landside and go through security which can be time consuming. So if you do plan a B2B make sure you have minimal bags on you (best is nothing basically) and you might have to go and skip the queue a bit if you can. I would think afternoon flights probably better because of security usually shorter.
May 16, 22, 3:18 am
#984
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 1,972
Originally Posted by Krisz
Back to back in MAN was never easy however the latest I can share that flight connection is closed in T3. So you have to go through landside and go through security which can be time consuming.
May 16, 22, 4:54 am
#985
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 441
Looking for a straight forward b2broute that also allows me to purchase some liquid duty free items on the outbound from LHR (i.e. no security on the return flight). From what I can see, AMS, GOT, JER are good options. Any others that would be ideal for this situation?
Many thanks
Many thanks
May 16, 22, 6:43 am
#986
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 206
Originally Posted by Krisz
Back to back in MAN was never easy however the latest I can share that flight connection is closed in T3. So you have to go through landside and go through security which can be time consuming. So if you do plan a B2B make sure you have minimal bags on you (best is nothing basically) and you might have to go and skip the queue a bit if you can. I would think afternoon flights probably better because of security usually shorter.
May 16, 22, 1:46 pm
#987
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 1,972
Originally Posted by 09R
Looking for a straight forward b2broute that also allows me to purchase some liquid duty free items on the outbound from LHR (i.e. no security on the return flight). From what I can see, AMS, GOT, JER are good options. Any others that would be ideal for this situation?
May 16, 22, 7:30 pm
#988
Join Date: Sep 2021
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 5
Originally Posted by bisonrav
B2B would have been very easy at SOF today, but only with BPs. The incoming deplaned into the landside gates.
Assuming landslide meant security again and passport control twice? I worry about a long queue...
May 17, 22, 12:52 am
#989
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, LH, QR, SV, TK
Posts: 15,433
Originally Posted by barrister_haus
Thanks for the update. I've never been so cannot comment, but any idea why sometimes people report they deplane into the departures hall, and on other occasions (like your experience) they deplane landslide? Landside makes me a bit nervous, although I'm confident I'll have my BP back to LHR and then onto JFK.
Assuming landslide meant security again and passport control twice? I worry about a long queue...
Assuming landslide meant security again and passport control twice? I worry about a long queue...
But you could excise the worry by overnighting in Sofia: it's not an expensive city and it's not without interest. The metro gets you into town, but If you take a later (cheaper), non-BA flight there's an airport hotel.
May 17, 22, 2:27 am
#990
Join Date: Jul 2009
Programs: BAEC Gold, IHG Spire Elite, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 6,730
Originally Posted by IAN-UK
To be honest I don't quite get the "deplaning landside" picture.
But you could excise the worry by overnighting in Sofia: it's not an expensive city and it's not without interest. The metro gets you into town, but If you take a later (cheaper), non-BA flight there's an airport hotel.
But you could excise the worry by overnighting in Sofia: it's not an expensive city and it's not without interest. The metro gets you into town, but If you take a later (cheaper), non-BA flight there's an airport hotel.
As for staying overnight, I planned on doing that the last few times I had SOF booked, and BA kindly cancelled the outbound flights the day before meaning I had to do a turnaround to catch my connection back in London. Still haven't seen any of Sofia but the gate!
They've cancelled my August ones as well, so I've changed airport.
