umgowah

Hi all.

I am looking at booking a redemption to WDH, involving LHR to JNB, and JNB to WDH. If I read the rules on the 241 correctly, I will need to have 2 bookings, and thus be unable to ticket bags through, so need to go through immigration and customs. (Actually, I think we have to clear immigration anyway, as Namibia is in the SADC, so flights are from the domestic terminal) Is there any way to use the 241 on the LHR to/from LHR legs, pay full avios or cash for the WDH legs, but have one ticket and have bags checked straight through?

Any advice or comments appreciated,

Thanks

U

cauchy

The flight is from the international side, but checkin is at the domestic side. Slightly unusual, but Comair and BA mainline have separate ground arrangements at JNB.

Shingi

cauchy

WDH is in another country. If BA tags the bags all the way through (which they almost surely won't on 2 PNRs) then no need to pick up bags.

umgowah

Hi Shingi,
We will be flying on to Windhoek, Namibia (WDH). As we are not stopping in SA, there should be no need to clear Customs and Immigration. JNB certainly has signs directing transit passengers to a different direction than passport and baggage, although I have never followed them to see where they go.

konagirl2

The answer is unfortunately there is no way to get BA to issue a single PNR with the Avios 2-4-1 and cash regional flights on one ticket. It is a real pain, but it is what it is.

And yes, if you could buy a single ticket so that your luggage is transferred then you use the international (airside) transit route within JNB and your bags are transferred for you; you never enter SA. (SADC doesn't affect border control / immigration). With separate tickets and luggage, BA won't check your luggage through and so you will have to enter SA at JNB, collect your bags, walk through customs, walk round to Terminal B check in desks for BA regional, then walk back to Terminal A security for your international flight to WDH. If you could manage hand baggage only (meeting the BA JNB-WDH requirements) then you can use the airside transfer route. Even if you can't get your boarding pass, there are airline desks in the transit area. You go through a passport and document check, but you never formally enter SA.

Globaliser

It's perhaps more accurate to say that Comair check-in is in Terminal B, which is basically a mixed domestic and international check-in area. For example, I think that all SAA flights, both domestic and international, have check-in in Terminal B. The division between domestic and international really starts when you go towards your gate. Off the top of my head, I think that A and B gates are for international flights, and C, D and E gates are for domestics. So following the signs to the correct security area will take you where you need to go.

The_Editor

The simple answer, unfortunately, is no - BA will not combine a 2-4-1 booking with another booking.

umgowah

Thank you both. Unfortunately just confirming my own expectations. Stil, I have enough Virgin miles to do most of the trip on VS and SAA, with at least the outbound on on ticket.....