orbitmic

I know others have already given you the pragmatic information, but in terms of the "spirit" of the rules, the most important part is that cancellation and rebooking is exactly what it is, not just technically but practically. From BA's point of view, you've booked a GLA-LAX // LAX-GLA trip and you want to change it to a LHR-LAX // LAX-LHR trip. Those are the only important bits and the fact that your original itinerary was via London and thus you feel that it is only about not taking two of the flights is, for all practical purposes, irrelevant. You could have flown GLA-LHR-LAX as you do, GLA-DUB-LAX, or anything else, it would not have made a difference in terms of rebooking you from/to London.

In practice, as you say, the easiest is to book your itinerary as is, planning enough time to pick up and recheck bags. Alternatively, if flying with cabin luggage is an option, it will make things a lot easier as in that case, you can just "disappear" in London on your return and if it is a one off, nobody will really care. You can also "mix and match" (e.g. if you only need one piece of checked luggage, your wife could get off in London on the return and you could fly to Glasgow and recheck on your own).

BTW, I'm very surprised you say that UA was able to through check your bags on an itinerary that would include twice the same airport. I take over 200 flights a year and I have never come across an airline able to do that, so if UA is one, they are very much the exception and I do wonder what bag tagging system they use that would allow that as all the integrated systems that I can think of (which are not airline specific) would reject any attempt to do this.

Koru Flyer

Without knowing the specifics. Could they print a manual tag to achieve this?I have faint memories of the days when you could roll up with different PNRs across different airlines and if you picked a check in agent savvy enough, they would after lots and lots of typing print a tag with all the details manually entered which might not check things such as airports being listed twice? I know one time with an SK connecting to BA to QF they once did this (manual tag across itins) and the tag contained a number of errors (eg wrong date!) which given the long connections worked itself out.

Otherwise, I have never heard of a system that would check bags to the same airport twice on the one journey. Happy to understand the e exception out of curiousity. .

KF

cgtechuk

I wouldnt even bother with an overnight in GLA , I would just do a back to back its my home airport and it literally could not be easier, walk of the plane turn round and board again.

On the return just ask for the bags at LHR

SeattleDavid

"Change fee" is easy - it will be whatever the fee is for your kind of ticket (on TATL this is typically $300, but it could be $200 and it could be $500, but it will be in the T&Cs of the ticket).

However if you mean fees for changing, these would be change fee, plus difference in fare – maybe with a credit in the fare is less, but often with no credit when the fare is less. Changing an outbound flight almost always means recalculating the fare as if the ticket were issued today (well, it is reissued today), whereas changing an inbound flight often means recalculating the fare according the fares on the day you originally booked (for the fare class that is now available). Changing a return flight well in advance can often cost only the change fee, whereas changing the outbound can cost 000's. Deleting the last segment, or changing it to a co-terminal might cost almost nothing, or it might cost a lot.

On top of all that, some airlines will waive the change fee if you book your new flights into a higher cabin (PEY rather than Y perhaps, or F instead of J). And some tickets only offer the reduced cost on changing a return flight after the outbound legs are flown.

In situations like these the OP has to work out what the best fare is that they can get today for the flights they want if they change everything, as well as phone and ask for a price for just changing the return. I have often had to do longer trips because changing the outbound is simply prohibitive but coming back three days later, or adding / deleting a flight, costs next to nothing.

Fatdickie

Wouldn't the cheapest way be to use the Avios made on the main flights, towards two London to Glasgow flights either side of the main holiday?

What is it about 8,000 miles and £31 each?

mickeypops

Thanks again everyone. I'm minded to follow advice to (definitely) start our journey from Glasgow as scheduled. During our stay in LA I'll call and see if the return from LHR to GLA can be inexpensively dropped. If not I'll use a luggage service, travel with hand baggage only and leave at LHR.

Thanks again everyone. The knowledge and experience on this forum never ceases to astound me.

MP

Keldin

One option for getting to Glasgow to start your journey is the Caledonian Sleeper train. Leave Euston the night before and arrive around 7:30?? in Glasgow. Usual warnings of late running or cancelled trains apply and it depends if you like overnight train travel.

UKtravelbear

I really don't see the need to do that and generate the additional faffing about arranging that (and taking up valuable holiday time) plus the extra expense* plus the waiting for your luggage to be delivered back to your home.

* you could do some research now on costs and timescales but even so.

scottishpoet

Not something I would recommend. The sleeper is, in my experience, very unreliable.

Back to back is usually very easy at GLA
With the relative ease at GLA of a backto back

windowontheAside

Re baggage services - any recommendations? The only time I looked into this a while back it was eye wateringly expensive.

Years ago we used to mail stuff home via USPS but they increased their parcel rates substantially so we abandoned that method.

subject2load

Prices here look not too bad

https://www.mybaggage.com

DominicB

BTW, I'm very surprised you say that UA was able to through check your bags on an itinerary that would include twice the same airport. I take over 200 flights a year and I have never come across an airline able to do that, so if UA is one, they are very much the exception and I do wonder what bag tagging system they use that would allow that as all the integrated systems that I can think of (which are not airline specific) would reject any attempt to do this.[/QUOTE]


Earlier this year I was flying from my home in Chicago to Britain. I had to go to Glasgow for a meeting on arrival, which was on a different locator. And the day after (so two days after I was checking in at ORD) I was flying back down to London. I rolled up at ORD and the tag that was produced absolutely said LHR/GLA/LHR - which I had to have them bin, as I needed my bag overnight in Glasgow. So it does happen, and sometimes without one wanting it!!

flygod

Don't use a luggage service!

Our son did, after a wedding in the USA, and Fedex wanted to charge him £115 in some sort of customs/duty spurious fees just to get his kilt back.