flying_geek

We are having a connection that requires a night in London - staying at an airport hotel. I have done something similar a few weeks ago and simply checked the bag through and didn't think much about it. Mrs Flying_Geek who I suppose cares and spends more on her clothes than I do is concerned about leaving the bags overnight. If this was our home airport of Miami - I would instantly agree with her. Anyone know if pilfering is an issue at LHR? We have 5 or 6 bags I'd rather not take on the Hotel Shuttle.
The flights are BA to AA (in J - so they have an orange label which may mean "open me first" if that is an issue in LHR)

Thoughts? Data points?

Thanks

corporate-wage-slave

Quite a few years ago Heathrow had a Daily Mail mnemonic as Thiefrow, but after a few high profile stings - complete with mugshots in said journal - this seems to have stopped. I can't recall a single post in recent years of someone saying "my bag was in LHR and got lost in LHR". The automated warehouse is largely computerised anyway. You would be at greater risk taking your bags to the hotel, in my view, and many more things could go wrong there too. If you have a through ticket with less than 24 hours scheduled at LHR then you are effectively paying for ease of baggage handling, so I suggest you use it. As ever, though, always have irreplaceable items in hand luggage or don't take them flying. And ensure you have a few days of key items in hand luggage - this has nothing to do with LHR storage security, however.

Paging 13901

LTN Phobia

I've done this many times over the years with embarrassing amount of shoes, clothes and toiletries, and never had any issues. Mind you, it would have been quite an achievement to fit into my clothes and shoes, especially if they are guys!

Do note the severe disruption on hotel hoppa buses at the moment. Just one service to all the hotels and I heard that they sometimes don't turn up (or so severely late that it's the equivalent of not having turned up), and some hotels are not served by them.

There is a newish ground transport company called WeKnow that are operating car service from Heathrow, and they have an outlet on the Arrivals floor:
https://www.heathrow.com/at-the-airp...rvices/we-know

They booked the driver, and he turned up a short while later, helped me with my bags to the vehicle (which was a comfortable, near-new Jaguar so they are not like old bangers). They had their vehicles parked on the arrivals level - they seem to have some kind of a deal with Heathrow Airport to put their vehicles in a very convenient location.

In fact for two persons to some of the hotels close to Heathrow, they might be cheaper than 2 x Hoppa ticket.
Mine worked out to be Ł11 each way from memory, when I booked a return with them.

It might sound like an ad, but I am in no way associated with them!

tuonopepper

Interested in this at outstations as have less than 24hrs, overnight connections at SOF and JFK on a TP run next year.

On the SOF that's from LHR and back to LHR before going off to US so the bag doesn't really need to leave LHR, but that would make it more like 34 hours at LHR.....also that's two separate tickets.

JFK is 23hrs mid a run back from LAX to LHR so less complicated.

Globaliser

This one won't work for the additional reason that the tag can't be LHR-SOF-LHR-XXX. The same airport can't appear twice in the tagged journey.

LTN Phobia

You can't check the bags for LHR-SOF-LHR, so put them in storage at LHR at Excess Baggage Company on the Arrivals level at T5, assuming you have time between SOF-LHR and LHR-JFK to pick them up and check them. I have used them many times over the years and I have not had any issue.

It should be Ł20 per bag for more than 24 hours but 48 hours or less.

Airprox

AA will make you collect your bag at JFK with that connection.

tuonopepper

Ah ok, makes sense, so looks like I'm taking it and leaving it in SOF left luggage or just leave it with hotel concierge while I mooch round the city before flying back. No drama as I'll be in an UBER anyway.

JFK is prob the more important one to save me dragging bags to Manhattan and back.

tuonopepper

Don't think that'll work as LHR is the midpoint of MAN/SOF but appreciate I didn't include that info initially so this would have worked based on the info provided.

tuonopepper

Ok, prob use a left luggage service at JFK in that scenario then.

flyslow

Another piece of bad news - there's no Uber in Bulgaria.

Palal

No uber in Sofia. No left luggage in SOF.

LTN Phobia

At least taxis were quite cheap from memory.

flyslow

There is or at least used to be left luggage at Central Bus Station, right next to Central Rail Station. You can take metro with one connection from airport

tuonopepper

Funny, the UBER trip estimator chucked out a price, anyway cabs are cheap, it'll be fine and hotel is downtown so they can keep the luggage til I head back to the airport.