Horacetweed

Hi folks

14yo son has just been invited to stay with a friend in the south of France this summer and trying to figure out whether we should let him travel alone. He's a fairly sensible kid and mature for his age, but still just a kid.

I've been looking at flights from Edinburgh to Bergerac via London City. I've flown the EDI LCY flight loads in the past although not for a few years and I've never had a connection through LCY.

Outbound has 65 minutes transfer time. I think he has to come out and clear security again? Is 65 minutes enough time at 08:40 on a Friday morning and do you still just come out past the baggage carousel and back up the elevator to security?

Return has two hours transfer the following Friday lunchtime, same question really. Is that enough time to get through passport control and back through security?

Anything else I need to worry about?

thanks

corporate-wage-slave

It's fairly straightforward and the return flight is straightforward, he will be getting bored at some point in that. It is as you say, out to landside, up the escalator to departures, the distances are fairly short and there isn't a lot that could go wrong. Except! The 65 minute turnround outbound would be fine and not particularly troublesome if everything goes to plan. But what does Plan B look like if EDI-LCY is delayed a couple of hours? I presume the next Bergerac flight is next day.

Horacetweed

Thank you

Next flight would be the day after, Sunday, so yes a bit of an issue if there's a delay.

Alternative is Sunday to Sunday which would give him 2hr30 in LCY there and 6hrs on the way back! Tempted to go that way though and load his laptop up with movies.

Cw novice

I did EDI-LCR-FLR in march with a similar time and connecting through city will be a breeze if everything running.

Out through the doors then straight up the stairs to departures.

If he has checked baggage that will be through checked.

Coming back border control at LCY took 10 minutes max.

flygod

Way back when our kids were young, I had to fly EDI-FRA to then hand over the kids from BMI to LH for FRA-Malaga. BMI wouldn't take then at that age, but LH would!

In the current climate, I would perhaps go to LCY for breakfast?

Horacetweed

it did cross my mind but flight choices back / there for me aren't great (or cheap)

Struggling to get booked anyway at the moment as I need to phone in the booking (can't be done online for a solo 14yo) and recorded message says the sales lines are closed for the next few weeks to free up staff to deal with all the disruption. I'll try again tomorrow, would be a shame for him to miss out.

Bullswood

[QUOTE In the current climate, I would perhaps go to LCY for breakfast?[/QUOTE]

Yes, this is what I would do this summer, unless you have helpful friends on call along the way.

PGberkshire

Sounds like an exciting adventure for a 14 year old

I know BACF arnt shedding flights like BA, but worth having a backup plan should it go wrong?

Horacetweed

Is LCY seeing the same sort of problems as Heathrow and Gatwick? I'd assumed going via LCY would miss the worst of it.

corporate-wage-slave

From what I can make out, LCY is managing much better than LHR and LGW, and they aren't having many baggage problems in particular. But BACF are tight on crew at the moment, and if they have a run of COVID cases then flights have to be cancelled at less than 24 hours notice. Timekeeping at weekends is a bit shoddy, but that's not to do with LCY.

I guess Plan B is a return train / air ticket to EDI - that should lead to a full refund so it's a cost free insurance option.

For the booking, you have to place the call either as a change booking, or more stupidly make the booking as an adult then call to change it, which is in line with protocol but a lot more work.

Confus

If you’re happy to pay APD (£13 economy, £26 Club) then you can book him online as an adult. This is perfectly acceptable and there’s no difference in fare for a 14-year-old, it’s literally just the govt tax. On principle I don’t normally advocate paying more tax than required… but as a token fee for avoiding call centre drama it could well be worth it.

RockyRobin

BACF cancelled me yesterday…

PGberkshire

I hate cancel culture

bd95

I’ve had a few domestic BACF cancellations in recent months!

Bullswood

I'd exercise caution before booking as an adult as in the event that something did go awry, BA could justifiably argue that they weren't aware of his young age.