FlyingFrZ

Booked a BA award flight back to the US

DUB-LON-LAX

​​​​​​We take the DUB-LCY flight the day before our flight to the US. This routing helped me save $400 per passenger on taxes as opposed to originating in the UK.

Since we plan on being in London those days anyways, I figure we can just head to LCY/LHR from the hotel, take a quick flight to DUB without any bags, and catch our booking back to London all in one afternoon.

My question is how long of a gap should I allow between our scheduled arrival in DUB and our flight back to LCY? (Departs at 3:55PM)

Not sure what the immigration situation is now after brexit, but I imagine I would have to clear some sort of immigration check, preventing us from doing an immediate turn at the gate.

Thanks in advance for any advice

Lucanesque

I've not done it post-pandemic, but I'd suggest checking out this thread if you've not already --> https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brit...tinations.html

bisonrav

Couple of hours should be OK, but it's not something I'd stretch. You have to go out via the passport desks (very quick usually) and come back in, and recently there have been queues in security. It's not a b2bable destination really.

You can do security at either T1 or T2, they link up.

omk298

It depends on your attitude to risk, and what it would cost to replace the flights you'd miss if you don't make it to DUB in time. For a long haul I'd normally aim to be there the night before, with a backup plan or two. Other people would leave a couple of hours and hope for the best.

Would you have checked bags? If so, add some more time on!

bisonrav

There are loads of flights to Dublin, EI, BA, FR etc, and as long as you're in front of security with a BP a couple of hours before departure you're in good shape - you turned up on time and if you miss your flight it's because of airport delays so you should be protected. I wouldn't be particularly worried if I'm honest for a 4pm departure. Just start as early as practical.

What I'm curious about is what happens if the DUB to LHR is late in and you haven't got time to retrieve/drop your bags.

PGberkshire

Brexit hasn't changed the CTA
https://www.citizensinformation.ie/e...nd_the_uk.html

lhrsfo

I’m doing something similar in a couple of weeks and I have given myself 4 hours between arriving on FR ans departing on EI. Fingers crossed and I rather wish I had built more of a safety margin.

FlyingFrZ

Thank you all for the info

To clarify my situation, our award flights are DUB-LCY with an overnight in London, connecting to LHR-LAX the next day.

Since we are already staying at a hotel in London, I plan on flying to Dublin with only my wallet just to begin our booking originating in DUB. We would then start our journey by flying DUB-LCY and head straight to dinner. Next day we would take the train to LHR with all our luggage to fly our LHR-LAX flight.

I know anything is possible, but would I really need more than 2hrs between the flights? This reservation is for well into the winter so I would assume any waiting times would be shorter compared to now.

LCY8737

For winter my main concern would be weather. In case your LON-DUB goes belly up and you miss your DUB-LCY, then your LHR-LAX might get auto-cancelled. It happened to me once (summer storm over LGW meant I couldn’t fly to INV to start my trip there the following morning). Agents at LHR may be able/willing to help (they did for me), but it is not a good situation to be in.

FlightDetective

There have always been and continue to be immigration checks at Dublin for all passengers regardless of origin, so nothing has changed and you will need to go through Passport control.

If you have an EU Passport, this will generally be quicker for you.

I would say that if you arrived into Dublin three hours before your departure to LCY, you will have plenty of time.

KeaneJohn

This is one of those how long is a piece of string scenarios. Under normal circumstances a few hours should be ok as you need to clear immigration and security but you need plan B to get to DUB in time for your flight back to LCY if something happens on the day. If your flight is cancelled or delayed.

My other concern and I have a low risk factor is what if there are irrops on your transatlantic and they reroute you DUB-JFK-SFO. I don’t think you can insist you want to go via LOndon. Which could be problematic if all your luggage is in London.

bisonrav

People often worry too much I think. Dublin is well served and has very frequent flights from the London airports. It would be quite low down on my worry list, and you have options like same day change if things were to get tricky.

There seem to be good weekday options out of LCY (seems the 1555 return is weekdays), a 0910 which would be ideal timing. Weather is a possible issue, but if there's wind which is the main problem you'd probably be swapped to Heathrow I guess and they'd have to give you time to get there.

itsmeitisss

I remember having an amusing interaction with the immigration officer that while due to the CTA, I didn't need a passport, I needed to show a passport in order to demonstrate that I didn't need to use a passport. He defended the policy. I responded with a smile that you could easily get around it by flying into Belfast and driving into the Republic.

:D!

Highly doubt you were the first person who's ever said something like this to him...

PUCCI GALORE

I know what I would do and that is to make a day of it. I'd travel to DUB in the morning and have lunch - and come back to DUB to catch the flight to the UK - if an early start does not suit,m what's tp stop you going the day before you flight from DUB to LCY?

I think that fast turnarounds are highly suspect at the moment - it would only take one cancellation and your award is in jeopardy