lsquare

I'm wondering when is the earliest I can check in before my flight? I want to do some lounge hopping at Heathrow T3 and T5.

KARFA

In both terminals you can bag drop at anytime from 0500 on the day of travel.

Markie

Are you checking bags?
If not you can check-in 24 hours before and get your Boarding Pass.
Go through Security when it opens and you can stay until your flight.

Kruisler

Is this always true? My wife turned up at 9.30am for a 1.20pm flight to the US on BA in T5 (11th of Feb) and was not allowed to drop her bags off until 3hrs before the flight...

mikeyfly

With status / higher cabin you can check bags from first thing

mikeyfly

How are you planning to lounge hop in both terminals ? It's not straight forwards - which terminal are you flying from ?

KARFA

the op is a BA gold according to their profile so it’s true for them. Previously it used to be the case that people with no status and in y could only bag drop within 3 hours of the flight, but I don’t think that restriction is really enforced now - certainly the self service machines don’t enforce it.

lsquare

Not always, but I will if the trip is more than a week. I just want to ask to keep this in the back of my mind.

​​​​​​​Not between the terminals in the same thing. Just asking to know.

Flaps Down

If you are checking bags, the earliest you can hand them over is the day before - with some limitations: https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb...ernightbagdrop

"Overnight Bag Drop is available from 16:00-22:00 for flights departing the next day before 10:00 from London Heathrow Terminal 3 and Terminal 5. It is also available from 18:00-21:00 for flights departing the next day before 13:00 from London Gatwick. "

KeaneJohn

In my experience both at T3 and T5 you can check in and drop bags from around 0430. At T3 only regular security was open at that time and it took around 15 mins to get through. People were already airside and on arrival at the BA lounge they asked us to wait on the throne chairs at the entrance to GF and let us in at 5am on the dot when staff were still putting drinks and food out.

At T5 check in desks open for the early MAD and BCN flights from around 0430. I’ve not seen them turn people away for other flights. Security opens around 0445 and lounges 0500.

I usually travel on the 0300 N9 from Central London that is due at Heathrow Bus Station at 0420 and T5 at 0430 and only once have I had to wait 5-10 mins at T5 otherwise by the time I’ve walked from the respective bus stops to the check in desks I’ve had no wait.

Grace B

I have an 07:05 flight from T5 next month and plan to get the H30 bus from T4 (where I'm staying) to T5 at 04:20, to maximise my time in the F lounge, and hence enjoy the champagne with my English breakfast (unfortunately not "Full", due to the lack of tomatoes and black pudding).

sigma421

Came across this thread when doing some research earlier so thought I'd feed back with my story. Flew down from Glasgow last night and flying on to GOT tonight to start a B2B. As I overnighted at a Heathrow hotel and was working in central London today, I thought I'd drop my bags for the 19:55 flight at around 07:30 before heading to the office.

I eventually convinced them that having a silver card meant I could do this but the agent was not keen at all (and clearly thought I was mad for being in the terminal 12 hours before departure - even though I explained my plan!). He initially told me it wasn't possible regardless of status then called a manager who said it was. Even so he clearly still wasn't keen, telling me his computer was telling him not to do it.

All worked out for me but do be aware that if you're in economy without status, you may struggle to drop bags super early.

corporate-wage-slave

If in Traveller without status you would be expected to use the self service machines, which seem to operate without phoning the head robot. But there is something called the Early Bag Store, which sometimes does fill up, though not in mid November. If EBS is full then agents can be told to not accept bags before 2 hours to departure, for non status passengers.

USA_flyer

I tried to drop 3 bags at T5 the night before my flight. Twilight check in theory, is after 4pm for flights leaving before 10am.

I tried to check in before 7pm for a 1pm flight the following day and was told no. I asked politely for a supervisor decision and got the thumbs up. I had 3 bags to haul from the hotel on my own the following day otherwise, so I appreciated BAs willingness to help me.

JapesUK

I had this scenario a few months ago travelling with colleagues from T3, I could bag drop first thing in the morning as a gold, they had to wait until 2 hours before departure travelling in ET with no status. A quick google suggests that the 2 or 3 hours before limitation only applies to no status/blue in ET and WT/WTP