Last minute change of plan to B2B in JER tomorrow [11 Oct] - advice please
Oct 10, 2023, 12:46 am
#1
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Last minute change of plan to B2B in JER tomorrow [11 Oct] - advice please
Hi all
I posted recently and received some great advice on how early to turn up to the airport for our JER-LHR-SFO itinerary. Plan had been to fly to JER today (leaving home at midday), have a lovely evening there with great food and a swish hotel, then start our "proper" itinerary tomorrow on a different PNR... Best laid plans and all that, our kitten was taken ill last night necessitating a trip to the emergency vet. He is OK now and will be discharged soon, but we don't think it's fair on him or the sitter for us to immediately leave. On the other hand, now he is fine we don't want to lose our expensive holiday on top of the vet bills (thank god for pet insurance though!).
Our flight out of JER-LHR tomorrow morning is the 09.50. We have therefore secured RFS seats on the outbound flight at 07.55-09.00, ie a B2B with our starting flight. I have never done a "true" B2B so would appreciate confirmation of the following:
- JER is listed as "Excellent" in the guide so I'm assuming that part is OK, we just get off the plane then get on again.
- However, this will only work if we can OLCI for our main itinerary already - so we will only know that at 09.50 today when we try. No reason why not hopefully.
- Baggage is therefore the area of concern. We were planning to check a case each. We know it won't be possible to collect and recheck at JER. Main question therefore: when we arrive at LHR for the first outbound, will we be allowed to check bags for the LHR-SFO sector of JER-LHR-SFO? And therefore do our B2B unencumbered.
Failing that I suppose we could do a drastic repack to hand luggage only but as we are taking gifts for US friends and so on, that's ideally to be avoided if we know we can check the bags at LHR before the JER jaunt.
Thank you so much!
I posted recently and received some great advice on how early to turn up to the airport for our JER-LHR-SFO itinerary. Plan had been to fly to JER today (leaving home at midday), have a lovely evening there with great food and a swish hotel, then start our "proper" itinerary tomorrow on a different PNR... Best laid plans and all that, our kitten was taken ill last night necessitating a trip to the emergency vet. He is OK now and will be discharged soon, but we don't think it's fair on him or the sitter for us to immediately leave. On the other hand, now he is fine we don't want to lose our expensive holiday on top of the vet bills (thank god for pet insurance though!).
Our flight out of JER-LHR tomorrow morning is the 09.50. We have therefore secured RFS seats on the outbound flight at 07.55-09.00, ie a B2B with our starting flight. I have never done a "true" B2B so would appreciate confirmation of the following:
- JER is listed as "Excellent" in the guide so I'm assuming that part is OK, we just get off the plane then get on again.
- However, this will only work if we can OLCI for our main itinerary already - so we will only know that at 09.50 today when we try. No reason why not hopefully.
- Baggage is therefore the area of concern. We were planning to check a case each. We know it won't be possible to collect and recheck at JER. Main question therefore: when we arrive at LHR for the first outbound, will we be allowed to check bags for the LHR-SFO sector of JER-LHR-SFO? And therefore do our B2B unencumbered.
Failing that I suppose we could do a drastic repack to hand luggage only but as we are taking gifts for US friends and so on, that's ideally to be avoided if we know we can check the bags at LHR before the JER jaunt.
Thank you so much!
Oct 10, 2023, 12:51 am
#2
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Yes get off and get back on. You should come in to the terminal along the corridor where the gates are and the lounge is. Worst case you end up at stand 1 where you get forced landside, but you should be back well before boarding starts.
when doing olci deselect all flights other than JER-LHR. Just check in for that flight only initially.
yes you can check your bag for your later flight departing LHR.
when doing olci deselect all flights other than JER-LHR. Just check in for that flight only initially.
yes you can check your bag for your later flight departing LHR.
Oct 10, 2023, 12:58 am
#3
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If so, when do we check in for that - presumably needs to be before or at the time of arriving at the First Wing to get rid of our bags before the B2B?
Oct 10, 2023, 1:11 am
#4
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yes, if there is an issue for LHR-SFO it will prevent you also doing JER-LHR if you try and check in for both. do JER-LHR first, then go back in and do LHR-SFO - it should be fine but if it isn't letting you do LHR-SFO (e.g. SSSS) you can go via TFW and do it during your connection or ask at TFW before you go to JER in the morning.
Oct 10, 2023, 1:18 am
#5
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The other thing to do, for the OLCI screens, is to select "Don't know" for the number of bags, it keeps your options open and makes it easier to check in bags in the "wrong" airport.
Oct 10, 2023, 1:18 am
#6
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Your contingency plans are:
1) If for any reason you can't check your bags in for just the LHR->US legs, there is a left luggage place along the arrivals concourse near the train/underground machines. You might also want to put hand baggage in there so you're really travelling light for the B2B. It's not cheap though.
2) You do need a BP for Jersey. As Karfa says, see if it lets you check in for just the Jersey leg, if you hit issues, the gold wing can do it, but they tend to push back. I would just explain the situation honestly and they'll probably help. In any case if they do your doc check, which they are usually willing to do you, should be cleared for OLCI. Give yourself a little extra time at Heathrow.
3) In Jersey, it's usually just a case of hanging back a little, looking left and right up the corridor for the lounge sign (a sandwich board outside the door), and heading there,. There are occasional arrivals where you get routed through landside, but this isn't a problem, just move briskly landside via the baggage hall, exit the building, turn right and round to the departures area and back through security.
1) If for any reason you can't check your bags in for just the LHR->US legs, there is a left luggage place along the arrivals concourse near the train/underground machines. You might also want to put hand baggage in there so you're really travelling light for the B2B. It's not cheap though.
2) You do need a BP for Jersey. As Karfa says, see if it lets you check in for just the Jersey leg, if you hit issues, the gold wing can do it, but they tend to push back. I would just explain the situation honestly and they'll probably help. In any case if they do your doc check, which they are usually willing to do you, should be cleared for OLCI. Give yourself a little extra time at Heathrow.
3) In Jersey, it's usually just a case of hanging back a little, looking left and right up the corridor for the lounge sign (a sandwich board outside the door), and heading there,. There are occasional arrivals where you get routed through landside, but this isn't a problem, just move briskly landside via the baggage hall, exit the building, turn right and round to the departures area and back through security.
Oct 10, 2023, 1:26 am
#7
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yes, if there is an issue for LHR-SFO it will prevent you also doing JER-LHR if you try and check in for both. do JER-LHR first, then go back in and do LHR-SFO - it should be fine but if it isn't letting you do LHR-SFO (e.g. SSSS) you can go via TFW and do it during your connection or ask at TFW before you go to JER in the morning.
Oct 10, 2023, 1:27 am
#8
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Oct 10, 2023, 1:29 am
#9
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Your contingency plans are:
1) If for any reason you can't check your bags in for just the LHR->US legs, there is a left luggage place along the arrivals concourse near the train/underground machines. You might also want to put hand baggage in there so you're really travelling light for the B2B. It's not cheap though.
2) You do need a BP for Jersey. As Karfa says, see if it lets you check in for just the Jersey leg, if you hit issues, the gold wing can do it, but they tend to push back. I would just explain the situation honestly and they'll probably help. In any case if they do your doc check, which they are usually willing to do you, should be cleared for OLCI. Give yourself a little extra time at Heathrow.
3) In Jersey, it's usually just a case of hanging back a little, looking left and right up the corridor for the lounge sign (a sandwich board outside the door), and heading there,. There are occasional arrivals where you get routed through landside, but this isn't a problem, just move briskly landside via the baggage hall, exit the building, turn right and round to the departures area and back through security.
1) If for any reason you can't check your bags in for just the LHR->US legs, there is a left luggage place along the arrivals concourse near the train/underground machines. You might also want to put hand baggage in there so you're really travelling light for the B2B. It's not cheap though.
2) You do need a BP for Jersey. As Karfa says, see if it lets you check in for just the Jersey leg, if you hit issues, the gold wing can do it, but they tend to push back. I would just explain the situation honestly and they'll probably help. In any case if they do your doc check, which they are usually willing to do you, should be cleared for OLCI. Give yourself a little extra time at Heathrow.
3) In Jersey, it's usually just a case of hanging back a little, looking left and right up the corridor for the lounge sign (a sandwich board outside the door), and heading there,. There are occasional arrivals where you get routed through landside, but this isn't a problem, just move briskly landside via the baggage hall, exit the building, turn right and round to the departures area and back through security.
Thank you all so much, it’s such a weight off our minds and compared to two hours ago before the all clear call from the vet and this thread of solutions the world seems like a much better place. This place is brilliant.
Oct 10, 2023, 2:53 am
#10
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Your contingency plans are:
1) If for any reason you can't check your bags in for just the LHR->US legs, there is a left luggage place along the arrivals concourse near the train/underground machines. You might also want to put hand baggage in there so you're really travelling light for the B2B. It's not cheap though.
2) You do need a BP for Jersey. As Karfa says, see if it lets you check in for just the Jersey leg, if you hit issues, the gold wing can do it, but they tend to push back. I would just explain the situation honestly and they'll probably help. In any case if they do your doc check, which they are usually willing to do you, should be cleared for OLCI. Give yourself a little extra time at Heathrow.
3) In Jersey, it's usually just a case of hanging back a little, looking left and right up the corridor for the lounge sign (a sandwich board outside the door), and heading there,. There are occasional arrivals where you get routed through landside, but this isn't a problem, just move briskly landside via the baggage hall, exit the building, turn right and round to the departures area and back through security.
1) If for any reason you can't check your bags in for just the LHR->US legs, there is a left luggage place along the arrivals concourse near the train/underground machines. You might also want to put hand baggage in there so you're really travelling light for the B2B. It's not cheap though.
2) You do need a BP for Jersey. As Karfa says, see if it lets you check in for just the Jersey leg, if you hit issues, the gold wing can do it, but they tend to push back. I would just explain the situation honestly and they'll probably help. In any case if they do your doc check, which they are usually willing to do you, should be cleared for OLCI. Give yourself a little extra time at Heathrow.
3) In Jersey, it's usually just a case of hanging back a little, looking left and right up the corridor for the lounge sign (a sandwich board outside the door), and heading there,. There are occasional arrivals where you get routed through landside, but this isn't a problem, just move briskly landside via the baggage hall, exit the building, turn right and round to the departures area and back through security.
I'm pretty sure the BA plane has parked in it's usual spot (very close to the lounge) every time. Am I making this harder work than I need to (even though it;s really not very hard work)?
I've always managed to find time for a bottle of the excellent IPA in the JER lounge.
Oct 10, 2023, 3:08 am
#12
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OLCI not working, can’t even get to the point of saying LHR-JER only, both on app and website. Will try again later but if not have to hope TFW can help us in the morning then.
Oct 10, 2023, 3:13 am
#13
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I'm pretty sure that under the circumstances, the first wing staff will be helpful. You probably only need a document check anyway and full OLCI will be fine. Give yourself a little extra time.
I've done very many Jersey B2Bs and only ever been shovelled landside once. It's quite obvious when it happens, there are barriers to the magic corridor. It's no biggie, it just gets you a bit more exercise.
If you come into the corridor, and can see the lounge, all you have to do is go there. There are some stories of agents saying "this is not a transit route" and asking you to go landside, but usually they're outside and I've never had this. Anyway you just dawdle in the corridor as if waiting for someone until there's a crowd to cover you a little, check where the lounge is, and then stride purposefully into it. They'll tick you off the list of people they're expecting and you can pour yourself a beer.
I've done JER B2B a few times with no issues, but I've always gone landside. As you said, past the baggage belts, out onto the road, turn right, into departures and back through security.
I'm pretty sure the BA plane has parked in it's usual spot (very close to the lounge) every time. Am I making this harder work than I need to (even though it;s really not very hard work)?.
I'm pretty sure the BA plane has parked in it's usual spot (very close to the lounge) every time. Am I making this harder work than I need to (even though it;s really not very hard work)?.
If you come into the corridor, and can see the lounge, all you have to do is go there. There are some stories of agents saying "this is not a transit route" and asking you to go landside, but usually they're outside and I've never had this. Anyway you just dawdle in the corridor as if waiting for someone until there's a crowd to cover you a little, check where the lounge is, and then stride purposefully into it. They'll tick you off the list of people they're expecting and you can pour yourself a beer.
Oct 10, 2023, 3:13 am
#14
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Just look up: if you are gate 1 then you have no choice but to go landside. If you are gate 3 or 11 then just go to the lounge. There are signs, including signs for connections to Guernsey, so follow them rather than the crowd. Gate 1 is in a corner, so it will look like you have terminal structures on both side coming to a point by the aircraft's nose. BA1341, which left JER on time at 09:30 today went from 11, other side from the lounge.
Oct 10, 2023, 3:19 am
#15
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Try again once you get to T-24 for the SFO departure. I don't know why that might work, but I do recall something like this for a similar itinerary of mine a while ago.