Nephoi

Hello everybody,

we're doing a school field trip to London with our school orchestra next year. We booked the trip with the groups department, so the booking allows one luggage per passenger. This will be used for the instruments. As far as I understood it, it's no problem to use the baggage allowance for instruments like euphoniums, tubas, trombones etc. I assume we will just check those instruments as regular checked baggage and will retrieve those at the baggage claim in London Heathrow. We plan to be at the airport 3 hrs prior to departure. I hope this is enough time for BER-LHR-BER.

Has anyone further insight into this? maybe even done a trip like that? Is there anything we should consider? any useful tips? Can we all use the priority lane since im a GGL? is online checkin available for group-bookings? I know that a PNR can contain up to 9 pax. we're 35. so we will get 6 PNRs?

Any insight is appreciated.

Nephoi

Robespierre

My Daughter went on a school trip (long haul) and there was no possibility to add any exec club details to the reservation (it was all one one PNR for 30+) so you cannot check in online but when it came to the dedicated Group check in desk she could add her EC number and she got the Tier Points & Avios but did not get seat selection benefits as the groups are seated together. Assume Lounge/Fast Track would have been OK as her status was on her BP but when travelling with a group that is not really the point.

Nephoi

going to the Lounge with the 35 students waiting along In the departure area doesn't sound very fair to me

my main concern is handling the process of getting checked in the luggage and queueing up with 35 children aged 11-12 having everything prepared next to the priority lane and then check all the 40 pax would be my first approach. yes. I already knew that those tickets in Golf class earn TP and Avios (744 Avios and 5TP per direction).

Thank you for your response.

Schwann

I might be wrong but isn't there a specific desk at LHR for group travel?

13901

Dear OP, please see the BA details about flying with instruments here: britishairways.com/jba/ba/fi_FI/baggage/bagsport.html#:~:text=Instruments such as violins%2C violas,31 x 18 x 10in%5D.

I would really recommend contacting them if you're travelling with a lot of musical instruments. Adding that info to your group booking will alert BA of your specific needs and will raise awareness within the operation. Back when I worked there we had a situation when two major cycling events were happening on the same week in France, and thus GVA & LYS were rammed. Thankfully a few cycling clubs contacted us ahead of schedule so we knew that 50 of them were planning to come with their bikes, and suitable arrangements were made. In the end we had 200+ bikes on that day!

Nephoi

yesterday I had the questions, how many bags one of those planes of the A320 family can actually hold yeah. contacting them is for sure. Will tell the GGL hotline about it in addition to the remarks the group department will send. Thank you.

lcylocal

Yes in Zone E.

This is the Zone on the back wall in the middle where family (Skyflyers) check-in is. It probably wont be the same queue, but IME the exact config of desks and queues can vary slightly from day to day.

Edit:- sorry this is the info for Heathrow T5. I had missed that this is a trip TO London, therefore it will be relevant for the return journey.

Nephoi

thanks for that informationen. this helps for the inbound. I think in Berlin I will just ask on one of my future travels. the checkin area is quite small for BA (3 desks).

gustavmahler

Whenever I have traveled with orchestras - student or professional - the instruments have always gone by road in a van. I would not recommend checking instruments in the hold. Brass might be ok, but for woodwind and especially strings it's far too risky. Are you planning on turning up with a set of timps at check-in? Not done long haul, but I imagine that lots of extra seats are bought by professional orchestras and percussion would be hired at the destination.

lcylocal

Also bear in mind that it is very likely that anything larger or in an unusually shaped case will need to be tagged at the desk then taken to oversized baggage. They will often want to see the relevant boarding pass for each piece of luggage too. Might be worth identifying where that is when you next go through.

Nephoi

the woodwinds go within the hand luggage. clarinets, flutes etc. the road trip sadly is outside of our budget. we don't have strings.