moe8555

Hi all,

I have an upcoming flight El Al TLV-FRA in business, then onward FRA-LHR with BA (also business). Two separate tickets (both awards).

What is the current situation regarding interlining bags El Al-BA starting in TLV? Will they give me a hard time (I would hope that flying in business would have a little extra pull...)?

tedcruz

You should be able to check it all the way through. How long is your connection? BA would'nt if it is an airline from another alliance...

moe8555

Not long at all... less than an hour and a half. Would you happen to know what terminal/gate the El Al flight lands at?

Often1

OP reports that it is not a connection. He is on separate tickets.

Houminer

OP, this is very risky, do you have a "plan B" in case you miss the connection?

Innocent Abroad

For more than a year BA does not interline bags even between two BA flights if not on one ticket. Perhaps the situation here is different because it is LY-BA but I would double check that because it does look very risky.

moe8555

The flight is on Thursday, but to play it safe we decided to stick to carry-ons. I hope it goes well, and yes there is a Plan B if we misconnect and they refuse to rebook. Fortunately there are plenty of cheap one ways between the airports.

Houminer

I am sure that everyone here will be crossing their fingers.
Please report back

moe8555

Thanks!!! I just can't believe I was so stupid and misread the arrival time... I was sure it was 9:00, but in reality 9:55 (although judging by the stats, it tends to get in 15-20 minutes early). I understand that since both flights are non-Schengen, we can remain airside by using the new SkyLine C concourse station to get to D (then a brief security check). I just hope BA doesn't actually close doors 30 min. prior to departure, although the flight looks very empty...

I noticed that benberg did the same trip in reverse. Wonder how it went?

moe8555

Update:
We made it! ...but it was an extremely stressful situation and we literally had to run.

The El Al flight actually landed 30 minutes ahead of schedule, but there was a miscommunication about which gate to use, causing us to sit on the plane for about 45 minutes, completely eliminating our time advantage. We finally got off the plane via jetway at 10:00 on the dot; our BA flight was on time and scheduled for a 10:55 departure, with gate closure scheduled for 10:25.

For the sake of those contemplating such a maneuver in the future, our flight landed at C6. The next flight was at E2. The path to E2 was fairly straightforward, with a non-Schengen airside connection via the SkyLine within C Concourse. You have to take an elevator up to the train, which abruptly appears after a bit of a walk (or run, in our case) and can easily be missed. No passport checks required. Right in front of E2 was a security checkpoint, which had practically no line. However, the employees there worked at a snail's pace. I truly don't recall ever experiencing such indifferent and slow-moving staff, ever. They really didn't care that we were on the verge of missing the flight with the gate located before our very eyes.

TLDR: By running, we connected from C6 to E2 and cleared security in 25 minutes, from jetway to post-security at the gate.

If we had been in one of the last rows in Y on El Al, I'm not sure we would have made it - but we were in J and among the first to deplane.

To top it off, another person in J with us happened to have built the same unprotected itinerary and sat with us in J on the BA flight! But he was further connecting to the US from LHR, so his stakes were far higher. What are the odds...

Houminer

Wow!
Thanks for reporting

JM NYC TLV

I just flew on LY: JFK - TLV and TLV - HKG
2 separate tickets with about 3.5 hour layover.

i tried checking my bags all the way through to HKG, 2 agents said was not possible due to separate tickets - anyone else have this experience?

moe8555

Both with El Al? Perhaps try a supervisor?

Although TLV isn't really set up for connecting flights, so I'm not surprised.

Ditto

But LY do sell tickets connecting in TLV...

JM NYC TLV

yes. both El Al.