Ex-EU baggage (Can my bags miss the first leg?)
Mar 26, 2019, 11:47 am
#1
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Ex-EU baggage (Can my bags miss the first leg?)
So I've been very often flying TXL-LHR-HKG return for the competitive ex-EU fare, with a few hours or more connections between inbound and outbound BA flights to/from Berlin, on seperate tickets. However, I am trying to figure out if it is possible to do a back to back return, but with check in baggage (I always travel with baggage in hold).
I might have read from someone trip report that they have been successful with leaving their check in bags in Heathrow, hence on the long haul leg, whilst himself doing a back to back somewhere. I might be imagining it but that's what I am try to do. To explain this further, hypothetically say I've booked TXL-LHR (4pm) and LHR-HKG (6pm) on an ex-EU itinerary. Then, I book LHR-TXL (1pm) which is exactly the flight returning from TXL at 4pm. As I arrive at Heathrow in the morning I ask for the bags to be checked in for flight to Hong Kong in the evening, just like how one could normally check in early for a flight. I check in as HBO bound for TXL and back (mobile boarding pass), meeting my bags in Hong Kong as they will be put onto the 6pm flight without going to Germany.
Does anyone have any experience whether this is possible? Or is it one of those things that very depends on the mood of the check in desk?
Anyway, I contacted BA customer service and received a rather confusing answer. I hope someone could decipher their clarification.
I'd like to inform you that, your bag would be checked through to your final destination, provided your journey is on the same ticket or booking reference number. However, if you hold separate tickets for the flights in your journey, we will only check your baggage to your final destination if the connecting flights are included within the same booking reference number, for flights operated by British Airways or another oneworld airline.
Your bags will go in the same flight and will be automatically transferred to your connecting flight. Your bags won't be kept at the airport and transported in an afternoon or an evening flight.
Ok, let's break this down. First paragraph is the generic "you can't thru check your bags on seperate PNR" statment. Second paragraph is the confusing part where I read "your bags will follow you to Berlin and back and to Hong Kong". To my understanding, these statements are contradictory and I'm not sure which one to read.
Or, should it be read that: you're bags will follow you to Berlin then London then Hong Kong, provided that everything's under the same PNR. However, if this is the case it hasn't solved my question, as that's not what I am trying to achieve. Can anyone explain to me what he is suggesting?
Many thanks!
I might have read from someone trip report that they have been successful with leaving their check in bags in Heathrow, hence on the long haul leg, whilst himself doing a back to back somewhere. I might be imagining it but that's what I am try to do. To explain this further, hypothetically say I've booked TXL-LHR (4pm) and LHR-HKG (6pm) on an ex-EU itinerary. Then, I book LHR-TXL (1pm) which is exactly the flight returning from TXL at 4pm. As I arrive at Heathrow in the morning I ask for the bags to be checked in for flight to Hong Kong in the evening, just like how one could normally check in early for a flight. I check in as HBO bound for TXL and back (mobile boarding pass), meeting my bags in Hong Kong as they will be put onto the 6pm flight without going to Germany.
Does anyone have any experience whether this is possible? Or is it one of those things that very depends on the mood of the check in desk?
Anyway, I contacted BA customer service and received a rather confusing answer. I hope someone could decipher their clarification.
I'd like to inform you that, your bag would be checked through to your final destination, provided your journey is on the same ticket or booking reference number. However, if you hold separate tickets for the flights in your journey, we will only check your baggage to your final destination if the connecting flights are included within the same booking reference number, for flights operated by British Airways or another oneworld airline.
Your bags will go in the same flight and will be automatically transferred to your connecting flight. Your bags won't be kept at the airport and transported in an afternoon or an evening flight.
Ok, let's break this down. First paragraph is the generic "you can't thru check your bags on seperate PNR" statment. Second paragraph is the confusing part where I read "your bags will follow you to Berlin and back and to Hong Kong". To my understanding, these statements are contradictory and I'm not sure which one to read.
Or, should it be read that: you're bags will follow you to Berlin then London then Hong Kong, provided that everything's under the same PNR. However, if this is the case it hasn't solved my question, as that's not what I am trying to achieve. Can anyone explain to me what he is suggesting?
Many thanks!
Mar 26, 2019, 12:19 pm
#2
Join Date: Oct 2014
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Your flightvto berlin is a seperate ticket and will not be checked to txl and back to london.
the email i think is to put you off the udea of short checking you bag back to london and not flying the last sector on your return
you may be able to check you bag from lhr to the final destination avoiding 8t going to txl. There have been mixed reports of success If that does not work, leave it in left luggage, and check it in on your return from txl.there is a risk if your flight from txl is late
the email i think is to put you off the udea of short checking you bag back to london and not flying the last sector on your return
you may be able to check you bag from lhr to the final destination avoiding 8t going to txl. There have been mixed reports of success If that does not work, leave it in left luggage, and check it in on your return from txl.there is a risk if your flight from txl is late
Last edited by scottishpoet; Mar 26, 2019 at 12:26 pm
Mar 26, 2019, 12:23 pm
#3
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I'm sure I have read somewhere here before about someone successfully checking in a bag for their LHR->Longhaul sector before doing the back to back but I think the consensus was that this couldn't be relied on.
If you don't want to haul your luggage to TXL and back then pop it in left luggage at LHR. There's definitely no issue in adding more baggage once flight 1 in the itinerary has actually landed.
If you don't want to haul your luggage to TXL and back then pop it in left luggage at LHR. There's definitely no issue in adding more baggage once flight 1 in the itinerary has actually landed.
Mar 26, 2019, 12:32 pm
#4
Join Date: Jan 2006
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It is certainly possibly, if not specifically allowed. To do so you would need to present your bags for check in along with your LHR-HKG boarding pass and hope that it is accepted. If not, your best option is a trek to the left luggage counter on the ground floor of T5. For a small payment of Ł7.50 you can store a bag for up to 3 hours or Ł12.50 for up to 24 hours. Once you come back from TXL you’d need to go landside, collect the back and check it to HKG. The downside, of course, is if your flight from TXL is delayed and you then don’t have time to collect and check your bag. I guess it’s a case of balancing risk and reward.
Mar 26, 2019, 12:39 pm
#5
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I think in addition to the above it seems the self serve baggage machines will also let you check a bag only for the same day long haul even if you have your positioning and first leg still to take that day - i.e. the bag will stay in the long baggage store under T5 whilst you do LHR-TXL-LHR, and your bag will then come out without any further intervention from you and be loaded on to the LHR-HKG flight,
There is no need for your bag to go to TXL and then back to LHR. Also TXL is possibly one of the only places where you could possibly collect a bag and re-check it on a b2b - but I really would not suggest you try!
Assuming you are doing HKG-LHR-TXL on the way back, at HKG your bag will be checked all the way to TXL.
There is no need for your bag to go to TXL and then back to LHR. Also TXL is possibly one of the only places where you could possibly collect a bag and re-check it on a b2b - but I really would not suggest you try!
Assuming you are doing HKG-LHR-TXL on the way back, at HKG your bag will be checked all the way to TXL.
Mar 26, 2019, 12:41 pm
#6
Join Date: Jan 2006
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Thats interesting and a very good shout. I hadn’t considered self service baggage machines. In fact, I didn’t even know they had them at Heathrow!
Mar 26, 2019, 12:54 pm
#7
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I think in addition to the above it seems the self serve baggage machines will also let you check a bag only for the same day long haul even if you have your positioning and first leg still to take that day - i.e. the bag will stay in the long baggage store under T5 whilst you do LHR-TXL-LHR, and your bag will then come out without any further intervention from you and be loaded on to the LHR-HKG flight,
There is no need for your bag to go to TXL and then back to LHR. Also TXL is possibly one of the only places where you could possibly collect a bag and re-check it on a b2b - but I really would not suggest you try!
Assuming you are doing HKG-LHR-TXL on the way back, at HKG your bag will be checked all the way to TXL.
There is no need for your bag to go to TXL and then back to LHR. Also TXL is possibly one of the only places where you could possibly collect a bag and re-check it on a b2b - but I really would not suggest you try!
Assuming you are doing HKG-LHR-TXL on the way back, at HKG your bag will be checked all the way to TXL.
I really would not do a b2b at TXL. One time my flight arrived TXL 15 minutes late and as I walk out (I had no bag, front of the plane) the check in counters were already closed. Probably not a good idea to risk myself stuck at TXL and long haul ticket forfeited.
Mar 26, 2019, 1:04 pm
#8
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If there is no consensus on whether it can be done I guess a follow up question to BA customer service is the way to go.
Another interesting option that popped into my mind is airportr! If I show them my boarding pass (to Hong Kong) and my passport they better accept my bag in central London. All they can do from then is to lure BA into checking my bag to HK
Another interesting option that popped into my mind is airportr! If I show them my boarding pass (to Hong Kong) and my passport they better accept my bag in central London. All they can do from then is to lure BA into checking my bag to HK
Mar 26, 2019, 2:28 pm
#9
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It certainly can be done - was done for me - the desk agent had to get supervisor to tell her how to do it (she asked me if it was possible and had I done it to which I replied that several friends had) so it may not be common practice but nor is it forbidden.
Supervisor certain;y didn't batt an eyelid at what I was doing as it was clear I was doing a same day B2B at INV. This was in Jan 2018 since when many people on this board have done it as well.
Supervisor certain;y didn't batt an eyelid at what I was doing as it was clear I was doing a same day B2B at INV. This was in Jan 2018 since when many people on this board have done it as well.
Mar 26, 2019, 3:51 pm
#10
Join Date: Sep 2015
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I've successfully checked in bags at T5 in the morning for an evening departure where the ticket is xEU-LHR-XXX on many occasions (both with B2B positioning and longer positioning).
I've never really had to explain my travel plans, just tell them I'm checking for BA000 to XXX
I think on one occasion they saw the flight plans and got confused and planned to check the bag for the positioning flight, but a swift clarification on my part resolved it.
I've never really had to explain my travel plans, just tell them I'm checking for BA000 to XXX
I think on one occasion they saw the flight plans and got confused and planned to check the bag for the positioning flight, but a swift clarification on my part resolved it.
Mar 26, 2019, 4:16 pm
#11
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If that's any relevant, as I was connecting after a long haul flight, a security screening agent at FRA offered me to step out to departures to check in my tub of toothpaste of 130ml which was too dangerous for me to bring onboard the plane. Thankfully his eagle eye spotted it despite the HND agents carelessly letting this huge security risk slip.
I gracefully declared that I was happy for him to bin it, although, in the depth of my soul I was extremely unhappy to see my PC Clinica toothpaste (almost brand new!) go to waste.
So I guess the moral of the story is you can indeed check in hold luggage mid journey. And security agents fully endorse it!
I gracefully declared that I was happy for him to bin it, although, in the depth of my soul I was extremely unhappy to see my PC Clinica toothpaste (almost brand new!) go to waste.
So I guess the moral of the story is you can indeed check in hold luggage mid journey. And security agents fully endorse it!
Mar 26, 2019, 7:00 pm
#12
Join Date: Nov 2015
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 131
I have had a lot of problems checking in bags for long haul before a B2B - always at the First Checkin desks. Basically the agents can’t get the system to do it - might be something to do with declaring how many bags I’ll have when I checkin online (so avoid doing that).
Really like the suggestion of using the self-checkin machines, do report back on whether that works, as I’ll try that next time if so!
Really like the suggestion of using the self-checkin machines, do report back on whether that works, as I’ll try that next time if so!
Mar 26, 2019, 7:19 pm
#13
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The mixed responses here are due to peoples experiences and you won’t get a different answer from Customer Services.
It *should* be possible to do but as people have said sometimes it’s been refused, if this is the case you need a back up plan because if your inward TXL flight is delayed or for example there are irrops they might route tou TXL AMS HKG and miss out London.
You could also also try the self service check in desks or indeed Airportr and get them to check in your bags for you. The crux of the matter is to select not sure for the number of bags as this has prevented boarding cards being issued for first flight of ex-Eu
It *should* be possible to do but as people have said sometimes it’s been refused, if this is the case you need a back up plan because if your inward TXL flight is delayed or for example there are irrops they might route tou TXL AMS HKG and miss out London.
You could also also try the self service check in desks or indeed Airportr and get them to check in your bags for you. The crux of the matter is to select not sure for the number of bags as this has prevented boarding cards being issued for first flight of ex-Eu
Mar 26, 2019, 8:42 pm
#14
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Thank you guys for the contribution! It seems that most on this thread have been successful doing it.
To me it is not enough to know that it can or cannot be done because even for the slightly chance it can be refused- a wise person would not have booked such turnaround at first place. The only back up plan I can think of is to increase the b2b time in TXL (to re-check-in) or LHR (using left luggage) but that defeats the whole point.
Hopefully I will get an absolute answer from BA agents, eventually. Otherwise I am ready to do a trip report attempting to do it with Airportr, self check in machines and check in agents, on a longer layover. I won't be able to do it until September but it would be much appreciated if someone could report back!
To me it is not enough to know that it can or cannot be done because even for the slightly chance it can be refused- a wise person would not have booked such turnaround at first place. The only back up plan I can think of is to increase the b2b time in TXL (to re-check-in) or LHR (using left luggage) but that defeats the whole point.
Hopefully I will get an absolute answer from BA agents, eventually. Otherwise I am ready to do a trip report attempting to do it with Airportr, self check in machines and check in agents, on a longer layover. I won't be able to do it until September but it would be much appreciated if someone could report back!