LCY Delay
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: London
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 77
LCY Delay
It looks like Ill be doing a same day trip to Schiphol on 11th Feb.
Plan is to fly on FLYBE from LCY and return in eve on EZY to LTN.
I only have 6/7 hours at schiphol before I fly back, If my outbound flight gets delayed to a point where I decide its not worth flying out how much of a pain would it be to get checked off the outgoing flight and depart airside at LCY? I know LCY especially in winter can be hit and miss with delays hence why Im a tad concerned.
Thanks
Plan is to fly on FLYBE from LCY and return in eve on EZY to LTN.
I only have 6/7 hours at schiphol before I fly back, If my outbound flight gets delayed to a point where I decide its not worth flying out how much of a pain would it be to get checked off the outgoing flight and depart airside at LCY? I know LCY especially in winter can be hit and miss with delays hence why Im a tad concerned.
Thanks
#3
Join Date: Nov 2016
Programs: BA Blue, Avios, Accor Basic, IHG Gold
Posts: 67
Probably would still require an escort though. I'm sure that they must have a process in place for last minute situations if you ask at the relevant customer services desk (e.g. I'm sure "there's been a family emergency and I need to cancel this trip" can't be that uncommon).
#4
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Join Date: Nov 2011
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If your flight was domestic then yes indeed you could have been just sent via the baggage reclaim area as no immigration control would be necessary,
If it was international (as in the OPs case) then people would need to (re) clear UK immigration and have their IDs checked etc
So yes there is a system / protocol for when this happens to (a) offload you from the flight and (b) get you out of airside abd (b) depends on the route.
If it was international (as in the OPs case) then people would need to (re) clear UK immigration and have their IDs checked etc
So yes there is a system / protocol for when this happens to (a) offload you from the flight and (b) get you out of airside abd (b) depends on the route.
#5
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: NW London and NW Sydney
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No, that's not correct. Any airside departing passenger at LCY can go to gate 2A and ask the staff at the BA service desk to let you out. This takes 20 seconds if you are HBO. You arrive after immigration but before customs.
(If you aren't flying BA, perhaps the BA staff member will want to get in touch with an agent of your airline - but I was flying BA to a non-CTA destination when the above happened to me a few days ago, and anyway nobody wanted to know where I was meant to be flying, nor did I need to show my BP or ID.)
It is impossible to access the airside departures area at LCY without being inside the UK. Therefore, all airside passengers are in the UK until their flight departs. (And for this reason you are not making any customs declaration when you exit airside in this way, as all your belongings were either in the UK already, or had just cleared customs.) Though if their flight is cancelled it is possible that some passengers' permission to be in the UK will have expired on that day and they need special authorisation to continue to stay in the UK.
A consequence of this is that LCY does not offer transit. If you are e.g. arriving from Schengen and departing to Schengen - you still need to enter the UK then go through security again - like a lady who I allowed in front of me at the LCY immigration queue last week because she said her onward flight was already boarding.
At LHR, LGW and MAN only, some passengers in the airside departures area are in the UK (or the CTA), and some are not in the UK. That is the reason those airports have the biometrics system, and LCY doesn't.
In theory if you start a domestic/CTA flight at these airports, your ID should not be checked by the government (airlines ask for ID to check bags or for revenue protection, and the police always have the power to ask for ID at ports anyway). Hence the biometrics is used to confirm that you were in the UK before entering airside at those airports.
If you arrive in LHR from the US and are transiting to Schengen, you don't go through UK immigration, while if you arrive from the US and are transiting to a domestic/CTA flight, you do go through UK immigration and biometrics. But both sets of passengers are able to mingle in the airside gate area afterwards. (Not entirely sure how things work at LGW or MAN.)
(If you aren't flying BA, perhaps the BA staff member will want to get in touch with an agent of your airline - but I was flying BA to a non-CTA destination when the above happened to me a few days ago, and anyway nobody wanted to know where I was meant to be flying, nor did I need to show my BP or ID.)
It is impossible to access the airside departures area at LCY without being inside the UK. Therefore, all airside passengers are in the UK until their flight departs. (And for this reason you are not making any customs declaration when you exit airside in this way, as all your belongings were either in the UK already, or had just cleared customs.) Though if their flight is cancelled it is possible that some passengers' permission to be in the UK will have expired on that day and they need special authorisation to continue to stay in the UK.
A consequence of this is that LCY does not offer transit. If you are e.g. arriving from Schengen and departing to Schengen - you still need to enter the UK then go through security again - like a lady who I allowed in front of me at the LCY immigration queue last week because she said her onward flight was already boarding.
At LHR, LGW and MAN only, some passengers in the airside departures area are in the UK (or the CTA), and some are not in the UK. That is the reason those airports have the biometrics system, and LCY doesn't.
In theory if you start a domestic/CTA flight at these airports, your ID should not be checked by the government (airlines ask for ID to check bags or for revenue protection, and the police always have the power to ask for ID at ports anyway). Hence the biometrics is used to confirm that you were in the UK before entering airside at those airports.
If you arrive in LHR from the US and are transiting to Schengen, you don't go through UK immigration, while if you arrive from the US and are transiting to a domestic/CTA flight, you do go through UK immigration and biometrics. But both sets of passengers are able to mingle in the airside gate area afterwards. (Not entirely sure how things work at LGW or MAN.)
#6
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
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Here is a recent thread on the same topic and a report of it being done. Seems painless.
Quickest way to exit LCY airside if flight cancelled
Quickest way to exit LCY airside if flight cancelled