The plan is to travel UA SFO-ORD-LHR (paid tix) then an award tix on AF LHR-CDG. I've been told that it's not a problem checking baggage straight through at the departure airport, but...

#1: How much time should I allow between flights? I can't find any info on suggested MCT (minimum connection times) when going from one terminal to another at LHR (terminal 2 to 3 and vice versa). I can find info saying that it will take about 70 minutes for me to get from arrival to departure gate, but nothing about my checked baggage.

I'll be arriving at LHR at 5:55am on a Saturday morning, so the question is, how early should my AF (or possibly KLM) flight be booked?

For the return, my UA flight leaves at 3:40pm, so again, how early should my prior flight arrive?

Is 2.5 hours enough?

#2: Whose baggage policies apply on the return? AF (whom I'd be arriving at LHR on) or UA (whom I'd be departing)? Outbound, I'm confident it's UA, but inbound, not so sure.

Thanks- (and, to the mods, or anyone else for that matter, is there a better place for this post? Since it specifically involves UA's baggage transfer mechanics in LHR, that's why I posted here...)

Mike:

I'm not sure about this one, but I know if it's *Alliance you can just check in and your baggage would end up at your final destination. You'll probably have it checked to LHR (and yes 2.5 hours is enough time) then have to pick it up and take it to Air France where you'll check in and have them take over at that point.

However; some other folks may have different ideas on this one. And yes, UA would be in charge of your baggage from your start point to end point.

Unfortunately, AF is not part of *Alliance. There is, presently, no reasonable way to fly a *A carrier LHR-CDG.

Having to lug a pair of bikes, in bags (without wheels) through the LHR maze would not be fun. If it was something like a domestic US terminal, where all you have to do is claim them and re-check them in the same area, it wouldn't be so bad.

I wonder if there's any way to reach someone at UA who could tell me? I have a feeling a ticket agent, who would be involved with routing checked baggage, would have a much better idea than someone you'd talk to on the phone...

Red Carpet Club at LHR has a published phone number:

Hours:
Daily
6:00am - 10:30pm
Telephone: (+44) 0208-276-6516

http://www.united.com/page/article/0,1360,50360,00.html

I'm sure UA/AF have a full interline baggage agreement. You will need your AF ticket info/# when you check in w/UA @ SFO. I'd allow no less than 2 hours for your connection. 2:30 you should be fine. The flight connections centre if you are flying on UA 930 is a ZOO at that hour, and invariably, as you are approaching LHR, you will go into a holding pattern just when you thought you were going to arrive early. YDMV. If for any reason they won't check your stuff all the way through, you should be fine with a 2:30 to 3:00 connection - in fact, going through immigration and walking to the other terminal can be faster than the FCC and the bus transfer. (This is not taking check-in at the other airline into account).

Or, why not use FedEx/DHL and fed ex your bikes to your final destination? Might be a bit more expensive but saves you time and hassle factor.

A bit more expensive? Try a lot! FedEx, DHL and UPS are into revenue-enhancement mode these days, and what used to cost $230 (shipping a bicycle from the US West Coast to anywhere in Europe) now runs... get this... $450. Each way. Yikes! My customers have dealt with this often. The primary advantage over taking it with them on the plane comes with new bikes... if someone from, say, England, is visiting the US and buys a bike from me, and I arrange to have it shipped directly from the shop, they don't have to pay sales tax. If they pick the bike up with them and take it on the plane, sales tax applies. So if we're talking a $5000 bike at 8.25% tax, you've got over $400 in savings that you can apply to shipping it. The airlines are going to charge something between $0 and $200 (KLM is apparently now charging 150 euros per direction).

Also, note that we've seen a fair amount of damage on bikes we've received from manufacturers when shipped FedEx/DHL/UPS. For all the horror stories you hear about the airlines, they're not that much worse than elsewhere. Still, when I bring my own bike to Europe, I do so knowing ahead of time that something bad could happen, but that I'm not going to let that ruin my trip.

If your flight is on time, 2.5 hours should be enough between flights. You should be aware that LHR is famous for long, long, long security lines. And sometimes you have to go through 2 sets of them. Good luck.

Actually if you arrive at 5:55 am then I think you are relatively early in the rush. I have only done T3 to T3 connections (to SAS) in recent memory. When I arrived early like that it took me about 20 minutes to get through in October. But I noticed the line growing rapidly behind me as I waited there. Apart from that I have boycotted LHR because of the bag issue since August.

I would be concerned about bags getting lost/ delayed in LHR. It would be my last choice as transit airport for bags in Europe.

BMI, baby. 'Course, that may exceed the definition of "reasonable."

Uh, not anymore.

Okay, couple of things.

Why the connection in ORD if you're on a paid ticket? Avoiding the early 747, or something else? The SFO-LHR nonstops are much more pleasant.

The 5.55 am arrival out of ORD (958) NEVER goes into holding patterns. Very few flights are authorized into Heathrow before the 6.00am curfew lifts, and UA958 is one of these. Therefore no hold unless it's running late.

You get off the plane, follow signs for Flight Connections. Down to corridors, up an escalator, down a moving walkway, down two more corridors, down some stairs and you'll be at the T2 (and T1) bus. Try not to get on the T4 bus, that would be a very bad idea.

The T1/T2 bus will bring you to the Flight Connections Center (FCC).

Here you will first clear security, and then be presented with AF checkin desks. The security part is tricky...the line can be huge. I wouldn't be terribly concerned with your outbound (1.5-2 hrs is plenty), but for your return I'd play it safe (2-2.5 hours).

When you check-in for your UA flight you need to show your AF reservation (as someone said above), and your bags will be interlined. You don't clear immigration or customs in the UK, you do both in France. When you check-in for your AF flight in the FCC, YOU MUST TELL THEM that you have bags being interlined and give them your bag tag numbers. If you don't, there's a very high chance your bags won't make it. On the outbound, yes, UA's baggage policies will apply.

On the return, same but in reverse. Land T2, Bus to T3, Security, UA checkin. No immigration on customs (well, French exit immigration) until you reach the US. AF will gladly interline your bags with a UA receipt, but AF's very restrictive bag policies for intra-European flights will apply. This will prove to be VERY expensive for you. I think you're absolutely nuts, no offense, not to have just booked a revenue ticket on UA SFO-LHRx-CDG-ORD-SFO. You would've saved yourself a lot of hassle, and I also think you wasted 20-25k points on an LHR-CDG roundtrip which can be found for $150 very easily with any sort of advance notice. You might consider still doing this, and just buying a one way LHR-CDG and swallowing the change fees. Are you staying in London at all? If not, why aren't you just on an SFO-CDG revenue round trip and saving yourself a TON of hassle and 50 some odd k miles?

The reason for not flying UA all the way through from SFO-CDG is the difference in price between $1950-$2200 vs $1300 for SFO-CDG. My idea, which may be a bad one, is to use a bunch of otherwise-nearly-useless NW miles. Silly me, I thought that it would make sense. Whatever the case, there are no "wasted" UA miles at stake here.

Obviously, I need to find out more about AF's draconian inter-europe baggage policies. Thanks for the heads-up on that!

But where are you finding LHR-CDG flights on a *A carrier for $150???!!! I've seen $750+.

In any event, I'm not yet locked into anything, other than the dates for the trip. SFO (or SJC) to CDG one way or another, arriving on 7/21, and leaving on 7/30.

Many thanks for your response. Lots of content for me to go over. ^

I can confirm that, on the way back, AF will interline your baggage to UA without a problem.

As you are not flying TATL with AF, the weight concept will apply to your baggage allowance :
- 20 kg in coach
- 30 kg in business class

If you aren't locked into anything then why not take the Eurostar LHR-CDG? You can also earn airline miles on the Eurostar. Just a suggestion.