Flying with BA - is this normal?

JohnK

I'm off to Vegas tomorrow and all the flights are booked as BA but using codeshares (Aer Lingus) on some legs like Cork-London. Now thats grand and when I go to the BA site I can see all flights so no issue there but I went to checkin today it told me that I could only checkin online for the London-Vegas leg but then it wouldnt allow me to print a boarding pass saying I'd have to get it in the in airport in London. And if that wasnt bad enough when I rang customer service to find out what the issue was they tell me its because of being different airlines despite it being a codeshare and then they tell me I'll have collect my bags in London and check them in again for the Vegas leg.

I only have 2hours 20 minutes between landing in London and taking off again yet in that time I need to get off one plane in terminal 1, collect bags, get to terminal 5, checkin in again, drop off bags and get onto the next plane. Heathrow airport seem to think it takes at least 2 hours to get from 1 to 5 directly without stopping off for bags so seriously cutting things tight timewise. All this seems bloody ridiculous. Is it normal for BA to make people do this or am I being screwed around?

I thought one of the reasons for codeshare was so it would all appear like one long flight with a single airline to the customer allowing you to check your bags at one end and get them again when at the final destination. That’s how its worked for me any time I did it in the past so I’m a bit confused by all this.

robinph

When I've done codeshare flights from Dublin-Heathrow-??? it's generally been with an airline that leaves from T1 as well, and then the bags have been checked through for me. When I've had to change terminal though I have had to pick up the bags and transfer them myself.

You'll sometimes get given a boarding card for the second leg in Dublin, but then they will then just give you another boarding card for the actual airline once you get to LHR. Not always though. No idea how long it really takes to get from T1-T5 myself but that sounds tight if you've got to fetch bags and check them back in again as well..

BuffyBot

If it's all on the one booking (which if it's a BA codeshare, it must be), Aer Lingus should be able to check the bags through without a problem. They may even be able to give you the boarding pass for your Las Vegas flight.

Sounds like you got an uninformed agent. When this happens, just call again until you get someone you can tell knows their business.

killbillvol2

That doesn't add up. I flew Aer Lingus to London and connected to Hong Kong with BA a couple of months ago.

I had the same issue with online check in but just checked in for the Heathrow-HK leg and checked in in Dublin for the first flight. Luggage was checked through. I still had to go to a BA passport check in Heathrow but that was a formality.

Terminal 1 to 5 is not a simple transfer and there's extra security being added all the time at Heathrow.

JohnK

robinph wrote: »

When I've done codeshare flights from Dublin-Heathrow-??? it's generally been with an airline that leaves from T1 as well, and then the bags have been checked through for me. When I've had to change terminal though I have had to pick up the bags and transfer them myself.

Can you remember if that would have been with the same airline or code share when you had to change terminal?

BuffyBot wrote: »

If it's all on the one booking (which if it's a BA codeshare, it must be), Aer Lingus should be able to check the bags through without a problem. They may even be able to give you the boarding pass for your Las Vegas flight.

Thats what I'm hoping alright

BuffyBot wrote: »

Sounds like you got an uninformed agent. When this happens, just call again until you get someone you can tell knows their business.

He didn't sound like the most clued in person to be honest and sort of mentioned the baggage as an afterthought. Hopefully he was just speaking out of his arse.

killbillvol2 wrote: »

That doesn't add up. I flew Aer Lingus to London and connected to Hong Kong with BA a couple of months ago.

I had the same issue with online check in but just checked in for the Heathrow-HK leg and checked in in Dublin for the first flight. Luggage was checked through. I still had to go to a BA passport check in Heathrow but that was a formality.

Terminal 1 to 5 is not a simple transfer and there's extra security being added all the time at Heathrow.

Were you flying out of Terminal 5 for that trip? I'm just wondering if maybe its that specific terminal they cant forward bags to or something like that.

shanagarry

It sounds like he was talking nonsense alright. I regularly fly Ireland (Dublin/Cork/Shannon) -> LHR -> Cape Town on a BA single booking. The Ireland -> LHR is an Aer Lingus operated codeshare to T1 and then LHR -> CPT with BA from T5, so very similar to your booking. I last flew this 3 weeks ago.

I have never had to pick up my bags in T1. They have always been checked straight through for me. There was one time that I couldn't get my boarding card for LHR -> CPT in Cork, but I think it was an agent issue. Even in that case my bags were checked straight through and I just picked up my boarding card from a machine in T5 so it only took 5 mins extra.

It takes about an hour to get from the plane in T1 to T5.When you exit from the T1 baggage area they have now put up signs advising you to keep left and go through T1 security and transfer internally. I tried it 3 weeks ago and it’s quite slow and you have to go through security twice. You are better off turning right when you come out of the baggage area and taking the lift down to the Heathrow express and taking that to T5. Also, as an aside, don’t get caught out at T5 thinking you are there when you get to the shopping area – depending on what gate you are going from, you may have to take another short train trip to the gate from the main terminal which takes 10-15 mins depending on how busy it is, so make sure you allow time for that.

Hope it all goes well.

JohnK

Thanks shanagarry, that sounds promising alright!