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#940365 by oceanscape
28 Dec 2017, 12:01
Haven't done ex-EU for a while but found one for the summer. Only problem is that in the past I've always done it so the final leg is the next day or from a different airport so that the bags don't get checked through. For the flight I've currently found the final flight is same-day, same-airport, 4 hours later. Will they insist on checking the bags through?
#940376 by mikethe3rd
28 Dec 2017, 16:15
Go to itamatrix.com and copy this like for like (apart from pax numbers)

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Select the outbound and the inbound. Make sure your inbound - the LHR bit is in red.

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The first one is €2025

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Now you need to copy the entire screen. So do CMD + A on a Mac or CTRL + A on a PC, then hit CTRL + C / CMD + C.

Then just paste all of that into https://bookwithmatrix.com/

I've not used FlightNetwork, so hit the dropdown arrow and choose Priceline. I only mention this as I'm about to board the flight (they just called it in the CH) and I've had no issues.

I'll have Wifi on board if you need more help.

Mike
#940378 by oceanscape
28 Dec 2017, 16:24
Mike, thanks so much for taking the time to explain all that! I was doing everything you said but still getting higher prices. Then I realised I was looking for 2 tickets rather than 1 and when I changed to 1 I got your same pricing. Guessing there is only 1 ticket left at the cheaper prices :(
#940409 by oceanscape
29 Dec 2017, 10:55
So in the end VS was just coming up to expensive, so it's Ex-EU (from Budapest of all places) and then LHR - HKG with Cathay Pacific business class for £1300 each. Not too bad for mid-July. Never flown Cathay and the 777 business class pictures I've seen online make the cabin look rather dated, but hopefully it will be okay.
#940442 by mswadley
30 Dec 2017, 12:20
’ve done exEU twice, the last time 6 weeks ago and the first time 3 years ago.
I have two observations:
- Missing the final leg and all the hassle with baggage is stressful.
- Booking a trip where the final leg is from a different airport or a few days later is possible but often more expensive.

My advice would be to take the final leg, earn some miles and Tier points and take the stress out of the process.
The fact the you are considering exEU at all suggests that you are flexible. (My wife would never agree to travel on an exEU route! :-D )
#940553 by oceanscape
06 Jan 2018, 12:14
clarkeysntfc wrote:Either:
1) book your final leg from a different London airport e.g. HKG-LHR / LGW-AMS.
or
2) book your final leg the next day but less than 23 hours after your inbound long haul lands.

Well we're skating on risky territory then, as our final leg is same airport and same day but circ. 15 hours after our inbound lands (we land about 5am and final leg leaves about 8pm). Praying they'll short-check to LHR for us :-(
#940558 by Kraken
06 Jan 2018, 12:48
oceanscape wrote:
clarkeysntfc wrote:Either:
1) book your final leg from a different London airport e.g. HKG-LHR / LGW-AMS.
or
2) book your final leg the next day but less than 23 hours after your inbound long haul lands.

Well we're skating on risky territory then, as our final leg is same airport and same day but circ. 15 hours after our inbound lands (we land about 5am and final leg leaves about 8pm). Praying they'll short-check to LHR for us :-(

I would have thought short-checking of bags with a 15hr stop is likely to be no problem. Just think of a convincing story as to why you need your bags back - three that come to mind are;
1. You're meeting friends during the stop in London & your checked bags contain gifts for them so you need the bags back.
2. Or, look if you can get a cancellable reservation for a day-room at a LHR hotel so you need your bags back. Check in with the hotel reservation printout as proof if they question you, then cancel the reservation once you've got the bags short-checked.
3. [Depending on the timings of your flights - but I bet they'd fit] One or more of the pax on the booking has a business meeting in London during the stopover - the suit / clothes they need for this are in the checked luggage.

On a short same-airport stopover, short checking should be hard, as it's obvious what you are planning to do. But with a 15hr stopover it's not unreasonable to want your bags back, not least so you can shower & change somewhere - as you have to turn up to that meeting in London looking the part...!
#940597 by Silver Fox
07 Jan 2018, 18:08
The whole thing with airlines not wanting to short check luggage is it to solely stop people dropping the last leg? In this day and age of automation of baggage, it would seem that it is not going to add a huge amount of overhead/cost to the process, and would be easy to direct the bags to the baggage hall. Of course it will have to be checked back in <cough> but even so that process is not going to take long either.
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