Originally posted by sailor99
Honey Lamb is your guru on this one.
BTW, there is a great thread on another subject that you may like. Hope you don't mind me suggesting, but I found it so useful.
link
Well since sailor has appointed me as guru I suppose I'd better give my 2c worth. [|:)]
As others have said, unless the BMI and VS flights are on the same ticket with the same PNR you will not be able to check your bags through. While it does seem like an inconvenience I actually prefer collecting them and re-checking them and really don't find it any slower that way. By the time you have taken the long walk to the Flight Connection Centre, waited for a bus and driven through the bowels of LHR to T3, climbed the stairs to the transfer desks, you can just as easily have walked to T3 via the subway.
From my experience by the time you have walked from the area in T1 where the Irish flights come in the bags are beginning to come out on to the carousel and there is usually very little delay. When you exit the secure area turn right and follow the signs for the Underground and T3. You can take a lift down and once there it is all one level till you get to T3 Departures and there are plenty of walkways to assist you. The huge advantage is that you arrive at the VS check-in area and another advantage is you get the whole UC experience. In the FCC there is no dedicated UC desk.
Incidentally, you cannot use the FCC with unchecked bags. I still have the bruises from when I fell over the cases of an Indian family who seemed to have all of their wordly goods in their suitcases and were trying to gain access to the FCC [:0]
Hope this helps
