Connecting Flights and Luggage

Looking to Fly EDI-LGW-MCO-LGW-EDI

What are the rules with connecting flights and booking luggage through so I don't need to collect it in London? To ensure that I can book luggage through and would be moved to another VA flight if the flight from Edinburgh to London was late, would I need to book all the flights through Virgin? If so, who do they use for the local flights, BA or BMI?[?]

Thanks

Grebo

[honey lamb]

Your flights need to be on the same ticket and have the same PNR to be checked through. When I have enquired about this it has been through Virgin but be warned - it does increase the fare significantly as they will use the highest possible fare on the domestic leg. For example when I was enquiring about a through ticket from Cork I was quoted an additional £200 which I then had to convert to euro. For that price I could do a one way ticket to New York in economy plus taxes. What I do is book my own ticket which comes out at less than Û100 and leave at least three hours connecting time - or overnight if this is not possible and then pray like mad to the travel gods!!

Originally posted by honey lamb
Your flights need to be on the same ticket and have the same PNR to be checked through. When I have enquired about this it has been through Virgin but be warned - it does increase the fare significantly as they will use the highest possible fare on the domestic leg. For example when I was enquiring about a through ticket from Cork I was quoted an additional £200 which I then had to convert to euro. For that price I could do a one way ticket to New York in economy plus taxes. What I do is book my own ticket which comes out at less than Û100 and leave at least three hours connecting time - or overnight if this is not possible and then pray like mad to the travel gods!!

I don't think having a separate ticket is a problem: I have travelled on a number of occasions on VS award tickets followed by a third party connection on a separate eticket (and vice-versa). As long as there is an interlining agreement they can both check you in for both flights and check your baggage all the way through.

Cheers, Howard

[honey lamb]

Howard, that changed about 12 months ago as outlined here. Since then I have had to re-check bags with one notable exception when we were flying on SQ to HKG in First and thence on to SYD on VS. The check-in guy in SIN managed to through check us then

Thanks for all the info. Looks like an overnight stay at Gatwick is the safest option. At least I can use twilight checkin as well then!

Grebo

[Darren Wheeler]

I've never checked luggage all the way through even when offered. Last year it was offered by FlyTed when I went LAS-LHR via LAX. The check-in agent was most disappointed when I declined. I'd rather suffer the inconvenience of dragging my bags for 10 minutes rather than getting to LHR and find they have gone to Fiji or some other destination.

Originally posted by honey lamb
Howard, that changed about 12 months ago as outlined here. Since then I have had to re-check bags with one notable exception when we were flying on SQ to HKG in First and thence on to SYD on VS. The check-in guy in SIN managed to through check us then

That's interesting - come to think of it the last time I would have attempted interlining with a VS segemnt was over New Year. I assumed that the reason I couldn't was that the first hop of two prior to my VS flight was on a tiny carrier that had no interlining agreement with VS. Your timing would be about right: looking back I believe the last time it worked for me was from DAY to IAD on UA last May, following on with VS to LHR the same day.

Your learn something new every day.

Cheers, Howard

Originally posted by Howard Long
That's interesting - come to think of it the last time I would have attempted interlining with a VS segemnt was over New Year. I assumed that the reason I couldn't was that the first hop of two prior to my VS flight was on a tiny carrier that had no interlining agreement with VS. Your timing would be about right: looking back I believe the last time it worked for me was from DAY to IAD on UA last May, following on with VS to LHR the same day.

Just tried again on DAY-IAD-LHR with UA on the stateside segment and they have interlined my baggage. I was half a pound (yes, 0.5lbs) over on UA's 50lb weight limit and they made me make it 50lbs or they'd charge me $50. Transferred a couple of pairs of socks (clean) into my carry on and I was fixed.

I just hope my bag makes it.

Cheers, Howard

There is plenty of time to connect on the morning of the flight. As a crew commuter i gave never known the first BA flight from GLA to be more than 5-10 mins late into LHR or LGW. If your on the late MCO VS15 you may be able to get a good deal with EZY, who use the same terminal (not sure about the EDI schedule). BA is vgood on domestic shuttles in the morning and being the 1st flight of the day so i wouldnt worry about not making the connection - just be aware of BAs new baggage policy which is significantly less than the VS sector. EZY let you add additional bags for just 5quid per sector so this is prob a better bet if your planning on carrying alot back from MCO!- think you can even add bags up till 24 hrs before the flight so in theory you could wait till the day your flying back from MCO and just ammend it then. If you do have a major delay then travel insurance will take care of everyting for you.

Originally posted by Howard Long
Just tried again on DAY-IAD-LHR with UA on the stateside segment and they have interlined my baggage. I was half a pound (yes, 0.5lbs) over on UA's 50lb weight limit and they made me make it 50lbs or they'd charge me $50. Transferred a couple of pairs of socks (clean) into my carry on and I was fixed.

I just hope my bag makes it.

You'll all be glad to know it made it I'm sure.

Cheers, Howard

Originally posted by JoeyVS
There is plenty of time to connect on the morning of the flight. As a crew commuter i gave never known the first BA flight from GLA to be more than 5-10 mins late into LHR or LGW. If your on the late MCO VS15 you may be able to get a good deal with EZY, who use the same terminal (not sure about the EDI schedule). BA is vgood on domestic shuttles in the morning and being the 1st flight of the day so i wouldnt worry about not making the connection - just be aware of BAs new baggage policy which is significantly less than the VS sector. EZY let you add additional bags for just 5quid per sector so this is prob a better bet if your planning on carrying alot back from MCO!- think you can even add bags up till 24 hrs before the flight so in theory you could wait till the day your flying back from MCO and just ammend it then. If you do have a major delay then travel insurance will take care of everyting for you.

Thanks for the info. Never thought about the EZY option but it makes sense given that they are in the same terminal as VA. Always used BA in the past which means dragging two kids and luggage onto the train between the terminals.

EZY have a flight from EDI which gets in around 10:00. Assume that gives me plenty of time to get to the 12:45 VA flight? What would happen if the EZY flight was delayed and I missed the VA flight, would I have to pay for tickets for the next day and claim that back from insurance

Thanks again

Grebo

Cant confirm what VS would actually do but id think theyd just put you onto the following days flight for free - il try and remember to ask ground staff about this next time im working! If not then yeh youd have to pay and claim back from insurance. Iv used ezy a few times to get to work and they are pretty reliable, again in the mornings they are more likley to be on time - its later in the day that the delays start to build up. If you check in online for VS then its just an hour for the bag drop so that gives you 1.45 to re check, considering its the same terminal its ages! - plus you get a little longer in bed that morning. If ezy are much cheaper it might even be better to come down the night before, which would cover the hotel costs? If you got lots of luggage ezy might be a better deal also!

[honey lamb]

Is the EZY flight originating in EDI? I would be concerned if it were coming in from somehere else in case it was delayed in any way. Even though you have the best part of three hours on paper a delay on an incoming aircraft can really eat into that. When EZY were flying into ORK I preferred to take the eveing flight out the night before and stay in an hotel for peace of mind