online check-in

we are flying to miami on wednesday from lhr with a connecting flight from man with bmi, will our luggage be through checked at man and if so can i use olci on tuesday for the virgin flight? i am a bit confused because if our bags are gone we wont be using the bag drop at lhr and i ca find no info on the vs website as to this scenario. many thanks.

The procedure for OLCI is when you get to LHR, you go to the Bag Drop desk and drop off your bags and collect your boarding card. Thus I'd assume that if your bags were checked through, then you'd simply skip the 'dropping-off-of-the-bags' and simply collect your boarding pass. If in doubt, there are always plenty of VS staff around Zone A in T3.

Enjoy Miami!

[mitchja]

Hello and welcome Helen

There should be no problem using OLCI from home before you fly, then checking your bags all the way though from MAN>LHR>MIA.

At MAN when you check-in show both your BMI and VS tickets (or e-ticket receipts) and ask for your bags to go right though to MIA. All BMI will do is have your bags tagged right though to MIA so they will give you your VS tickets back. They will also attach LHR transfer tags to all your luggage. Dont mis-place the bag receipt labels (those square sticky labels you always get) BMI give you (1 for each bag) as you will need these at LHR (see below).

When you get to the VS transfer desk at LHR in T3, the VS agent will ask you for your bag receipts that BMI give you at MAN VS need the numbers off these to transfer your bags onto the VS flight. You will then get your boarding cards as normal.

Hope this helps.

Regards

When flying to LHR with BA, with an onward VS connection, I never check my luggage all the way through, as I have had problems with this before.

Not sure about BMI though.

Neil.

have virgin got a desk in the flight connections centre at heathrow?

[mitchja]

Helen

When you connect from T1 to T3 at LHR, the VS connection desk is actually in T3 (along with several other airlines connection desks) and not in the flight connections centre (well it was last time I did this)

To be honest I too no longer have my bags checked all the way though from MAN. It doesn't actaully take much longer to collect your bags in T1 arrivals and then walk to T3. I prefer to use the proper VS check-in desks!!

Regards

Hi

Hope you don't mind, I have some questions related to this topic and don't want to create another thread. [:#]

We are flying to NRT on VS900 via LHR from MME with BMI. I was going to use OLCI the day before, but would appreciate any feedback from people who have used the service and had bags checked through recently. We do have about 4 hours to kill at Heathrow before the VS flight, so time is not an issue.

So, to check through, or not to check through?

Second question, do the VS check in staff look to see who has a Flyer Club registration, and also that the booking is for a couple, so you can sit together? It would be a nightmare if we got separated as the other half is partially sighted.

TTFN

Paul

If you are flying Y then I think OLCI is well worth it to avoid the queues. Although there have been reports of long queues at the OLCI bag drop too....

Yes, VS link the PNR's of tickets booked together. So assuming you and your other half's tickets were booked together they would be linked. VS will want to sit you together in this case. However sometimes s%*t happens. So I would advise you to ring the special assistance line, explain that your other half needs your assistance and therefore it is important that you are seated together. I understand that special assistance are really helpful (disabled members here may be able to provide more details of this) and will bend over backwards to make sure everything goes swimmingly. If your partner would benefit from priority boarding so that they are not hassled by pushing crowds and so on, I am sure SA will be able to help there too. The number is 0870 380 2004

Thankyou for that advice. I'll call SA nearer the time.

The only special consideration that will be needed is to be seated within reasonable distance of a loo onboard (to avoid getting lost on the way back). [:I]

TTFN

Paul

Originally posted by karnsculpture


The only special consideration that will be needed is to be seated within reasonable distance of a loo onboard (to avoid getting lost on the way back). [:I]

Yep, I have that problem in the supermarket carpark

[honey lamb]

So, to check through, or not to check through?

I fly from ORK and so 99.9% of the time I check my bags through. I think that on only one (or maybe two) occasion when we had a five hour layover did we go through the hassle of hauling our bags from T1 to T3. Latterly we have been walking from T1 to T3 rather than using the Flight Connection Centre but we have been flying UC - although the last couple of times the queue at UC has been longer than that in Economy as everyone was clogging the Baggage Drop line. [:0]

Generally speaking the check-in at the transfer desk when using the flight Connection Centre has always been fairly short which may be of help to you given that your other half is partially sighted

Thanks Honey Lamb

Of course after discussing this my OH has decided that I am not allowed to contact special assistance, saying we will manage fine [V] (it's a pride thing).

Oh well. There's no pleasing some people.

TTFN

Paul

Hi Helen,

Further to what everyone else has said, bmi may also be able to thru-check you. Most passengers coming from a bmi flight are already checked in for their VS connection.

Your bags will be able to be checked through as well - it seems only BA tell their passengers computer says no... when they have a VS connection.

Just hold on to those bag tag receipts!!

Have a good trip!

- - - -

And to the pax asking about the VS900 - i'd check your bags through and get bmi to issue a boarding card. Call VS special assistance and explain the them your needs. They will allocate you seats and put notes in your booking. Unfortunately though i do believe these notes will not allow you to use OLCI as it flags up that it wants the check-in agent to read the notes.

If you have these SSR notes in your booking you are 99.9% guarenteed seating together as you'd have priority to be sat together over other pacx.

My advice is check your selves and your bags through with bmi, and once you arrive at the VS transfer desk, double check your bags and seats. If you need any further assistance the guys there can arrange it for you.

There's no need to haul your luggage though customs then fight the queues down at mainbank check in.

[preiffer]

Hi Lipstick, and welcome [y].

Unfortunately, since BMI's new business model changes, they will not through-check any baggage that is not travelling on a trip issued as a single ticket. If the BMI leg is booked/paid for/ticketed seperately, BMI will only check the bag through on a point-to-point basis, to the final BMI destination.

They may be able to issue your VS boarding pass when checking in, but if you have baggage - be careful...

Hi, thankyou for the responses

My tickets show the whole itinerary for the trip i.e. MME - LHR - NRT, all paid for through Virgin Atlantic, and also for the return leg, so hopefully they should be able to through-check the bags. I just hope no bright sparks nick the excellent seats we have [V]

I think I will call SA despite the misgivings of the OH - I'll say no special assistance is needed, just consideration and I'll have a clear conscience. The seats are 35A&C, so just two rows behind the exit row, very near (but not too near) the WC near the PE section. This is also good for me as I like to be over the wings

TTFN

Paul

Originally posted by karnsculpture
I'll say no special assistance is needed, just consideration and I'll have a clear conscience

Sounds like a plan to me:D

Hi, I am new to registering, although i have used this great website for a while now.

What i was wondering, if anyone can help.?

I am travelling to MIA with virgin in March, i am connecting with BA, just cause they had a great deal on the flight. I have read above that you cant through check your bags, which i have accepted and decided to use the Online checkin with Virgin.

I arrive into LHR at 0735 T1, and VS05 departs at 1115. Do i have sufficient time to transfer to T3 and what would be the best option on getting there? I read these is a bus, train and underground walkway? Any help would be appreciated as im a little worried about my connecting time!!

[honey lamb]

Originally posted by lovetravelling
Hi, I am new to registering, although i have used this great website for a while now.

What i was wondering, if anyone can help.?

I am travelling to MIA with virgin in March, i am connecting with BA, just cause they had a great deal on the flight. I have read above that you cant through check your bags, which i have accepted and decided to use the Online checkin with Virgin.

I arrive into LHR at 0735 T1, and VS05 departs at 1115. Do i have sufficient time to transfer to T3 and what would be the best option on getting there? I read these is a bus, train and underground walkway? Any help would be appreciated as im a little worried about my connecting time!!

You have loads of time. I regularly travel on a flight which gets into LHR at 9:00 and I can still make the SFO flight leaving at 11:00am

As you cannot check your bags all the way through the best way is the subway connecting the terminals. It's a bit of a hike but very doable especially if you grab a trolley (although we have happily rolled our bags there) The bus is for use for transfers using the Flight Connection Centre which you cannot use if you have bags to check. I reckon it takes me about 40 minutes from plane to security

Hope that helps

^^ Yes it's annoying BA wont thru check bags. I'm not entirely sure why - maybe rivalry, maybe there's no agreement but it's such an inconvenience for passengers. Especially as VS would add a BA flight onto the bag tags.

As you're having to land yourself, you'll have to walk to the next terminal.

There is no bus or train landside and you'll see why - terminals 1, 2 and 3 are within spitting distance of each other.

When you arrive in terminal 1 arrivals just follow the yellow and black signs for terminals 2, 3, 4 and it'll take you to an under ground walkway. Then once you're down there keep following the signs for Terminal 3 Departures until you get to a set of lifts and some stairs. Go up (there's no where else to go) and you'll find yourself slap bang in front of Virgin Check In.

The minimum connecting time for flights is an hour and a half so you've got plenty of time. But you MUST be at check in by 10:15 otherwise you wont be travelling, OLCI or not.

The walk takes me 5 mins but i've got the airport walkers stride and don't have a suitcase but it's really not that far.

Oh, thanks so much for all the information. It seems much clearer now!!!

I can now move onto finding my accommodation in MIA and the Keys!!!