bag drop before Intnl flight - timings

Sorry if this has been asked before but if you do OLCI does it buy you any extra time at the airport?

Whenever I do bagdrop after OLCI it seems like it takes just as long to do this as it does to check in at the airport.

The reason I ask is that I have a 9am flight to New York from Heathrow and don't want to get up at 5am so I was wondering what sensibly is the latest I can leave it to get to the airport. I know 3 hrs is what's recommended but would it be asking for trouble to turn up at bag drop say 2 hours before?

I'd say 2 hours is fine - but any later than that and you risk losing any seat request you may have made online as 2 hours is the cut-off. Also remember, if you're arriving by car, that the M4 can get VERY busy into Heathrow between 6 & 7am. And the later you leave it, the longer the queues at check-in and security.

As you say though, if you're checking in bags you have to queue at a desk whether you've done OLCI or not.

Thanks, as my husband and I are both of anxious dispositions I think it's best we turn up 3 hours before then! More time to look around the shops too ;o)