Help With Heathrow Pretty Please...

Afternoon v-flyers!!

Hope you all had a cracking Christmas & New Year! I need your help, if yous don't mind.

My parents are going to SFO & LAS in May for their 25th anniversary, and choosing between either Virgin or the other mob. Now, coming from GLA, we don't have BMI anymore to connect on to VS flights from LHR. So, it would need to be BA to LHR at least.

Their likely routing will be: GLA-LHR-SFO/LAS-LGW-GLA.

Question 1: Hold baggage

When they check in at GLA, would their luggage be through-checked to SFO (and consequently on to the VS flight)? Bearing in mind that the GLA-LHR leg will be on BA? ?|

Question 2: Connecting at LHR

Secondly, when they land at LHR from GLA, and assuming their luggage was indeed through-checked to SFO, would they need to exit customs and check-in again, or just transfer from the BA T5 to the Virgin at T3? ?| I've transferred at LHR in the past myself, but this was only in T1. My parents are pretty savvy with airports, so there shouldn't be any problems - famous last words!

Question 3: BA vs Virgin?

Both TATL flights will be Premium Economy. Having already flown Virgin, they know what to expect (hopefully! ii) ), but having read some reviews on the BA WTP product, it seems that it's just the same level of service as Economy, with a few inches of legroom thrown in. As it's yours truly who's paying for the flights, I want the best.

Apologies for rambling on - I don't half ask much, eh?!?

Best rgds,
GB y)

[mitchja]

1) Unless all the flights are booked on one itinerary, your parents wont be able to check their bags all the way from GLA through to SFO so will have to collect their bags when they arrive at LHR and re-check-in with VS in T3.

2) If by some remarkable chance, your parents are indeed able to check their bags all the way through LHR, they just need to follow the purple flight connections sign when they arrive at LHR T5 to transfer from T5 to T3 via busses. If they do have to collect their bags, they can simply transfer from T5 to T3 via the free HEX train. This will take them approx. 20-30mins.

3) VS PE wins hands down over BA WT+ every single time for me. As you say BA's WT+ is basically economy with a little more leg room and nothing more. There where reports that BA where/are re-vamping their WT+ onboard service by offering one of the available Club World meals for dinner. No idea if or when this is due to start though? Also remember there's no separate check-in for BA WT+ either.

Hi GlasgowBoy, here are my answers below:

1) if they book the trip as a single ticket on one PNR, yes the bags will be checked from GLA-SFO and LAS-GLA. BA and VS have an interline agreement for baggage.

2) when they land at T5 they'll need to follow the purple signs for flight connections and use the bus to get to T3. They will not have to go landside, although there is a security check upon arrival at T3. They'll collect their VS BP's at T3. The process should take about 30 mins I believe.

3) BA WTP is the same as BA WT but with more leg room and a chance of a better meal. VS PE is a totally different class of service and is more like Business minus than Economy plus, a no-brainer if you ask me.

Last thing is they'll be connecting at LGW on the way home, which will involve moving from the South to the North terminals. I don't know for sure how that works but someone else on V-Flyer almost certainly will.

Cheers for the quick response guys! oo)

I just wasn't sure if their luggage would be checked from GLA to SFO, when the flights were by BA and VS, rather than solely BA if that makes any sense?!? We connected through LHR last year - granted that was only in T1 from CY to BMI - so they'll know the signs to follow.

The LGW-GLA leg isn't that much of an issue tbh, it might work out easier for them to fly EZY back up to GLA from the south terminal. VS PE to EZY - no difference there! n(

Of course when I book the flights, VS will shock everyone and launch LAS flights from GLA! )

[mitchja]

Connecting between terminals at LGW is very easy. Not been through LGW for a while especially now the new BA wing is open where I believe it's completely do-it-yourself now (even down to printing your own bag bar code tags!!!)

Another option could be LAS>MAN>GLA as there are flights between MAN and GLA.

Another thing to remember is that the VS SFO flight departs quite early from LHR (~10:35am) so your parents may be better grabbing a hotel at LHR the night before. My rule of thumb is if a flights departs LHR before mid-day, I always fly down the day before to avoid any unnecessary stress or hassle.

Obvious risk with booking EZY from LGW-GLA that it'd be on separate tickets so if the VS flight is late they'll have to buy new EZY tickets etc.

How about coming back to MAN from LAS and then get a train to Glasgow (no changes) from MAN airport station? Could be a PITA but just a possible cheaper option.

Another option could be LAS>MAN>GLA as there are flights between MAN and GLA.

These are with FlyBe, and I'm not sure they have a baggage interline agreement with VS so that would definitely be an 'at your own risk' option in the same way as EZY etc.

Last thing is they'll be connecting at LGW on the way home, which will involve moving from the South to the North terminals. I don't know for sure how that works but someone else on V-Flyer almost certainly will.

Transfer between terminals takes 2 minutes on the dedicated train. Very easy

Last thing is they'll be connecting at LGW on the way home, which will involve moving from the South to the North terminals. I don't know for sure how that works but someone else on V-Flyer almost certainly will.

Transfer between terminals takes 2 minutes on the dedicated train. Very easy

That's not air-side though I believe?

The OP would need to clear immigration and re-check in if connecting at LGW? (Bags would look after themselves on one PNR though)

Last thing is they'll be connecting at LGW on the way home, which will involve moving from the South to the North terminals. I don't know for sure how that works but someone else on V-Flyer almost certainly will.

Transfer between terminals takes 2 minutes on the dedicated train. Very easy

That's not air-side though I believe?

The OP would need to clear immigration and re-check in if connecting at LGW? (Bags would look after themselves on one PNR though)

As well as clearing immigration at LGW (or MAN) they'd also have to clear customs too. Whichever airport they flew back too they'd be collecting their bags on arrival in the UK and checking them in again for the flight to GLA.

[honey lamb]

Another thing to remember is that the VS SFO flight departs quite early from LHR (~10:35am) so your parents may be better grabbing a hotel at LHR the night before. My rule of thumb is if a flights departs LHR before mid-day, I always fly down the day before to avoid any unnecessary stress or hassle.

I'd second that. It's been my rule of thumb for some years now after a very stressful flight to LHR which had me checking in for the VS leg with about half an hour to spare (it was in the days before OLCI) but highly relieved that my bags were through-checked.

To reinforce this argument, if I had been flying to SFO this week I would most certainly have missed the flight regardless of which day I was travelling as the early morning flight was late every day - on Tuesday it hadn't even left Cork by the time that the SFO flight left LHR :0

As you say BA's WT+ is basically economy with a little more leg room and nothing more. There where reports that BA where/are re-vamping their WT+ onboard service by offering one of the available Club World meals for dinner. No idea if or when this is due to start though?

It has started already. You get a business-class main course.

I believe they also have hot towels and newspapers -- and of course the new 777s have the new seating, but there aren't many of them.

VS PE is by all accounts a long way ahead, but BA have certainly noticed.

Plus -- and not to sound like a broken record -- the ability to upgrade with miles from any WT+ fare is a significant factor.

Thanks for all the replies folks, I greatly appreciate it! y)

I priced the flights with BA & VS (only took half the bloody day!). The results:

BA: £1,232 per person
VS: £1,252 per person

£20 frickin quid of a difference! I'm quite impressed tbh - the VS figure INCLUDES BA connecting flight from GLA-LHR & EASYJET LGW-GLA (icluding 3x suit cases)!!

Having read the above comments though, I think I'll shove them down to LHR the night before and stick them in a hotel for the night. Better to be safe than sorry, I suppose. |:)

So it looks as though Virgin have won this battle! Surely it's only right that I get some commission & a job with Virgin?!? )

Cheers again folks!! ^) y)

Hope your folks have a great trip GlasgowBoy - oh if only VS increased their destinations from GLA !!!

Well, this is making the hoo-ha over the BMI takeover seem minute. Spoke to Virgin Holidays last night, and they quoted £3,300rtn for the Virgin flights (minus any connecting flights) and £1000 for the Venetian in Vegas - looks bloody hideous, but that's just my opinion haha!!

So I priced the flights (again) today, and got a final figure of £2,345 all in. And that included:

Virgin PE from LHR-SFO & LAS-LGW
BA from GLA-LHR
Overnight stay at LHR
Easyjet (including 3 cases) from LGW-GLA

Told the woman at VH this, and she couldn't believe it - she's passed it on to her management and apparently it's went to their head office. I do feel guilty as I'd rather give her the commission, but a saving of almost a grand is far too good to pass up! y)

Me thinks Virgin ought to have a look at their revenue management, or whoever deals with pricing!!

Thanks again for all the help & input folks!!

Hope your folks have a great trip GlasgowBoy - oh if only VS increased their destinations from GLA !!!

Thanks, and YEEEEEES!!! Obviously now that everything is pretty much booked, VS will indeed increase their GLA destinations to both LAS & SFO! )