Quick question - UA Check Baggage to VS

I thought I would get a better answer here then by calling VS!

I am flying from LGA to IAD on United to connect onto a VS flight to London and trying to work out how long I need to leave to connect. Will UA be able to check my bags though to London from New York?

Thanks.

[preiffer]

Whenever I've gone from UA > VS, they've always checked bags the whole way through. So, in my experience, yes.

Many thanks for the quick reply! do you think 1.5 hours is enough to connect at IAD?

Originally posted by flying low
Many thanks for the quick reply! do you think 1.5 hours is enough to connect at IAD?

IAD is a nightmare for connections. 1.5 hours would be the bare minimum, if you can re-schedule to allow more I would do so...

[Decker]

I believe this depends on whether the flights are on the same PNR. If they're not you'll have to collect the luggage and they normally recommend AT LEAST 2 hours for this.

[HighFlyer]

And if you are travelling the other way, flying into the US and then connecting, like I do, you still have to collect your luggage, even if you are through-checked

Thanks,
Sarah

OK OK! I think I am being a little over ambitious with the connection, I'll take the earlier flight. Hopefully the IAD clubhouse is entertaining.

Thanks again for the info - you have helped prevent a possibly hairy situation!

[fozzyo]

We flew VS to SFO and then United (well Ted) to Vegas from their. The checkin guy at LHR checked our bags through for us, we just had to pick them up and drop them off at the Onward travel bit and did self-service checkin - whole thing was a total breeze.

Mat

Please note that if you are flying through IAD between 26th and 28th February the Clubhouse will be closed for a mini refurb. No other facilities will be available other than food vouchers for the terminal restaurant and 5k miles.

Originally posted by Decker
I believe this depends on whether the flights are on the same PNR. If they're not you'll have to collect the luggage and they normally recommend AT LEAST 2 hours for this.

FWIW when I connected UA to BA a while back I had no problems through checking luggage despite being on separate PNRs. I just showed the girl at check-in my BA itinerary and they sent it on its way. When I got to IAD I got my BP from the BA lounge where I was asked to show the luggage recipts and it was all taken care of.

To boot when we arrived at LHR off the BA flight my bag was already on the belt when I reached the reclaim area...and we hadn't arrived on a remote stand [:0][y]

If you have a 90min connection at IAD you might even make it if you do have to go landside and re-checkin with VS. The new 'Premium Passenger' line beside the BA check-in desks is a total breeze and anyone with any shiny card or premium ticket can access it. Even during IAD peak hours I've breezed right to the front of the line [:0][y]. Of course it depends on your UA flight and luggage arriving on time and VS UC line being short. Personally I'd rather just add a bit of a cushion and relax in the Clubhouse [y]