Ex-Eu questions

Hi all if somebody wouldn't mind answering my question id be very grateful , I'm planning to fly in August and want to do the Ex-Eu trick. Im flying to AMS from LHR to position myself there for the start of the trip, and then AMS-LHR-BOS then returning from JFK for the return. I was just curious if i can drive up to LHR from home park up then check in to a hotel for the night before the flight to BOS. Im planning to fly to AMS on the saturday and return on the same day but my flight to BOS on the sunday with VS. So to the questions,
Is it possible to check in our luggage into VS on the sunday and just take a carry on for the AMS flights as i don't want to be carrying round our luggage unnecessarily and will save money?

Does the Ex-Eu have to be completed on the same day or can i do what I'm planning and do it over a weekend? So basically can i check in and start the trip on the saturday with BA and still fly with VS on the same ticket on the sunday?

Finally can i stop the trip once we hit LHR on the return and not take the flight on BA to AMS so i can just drive home then or do i have to do the whole trip even back to AMS?
Thanks

1) Absolutely, not a problem. If you're booking a hotel at LHR I'd just dump your bags there on the Saturday morning and head to T5 for your day trip to AMS.

2) The "stopover" in London can be up to 24 hours so assuming your VS flight to BOS is scheduled to depart at 1305 on the Sun you can choose any BA flight from AMS that arrives at LHR after 1305 on the Sat.

3) You don't have to do the final leg to AMS but make sure when you check your luggage in at JFK you ask for it to be tagged only to LHR, otherwise it'll end up in AMS.

Just to add that you might find this recent discussion on v-flyer useful with regard to 3).

Thanks gumshoe and NYLON, one more question is that do i still get my VS miles for this trip on the VS flights?

Yes you do. And Avios for the AMS flight, if you're a BAEC member.

Similarly you can also get your VS miles & TPs (if you allocate your FC number to the booking) on a BA/DL-DL/BA tiket for the DL legs, should you wish to sample DL's Business Elite product.

Or you can mix-and-match: BA/DL-VS/BA.

And if you have a VS CC (i.e. wanting to accrue even more miles for the booking), you can make the booking via VS FC CS on the phone (even if none of your flights are on VS metal).

Ok thats really good info, thanks for all the info gumshoe and NYLON thats really helped