I have been looking for a LHR-LAX / SAN-LHR business class booking for August, and it seems to be a lot cheaper when originating EX europe
I have looked at doing a AMS-LHR-LAX/SAN-LHR-AMS fare which saves a lot of money.
The only thing i need to do is a separate one way London-Amsterdam fare which is fine and it still offers a considerable saving as i would normally stay at LHR th night before, but this way means staying in AMS
Does anyone know if i don't use the return LHR-AMS sector, but just leave the journey on the return at LHR are there any penalties, or things i should be aware of before doing this journey?
(Obvisouly i would only ask for bags to be checked into LHR on the return)
Thanks in advance
dutchyankee - 10/03/2011 11:39 GMT
Hi Eastbourneguy ,
I am not sure what if any penalty can be applied to you upon your return journey if you simply do not continue on to Amsterdam, however, I am certain BA will not check your bags only to LHR if your layover is within the same day. I have tried this often when I come back from MCO to AMS via Gatwick as I take a long layover (8 hours) to be able to go into town. I try to claim my luggage as 1) I like to do some shopping in town and want to put that in my luggage, and 2) I prefer arriving in AMS with the green sided EU baggage tags as AMS customs agents do enjoy picking on non-green sided tags for inspection. I fly this route every 7 to 8 weeks, and have never been able to claim my bags/check my bags only to LGW. I Am not sure if to LHR it would be any different, but it stands to reason BA does this to ensure people are not able to do exactly what you would like to do.
Shush - don't tell everybody!! As Martyn says, make sure your bags aren't checked right through on the way back - which with the "cheap con" airlines they won't be. Expect to pay about 100 Euros at Schipol for a pretty decent airport hotel.
That's interesting, DY, as a Colleague of mine has never had a problem with just such a trip via LGW. If in doubt.........just take cabin baggage!
Eastbourneguy,
If you were to fly into Heathrow and book the return flight to Amsterdam from Gatwick then British Airways will only check your bags to Heathrow. As it is no longer allowed, or even possible, to through check-in baggage with British Airways when there is a ground transfer between Heathrow and Gatwick or verses versa. i.e. AMS-LHR-LAX/SAN-LHR-LGW-AMS
There may be a small difference in air fares as the LHRAMS sectors are usually more expensive than LGW AMS. Also you need to make sure the connection time between arrival at LHR and departure from LGW is less than 24 hours. To avoid the UK departure tax becoming applicable and a higher grade fare being calculated for the whole journey.
dutchyankee,
For your London shopping trips you could try the same in the opposite direction i.e. MCO-LGW-Shopping-LHR-AMS Although you would have to take your luggage with you into London so it was really available to take onto LHR. Not ideal, but something to consider.
dutchyankee - 10/03/2011 12:33 GMT
Thanks FT, that does make sense, however, my idea was always to store my luggage so not to have to take it into town, and then when I returned to LGW, pack my bags and then check them in to AMS. Your advice for Eastbourneguy makes excellent sense, and seems like a great solution for him.
kmcottrell - 10/03/2011 14:20 GMT
Have you checked if an open jaw from AMS ending at LGW is as cost effective, without the luggage problem?
Good idea to use the LHR-AMS on the return then the bagge problem couldnt happen!
Even with the hotel cost at AMS it still seems the better option
Thanks for all your help - Happy travelling
SenatorGold - 10/03/2011 21:44 GMT
For the definitive answer, this is a question which you should put to Alex McWhirter. For sure on the inbound sector from the US, you will not be allowed to recover your bags at LHR if you are ticketed all the way to AMS. I don't know if you could get around this by flying from LGW to AMS, but one thing to be aware of is that if you are a BA Executive Club member and your number is entered in your booking and BA is minded to impose a penalty on you for breaking your journey in this way then they know how to find you! I don't know if this has ever happened, but I do recall Alex issuing a warning along these lines.
NTarrant - 11/03/2011 09:06 GMT
Don't forget that you don't have to continue say LHR-AMS on the same day as you arrive at LHR. I recently did BRU-LHR-DXB/HKG-LHR-BRU but travelled BRU-LHR one week before the LHR-DXB sector. On the return just under a week after arriving back to LHR. You can I understand stop over for a month.
There well may be an increase in airport taxes, but it will be a drop in the ocean compared to what you will be saving.
Binman62 - 11/03/2011 15:42 GMT
Word of caution....My recent purchase highlighted a change in fare rules whereby the stopover in London was allowed in either direction but with a charge of 200 Euro per passenger. The sting however was that the stopover could not be more than 10 days!!
Check the fare rules carefully they are hidden under two blue links after you have selected flights. The bottom one of the links for additional rules is in my experience the one that counts.
BA seems to be making a concerted effort to turn off the flow of UK passengers going to the EU to start the journey. But as others have said, the savings are generally such that the additional time involved still makes economic sense.
In my case the saving for 4 was in excess of £14,000 on the BA fare ex LHR even when the additional costs of going to and from Europe were added. It represented a 2/3rds saving! And this was not the cheapest option but I could not afford to night stop prior to starting my journey on this occasion!
No one can force you to check your bags to the final destination as per the ticket. Given their pitiful baggage handling, even in T5, a request to collect and check in again would be entirely reasonable.
I would add that whilst BA may wish to close off this revenue stream they need to understand that for passengers like me, Europe will remain my first choice of departure point. The research I have done on this suggests that most carriers provide the types of savings I have found from points in Europe and in some cases these are greater.
NTarrant - 11/03/2011 16:08 GMT
Thanks for the tip Binman, certainly our stopover was seven and six days respectively so it may be we came under that rule without realising.
BlackTower - 12/03/2011 00:35 GMT
I have frequently booked my luggage just to LHR on ex Europe Club/First fairs returning from the US/Canada.
