The HfP chat thread – Monday 25th October

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• WearyTraveller says:

  25 Oct25 October 14:51

  I’m doing a TP run in February whereby I’m flying back to MAN but I live in London. I am landing in MAN at 6:30pm and decided to book a flight to London on the same day at 7:20pm. Both flights are with BA. Can I ask them to automatically check in my luggage for the MAN-LHR flight or do I have to check in my luggage again? Asking as it’s less than 60 minutes so cutting it really short but it’s a domestic flight so hope I can make it.

  • TGLoyalty says:

    25 Oct25 October 14:55

    They won’t through check your baggage when it’s separate tickets even if it’s another BA flight.

    The way to get round this is usually to book the last domestic leg the day after you land a you can get your bags back an no show. Or if you need the TP to then fly it as HBO I assume these two flights run in the same turnaround but I know Man security is rubbish so no idea what B2B is like in reality.

  • Anna says:

    25 Oct25 October 14:57

    The policy is that they won’t check it through if it’s not on the same PNR but check in agents have differing levels of amenability!
    When in Feb are you travelling? The busiest week will be half term (Feb 13th). You could end up being through passport control in under 10 mins if it’s quiet but you will be cutting it very fine if you have to collect and re-check luggage.
    Which BA flight is landing at MAN, or are you doing X-LHR-MAN-LHR?

    • Anna says:

      25 Oct25 October 15:02

      I’ve been through MAN security twice this summer. Once was straight through but the 2nd time they were back to their usual thing of telling you something in your hand luggage had set off an alert for extra screening and then not actually being able to find any such item.
      In the past I have been challenged over a re-usable coffee cup, 2 hardboiled eggs, a make-up bag which they refused to believe contained no liquids (it didn’t) and on numerous other occasions, scuba diving equipment. None of these things seem to bother the scanners at LHR though!

      • Blenz101 says:

        25 Oct25 October 15:34

        Tangled wires is another favourite at MAN security. Laptop charger wrapped around phone charging cable. They suggested I should take out any “bundles of suspicious wires” like that in the future. They just make it up for kicks.

        Laughed and walked off.

      • Aston100 says:

        25 Oct25 October 16:02

        Scuba gear in hand luggage? Is that really a thing?

        • chris says:

          25 Oct25 October 18:04

          Would you trust something that keeps you alive to luggage handlers?

    • ChrisC says:

      25 Oct25 October 15:26

      If I’ve read the various flyer talk threads on this in the past properly they can’t tag the same airport twice on the same bag tag if the trip is indeed X-LHR-MAN=LHR

      If our Weary Traveller gave us their routings we could offer more specific advice.

      If they do need to collect bags MAN bag drop off deadline will be 45 mins before scheduled departure.

      • Anna says:

        25 Oct25 October 15:39

        Yes – if that is the itinerary then no passport control at MAN but they will most likely need to collect and re-check bags.

    • WearyTraveller says:

      25 Oct25 October 17:27

      I am doing DXB-LHR-MAN-LHR so i’ll be through passport control in LHR already. But will still need time in MAN for the luggage like you said so unlikely to work 🙁

      • TGLoyalty says:

        25 Oct25 October 19:39

        With luggage to collect? No chance.

      • kitten says:

        25 Oct25 October 19:42

        TGLoyalty said what to do.
        Time the LHR-MAN following morning, say, after you land from dxb. Perfectly reasonable. Make sure your bags are tagged LHR by checkin when you check them in DXB as you will naturally need them in hotel in Lon overnight etc. Collect bags in LHR then decide what you do – try to make it home and drop bags then go with luggage or without to Manchester following day assuming you’ll wake up in time and not miss the flight (some won’t).

  • Mark says:

    25 Oct25 October 17:21

    You’ve no hope of making that work.

    You don’t say where you are flying in from but assume LHR because BA, but assume you’re connecting through. Even without luggage getting airside and back through security in 50 minutes would be lucky at MAN

    • ChrisC says:

      25 Oct25 October 17:40

      It wouldn’t even be 50 it’s 30 because of BAs doors closed timing.

• Nathan says:

  25 Oct25 October 14:52

  Hi would anyone please know the situation with masks outdoors in Cape Town ? I am considering going in January and would not want to go if masks are mandatory outdoors.

  Many thanks

  • Phil W says:

    25 Oct25 October 15:58

    https://www.capetown.travel/social-distancing-and-face-masks-in-south-africa/

• Aliks says:

  25 Oct25 October 15:21

  For Club Eurostar, is it possible to add your membership number to an existing booking, or do you have to wait until the journey is complete and then use “claim missing points”?

• Nick Booker says:

  25 Oct25 October 15:21

  Hi all I have 2 Amex cards 1 BAPP which has a £100 off £250 spend at Hyatt and a basic Amex card which has £50 off £ 200 with Amex travel.
  Amex travel currently have New Scotland available at £316.00. Can someone explain if and if so how I can combine the offers on a booking to save £150.
  Thanks in advance

  • TGLoyalty says:

    25 Oct25 October 15:25

    No way to trigger both because you would have to either pay Amex travel upfront for the whole lot or you would pay at the hotel for the whole lot.

    • Nick Booker says:

      25 Oct25 October 15:27

      Thank you

      • TGLoyalty says:

        25 Oct25 October 16:39

        I was assuming 1 night stay

        you could Ofcourse get £150 off two 1 booked via each. Probably better off if you have a supp with a Hyatt offer though.

        • Nick Booker says:

          25 Oct25 October 17:36

          ta

• Harley says:

  25 Oct25 October 15:22

  For those thinking to do a pre departure test at randox waterloo then avoid! Been in a queue for 2 hours despite having a timeslot!

  • Bob says:

    25 Oct25 October 18:56

    how did it go in the end? considering them for upcoming trip next month

    • Flyer68 says:

      25 Oct25 October 20:05

      Avood them. My OH had a similar experience to above and said the person conducting the test wasnt wearing a mask.

      • Harley says:

        25 Oct25 October 20:12

        2.5hrs! Test itself took 1 min , chaotic scenes and nobody on hand to advise or apologise to the queue, will be avoiding for any future tests!

        • Bob says:

          25 Oct25 October 20:37

          yikes, may have to use their Heathrow site then. annoying as the only reasonable same day option.

• Will says:

  25 Oct25 October 15:24

  Love BA…. Redemption booking had one flight cancelled (GVA-LHR, last flight of the day at 19.50) Despite being 6 flights per day or more, BA automatically selected the mid afternoon flight when there were 2 others closer to the end of the day. Took 3 days on hold to get through to Exec Club to amend. No amend button online, despite there being text saying to use the Amend button instead of ‘Review and Accept’ or ‘Cancellation Options’ – seems to be only when a booking had previously been rebooked and rerouted, as another booking (for family member on same GVA trip) correctly offered any GVA-LHR flight I wanted. BA service desk at first in denial that this happened, and then say its an automated process to pick a less than ideal flight!!

• Lady London says:

  25 Oct25 October 15:36

  Just in case check some gbp based ota’s?

  • Lady London says:

    25 Oct25 October 15:36

    Above for SSS

    • Super Secret Stuff says:

      25 Oct25 October 16:19

      I’ve now replied on page 2. I have tried but couldn’t spot any. All the usual suspects checked.

      Tempted to give the hotel a call to see what they say but not sure what I can achieve? If anything just to voice my frustration and talk to a voice not a name over email!

    • Super Secret Stuff says:

      25 Oct25 October 16:24

      Just checked my corporate booking portal and found a corporate rate of £240 including breakfast and exec room. Tempted to use that

      • Super Secret Stuff says:

        25 Oct25 October 16:35

        For the weekend

• Lady London says:

  25 Oct25 October 15:37

  Above for SSS

This article is closed to new posts. Discussion continues in the HfP Forums.