BA Long haul - starting in European Country

mp3duck

Hi,

Does anyone know if you're allowed to book a flight, from a European Country (i.e. Paris), to a long haul destination, that fly's VIA Heathhrow, but start your journey at Heathrow?

I've found that a specific flight is half price when doing this..
i.e. 50% cheaper that booking your flight where it starts at Heathrow, but wanted to know if you'd be allowed to start the journey if you've not taken the Euro part already.

Thanks
Danny

duchy

No
If you skip the first leg the rest of your reservation will be cancelled.

You need to book a positioning flight to start the journey . eg LON GOT or LON DUB
Remember a LCC from another UK airport rather than a legacy carrier from Heathrow may be a cheaper option eg Ryanair LGW DUB or STN GOT etc.

mp3duck

duchy wrote: »

No
If you skip the first leg the rest of your reservation will be cancelled.

You need to book a positioning flight to start the journey . eg LON GOT or LON DUB
Remember a LCC from another UK airport rather than a legacy carrier from Heathrow may be a cheaper option eg Ryanair LGW DUB or STN GOT etc.

I thought as much.. I basically having an A -> B -> C flight, but want to just do B -> C.. But, as if I miss the A -> B part, the rest gets cancelled (as I'd be a no show)..

I guess what I'd need to do, is buy a flight from B -> A on a separate ticket, and then fly back to Heathrow to complete the main journey..
Annoying, but saving is £500 per passenger (before paying for shorthaul flight, which should be around £85-£100 return)

DTDfanBoy

Don't forget that you don't have to take your luggage all the way to Europe, I always try to plan things so I have enough time at LHR to check my bags in on the way back through

Caz3121

mp3duck wrote: »

I guess what I'd need to do, is buy a flight from A -> B on a separate ticket, and then fly back to Heathrow to complete the main journey..

I assume you mean to go from B to A on a separate ticket before starting the journey...no issue with that
I am doing this in July...off to Dublin to start a long haul
Flights all in business class
£200 each cheaper going business from Dublin rather than economy from London
and £5,500 each cheaper than taking the same flights without the Dublin legs...using some Avios to head over to Dublin the day before and some hotel points for a free night

Some people suggest booking the leg back to the EU airport on the return from a different London airport than you arrive at to enable you to collect your bags and "miss" the last flight...I'm heading back to Dublin for the extra 40 TPs :-)

duchy

You can also leave it in left luggage and check it in during transit.

The main issue with a placement flight is you have to build in delay time to make sure you get there regardless of any delays to catch your ex EU flight.

Before now I've built in a day trip to Dublin (left early morning) -started the EU flight in the evening back to LON -overnighted in a hotel and caught the long haul flight the next morning -still saved me over £300 even after flight, hotel costs and left luggage fees at LON but I'm happy to add the extra day and treat it as an extra bit of holiday. I guess it depends which EU destination you are starting at as to whether it'd be holiday or a nuisance though !

Roger1

duchy wrote: »

... eg Ryanair LGW DUB or STN GOT etc.

I learn something new from MSE every day.

Until recently, Ryanair's Gothenburg was a different airport from BA and other legacy carriers' Gothenburg. Thanks to you, I know they now serve the main airport. (I checked and it's true. )