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BA self service check in Terminal 5, LHR

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Does anybody know if ou can use the self service check in at Termjnal 5 for skis and car seats?

I have tried emailing this question to BA but there response just confirmed that I was allowed to take the car seat and skis in my baggage allowance.... yes I know that, that wasn’t the question.

I have responded to say you haven’t answered the question but time is ticking and thought other snowHeads may know the answer
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@NickyJ, i have no idea but i would phone them
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
I will do so if I fail to get an answer by Friday.
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I expect they use the same self service check systems in LHR as well as LGW. In LGW, you use the self service check to generate the luggage tag and then take them to the oversized belt.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@RichClark, thanks. So a google found me a map and that shows there are two one in Zone A (which is where families are directed to) and another right the other end in Zone J. Given that families are directed to Zone A and it is Feb half term... my thoughts are use self service and head Zone J for the oversize drop off? Does that sound sensible?
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If your car seat and ski bag are the only pieces of checked luggage you have then definitely a good plan to use the self-service check-in as you only need to go to oversized belt but if you've got other checked bags, you'll need to queue somewhere to drop them so I'd just go to the family check-in zones if I were you. They're fairly good at T5 now - they know they've got a load of families traveling, everyone's in the same boat and they get through the queue quite quickly.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@NickyJ, Sounds like a plan. I haven't been out of T5 for a while, but again, using LGW as a reference point, the number of self serve kiosks far exceeds the number of desks so would expect that to be quicker...
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
@jma, ah OK we have 3 other bags as well to drop off. The intention was to check in online, when that opens. Use the self serve bag drop to get if the three normal ones and then get the labels for the other two as suggested above to take them to the oversize drop point. My logic being there will be a lot of families so would be much quicker to use the automated stuff further away from them and then head of in the other direction as the demographic for Saturday morning is going to be massively skewed from normal? Or am I miss judging the situation?
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RichClark wrote:
@NickyJ, Sounds like a plan. I haven't been out of T5 for a while, but again, using LGW as a reference point, the number of self serve kiosks far exceeds the number of desks so would expect that to be quicker...


That was how it felt when we flew out in the summer. Though reading the details the self drop is just Zones C & D, so it could be we just entered the terminal right in the middle of it.
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Quote:

the demographic for Saturday morning is going to be massively skewed from normal? Or am I miss judging the situation?

Not at all, you've hit the nail on the head but it doesn't really matter what you do, you're not going to speed through the airport as if you're going on a business trip on your own with only cabin baggage! As you say, nearly everyone traveling on Saturday will be families with large amounts of checked luggage and in my experience the queues for bag-drop, or check-in are fairly equivalent (in fact as most people check-in online, the check-in desks are generally just bag-drop desks too...) but you've still got to endure them! I would say though that in recent years LHR in particular have got a lot better at having enough desks open to cater for the increased traffic.
I went through T5 this morning and was the far side of security c.5 minutes after getting out the taxi (arriving only an hour before scheduled take off) and there was hardly a desk open. On Saturday though, when I'm back with family and 7 bags to check-in, I'd expect to see pretty-much every desk manned (I'll still be getting there at least 2.5 hours before departure though!)
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jma wrote:

(I'll still be getting there at least 2.5 hours before departure though!)


Eeeks er maybe we need a 3am leave time... <gulp> we are already bringing our departure time forward due to the M27 being completely closed overnight for a two junction stretch we were planning on using.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Always a good idea to leave plenty of time, although I would have thought that 2.5 hours was unnecessary.

BTW if security looks busy, then South is usually quieter than North.
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So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
@foxtrotzulu, which is south or north? They aren’t labelled as that on the map I found? One is close to Zone A other close to Zone J (which was where I was planning to head on the same logic as avoid the end BA advise families to use.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@NickyJ, A - North, J - South.

There is also a sign which tells you the comparative queuing times of the two set of security.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
jma wrote:

Not at all, you've hit the nail on the head but it doesn't really matter what you do, you're not going to speed through the airport as if you're going on a business trip on your own with only cabin baggage!


Unless, of course, you're one of the lucky BA gold card holders.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Alastair wrote:
@NickyJ, A - North, J - South.

There is also a sign which tells you the comparative queuing times of the two set of security.


Excellent thanks!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
I seem to remember that when I last used BA at T5 with Skis (November I think) I was directed towards a manned desk because I had oversize luggage.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Tubaski wrote:
I seem to remember that when I last used BA at T5 with Skis (November I think) I was directed towards a manned desk because I had oversize luggage.
I was thus directed last week.
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Alastair wrote:
jma wrote:

Not at all, you've hit the nail on the head but it doesn't really matter what you do, you're not going to speed through the airport as if you're going on a business trip on your own with only cabin baggage!


Unless, of course, you're one of the lucky BA gold card holders.


Yes it does make things easier. But if you have skis I think you may need to go to outsized luggage.

Only used the Gold checking once because I'm usually transiting. However, the one time I did it was great. Arrived at Heathrow to find massive queues. Turned right, through the gold checkin and straight into the lounge. Happy
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@GlasgowCyclops, In the Gold/First checkin wing they call someone over who collects your oversize baggage from you and deals with it all. No need to visit the oversize desk. Very nice service.
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Quote:
Quote:

jma wrote:

(I'll still be getting there at least 2.5 hours before departure though!)


Eeeks er maybe we need a 3am leave time... <gulp> we are already bringing our departure time forward due to the M27 being completely closed overnight for a two junction stretch we were planning on using.


Well 2.5 hours might be a bit of an exaggeration but our flight is mid-morning (and at T2) on Sat when it's likely to really busy, it sounds like your flight is much earlier if you're considering leaving (Hampshire?) at 3am. We also like to have enough time for a bit of brunch after security.

Don't worry about it too much though - don't forget, you're on a scheduled flight from a major carrier - they run these same flights at the same time every week so they generally always have the staff on to manage the check-in - i.e. from a flight capacity perspective it's just a normal Saturday - with maybe a bit more checked luggage. It is not the Gatwick charter terminal where all of a sudden they're dealing with loads of extra flights specially scheduled for the 1/2 term getaway and they don't have the staff. Stress-free flying with a scheduled airline is a major reason why we DIY at 1/2 term...
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
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@jma, thanks. This is only the second time we have done a half term trip and last time we did a Monday to Monday taking the girls out of school for a day. Our flight takes off at 7:25, also we are as far in Hampshire as you can get from Heathrow (1 more mile west and you are into Dorset), go 5 miles north and you are into Wiltshire.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
@NickyJ, Have you looked into a hotel with parking? The sofitel is lovely, connected to T5 (so lie-in) and parking is usually cheap. Sometimes you can get Sofitel as a deal for c.£150 with parking. Really nice way to start the trip.
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snowdave wrote:
@NickyJ, Have you looked into a hotel with parking? The sofitel is lovely, connected to T5 (so lie-in) and parking is usually cheap. Sometimes you can get Sofitel as a deal for c.£150 with parking. Really nice way to start the trip.
.

If we had known about the planned road closures sooner we would have done something different, but parking already booked and paid for. Saying that don’t like the idea of that drive on Friday evening as we are all at work and school tomorrow as it is.

Thanks for the recommendation though may well do that another time.
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snowdave wrote:
@GlasgowCyclops, In the Gold/First checkin wing they call someone over who collects your oversize baggage from you and deals with it all. No need to visit the oversize desk. Very nice service.


Nive. I'm a GCH but only trans through LHR. my primary start point is GLA.
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