Msp1278

I will be traveling from Berlin to London and then back to Dallas. It is not on the same airline ticket, however I am not staying in London, I plan on staying in the airport for the connection. I cannot seem to figure out if I will have to go through customs or if I stay in transit the whole time. Will I be able to check my bag and have it make it to another airline or would I have to carry it on? All of this matters because I will need to know how much time I need once I land in London.

MmePerdu

Dispense with all the uncertainty by arriving the evening before your flight to Dallas and staying near the airport. The answer to all your questions is, it depends. So give yourself a break, a shower and a night's sleep and go on refreshed in the morning.

dotheboyshall

Checked baggage, separate tickets means that you have to go through immigration in order to reach the baggage collection area collect your luggage, then go through customs to get landside in order to go to your new check-in desk.

Hope you are allowing at least 5 hours for this to cater for most possible problems.

Odin

Without knowing which airlines you are flying and and hence which terminals are involved, it is impossible to know if you can check your luggage all the way through. Some airlines do have interline agreements and that is not dependent on your trip being on one ticket. Whatever airlines/terminals are involved, you don't need 5 hours to transfer. You'll probably check in online which will make things quicker and at most, you'll need to stand in line to drop your bags.

RoamsAround

Go to the LHR website (www.heathrow.com) and click on "Flight Connections", enter your planned dates of travel and your airline flight numbers. You'll be directed to a page showing detail instructions on what terminals you'll arrive and depart from, how to get between terminals (if necessary), if and where you'll clear Passport Control or Customs, getting through security and the minimum amount of time you'll need to make YOUR connection. Everything you need to know can be found there.

janisj

Yes -- knowing the airlines and terminal(s) would be helpful. But >>Whatever airlines/terminals are involved, you don't need 5 hours to transfer.<<

Is true -- Unless one's arrival is delayed. Then you'll be SOL and would have to buy a new ticket to Dallas.

If you are on separate tickets you should fly in the evening before if at all possible.

thursdaysd

There is less interlining than there used to be:

http://crankyflier.com/2016/07/05/on...s-onebagcheck/

dotheboyshall

<i>Whatever airlines/terminals are involved, you don't need 5 hours to transfer. </i>

Separate tickets, need to collect and recheck luggage, long haul flight.

Depends on your definition of risk but if I'm going to be seriously poorer if I miss my onward flight I'd go for a longer connection every time.