Flight to Zambia, Heathrow connection
 

The next wednesday i flight to Zambia.

I land at Heathrow (from Italy) at 15.50pm and take off at 19:15pm (British Airways). I have to transfer from Terminal 1 to Terminal 4 and i'm a bit worried about my luggages.. (i heard bad stories about Heathrow and lost luggages in flights connection).

What could be better?

1) Collect my luggages in Heathrow, transport them from Terminal 1 to Terminal 4, recheck-in and board (is there enough time?).

2) Send the luggages directly to Lusaka (final destination)

Thanks

P.S.: sorry for my poor english...

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Stefano

I think you are flying into Heathrow with BA as well as flying to Lusaka on BA. You should thru-check your luggage to the final destination LUN. You have plenty of time for the connection.

Thanks Odin.

Yes, i flight from Milan (MXP) to Lusaka (LUN) with BA.

I have flown via BA and Heathrow to Lusaka twice from the U.S. twice in the last few years. Both times I checked my luggage all the way through to Lusaka and it arrived there both times. The time should be suffiicent for luggage transfers, but there are no guarantees.

Swedish traveler on last trip did not get his luggage until 4 days after he arrived in Zambia on his last trip. I am doing same trip in a few weeks and I am going to check mine through all the way, but I always try to bring some essentials in my carry on just in case.

Greendrake, I assumed that you arrived into T4 from USA and departed from T4 too for Zambia, am I right? If so, that's why you got your bags. Your Swedish friend must have arrived at T1 rather than T4 so that's why his bags were delayed.

So, cobracalde, I would suggest you do option 1 to preserve your sanity - check your bags to LHR only in Italy, collect them, go to T4 (and be quick!) and re-check in.

Good luck.

I disagree- I wouldn't recommend checking in your luggage until LHR then rechecking in for the flight to LUN. The lines can be very long at T4, both for check-in and especially security . I would allow 3 hours to check in if you go down this route.

Bluesea - yes I did the arrival and departure out of T4 with a ton of time between flights. My concern was "too much" time between flights thinking they could be lost - but so far I am on a hot streak and will roll the dice again!!

Whatever determines luggage arrival must be more of an art than a science. Not sure of the arrival/departure terminals of my Swedish friends, but there were 3 of them on the same flights. Two received their luggage and one did not. Have also had friends in the U.S. (United) take a direct flight from the west coast to east coast arrive and check in several hours before their flight and still not have their luggage arrive.

The conveyor belt that takes baggage between T1 and T4 broke down nine times during an 11-day period in June. Neither BA nor BAA have been straightforward about admitting this or about whether the belt is now working properly.

Unless there's public confirmation the system's working properly, I'd check the bags from Italy to London, but check in for the Lusaka flight online before leaving home.

At T1, I'd go through immigration and collect the bags. I'd then get the Heathrow Express to T4, go to the Fast Bag Drop (not the regular checkin desk), leave my bag there, then go through security to the departure lounge.

BUT, if when I got to the Italian airport, the European flight was an hour or more late, I'd check the bag through to Lusaka. There'd be a slight risk my bags might not get to Lusaka with me, but at least I'd catch the plane.

I like Flan's idea about BA on-line checking in before you leave home and using the Fast-Bag drop.

Good luck.