BA terminal 5 - do I check baggage in?
 

In December 4 of us will be flying from Hong Kong to CDG Paris, via LHR (in and out of terminal 5). I have heard nightmare stories about luggage not making it and as we are only in Paris for 2 nights then the UK for 2 nights then back home to Hong Kong, my question is this: should we bother checking luggage through from HKG-LHR-CDG or try to take carry on only? I wouldn't need to pack so much normally, but we are attending a formal wedding in the UK and therefore will need dress and heels for myself and dinner suit and shoes for husband plus warm clothes for the entire trip as it will be in December. Any advice from recent experience, good or bad?

That's a long way to fly for 4 nights!

I flew to Phoenix last month from Amsterdam. We arrived at T5, transferred to T4 and went on to Phoenix, doing the same thing in reverse on our return. OUr bags arrived at both ends at the same time as we did, absolutely no problems.
As more and more flights are being transferred to T5 I had expected to hear of problems but none reported so far. SInce it is only for 4 nights you could probably get away with hand baggage, although coming from somewhere warm to somewhere not so warm you will need more layers than normal.
If you decided to check your bags maybe you can split the packing with one of your companions.

Your trip is not until Dec - I'd wait until late this Fall to find out how the BA/BAA baggage systems are working then.

Things will probably be much smoother then -- assuming there is no baggage handlers strike or anything. Waaaaay too early to be worrying about that now.

BTW - You <i>could</i> do carry-on only even w/ the dressy clothes. Heels don't take up much space and a business suit is just a jacket and pair of slacks. Takes up the no more space than more casual stuff. Your husband wears one pair of slacks on the plane, 2 pair go in the bag -- one of which is the suit pants.

Thanks to both of you - it is rather early to be thinking about it all but I am one of those anal, organised people! Will check with this forum closer to the date...though I am still leaning toward carry on only!

hkgirl - we've just returned from Turkey via London and Tokyo.

We were so nervous about all the adverse publicity re Terminal 5, we repacked our suitcases for the Tokyo/London/Istanbul leg, after having a few days in Japan. Into a piece of handluggage each, we packed what we felt we couldn't possibly do without when we arrived to begin a 3 week stay in Turkey/Rhodes. The two items of light handluggage were then folded flat into our respective suitcases for the remainder of our trip.

We had no problems thankfully, but opted to perform the same exercise on the way home, utilising the two items of handluggage again to bring home items we'd bought for loved ones, together with other items of clothing. Our luggage was checked in at Instanbul, forwarded to London, then forwarded to Tokyo.

Again, no problems.

I put out a thread on this about a month or two ago, so you can check the input I received there. Also checked with a friend in London re news reports in the UK on T5 luggage problems, etc and she says things seem to be ok, nothing much in the media and a friend who had just travelled thru' T5 last week had had no problems.

If you do check baggage don't have his and hers suitcases. Put half your clothes in each. And I'd put the two wedding outfits in different cases so that if anything does go astray, at least you'll only be hunting for one new outfit and not both.

Chances are everything will be fine anyway.

We checked our bags for our flight to Frankfurt, with a layover in LHR, and flew out of T5 with absolutely no problems. Luggage arrived safe and sound both directions.

I imagine a lot of the kinks will be worked out by the time you leave.

Tracy