OK....I admit, it's late, and I'm tired. I still don't get the logic of putting 3 smaller cases inside the larger ones. The only thing I can think is that he's planning to purchase quite a lot of things to fill the empty cases for the trip back home. Go figure.....

3 adults 1 child
baggage limit 2 bags per person,
weight limit 23kg per bag
3 fully filled small suitcases - 23kg that fit inside 3 large half filled - 23kg suitcases.
3 suitcases to bring (with 3 bags inside) are much easier to carry than 6 bags especially if I would have to carry 4 of them..
Hope that clears up the confusion, sorry I didn't explain this too well before.

So you personally will be carrying 2 x 46kg cases ?!? =:-O

Is this humanly possible ? And what on earth are you taking ??

Even when I used to use an absolutely enormas case, I never got it up above c.30kg.

1 small case (= 23kg) fits in large case that has been half filled to 23kg. Last year we had 3 x 30kg going but 4 x 30kg plus 1 case at 45kg coming back. I expect this year will be about 3 x 30kg going plus 3 x 40(=6 x 20) returning. The limitation on hand luggage last year at security check in forced us to put more into the cases. Plus my daughter had bought quite a few shoes & bags & clothes....

I just can't imagine that amount of luggage. Is this for a summer or a winter holiday ?

I don't pack light, wouldn't dream of trying to take carry on only, take heavy things like an iron and lots of books - but we still don't get above 20-25kg each.

We had 1 week New York & 2 weeks circuit of Cape Cod, Boston, Hanover NH, Lee MA. Some was self catering. We had to pack for all weathers & as a few stops were 1 or 2 nights we did not expect to get laundry cleaned before moving on. Also if you have 2 children (daughter was 18) they require more clothes.
On top of the luggage there was the presents & mementos - we only expected to go to USA once so wanted to get everything we could (e.g. 3 jars of real maple syrup, 1 US postbox, Statue of Liberty).
Delta allowed 32kg each so returning we had excess to pay but only because the take on hand luggage was restricted.
BA allows 2 x 23kg each so we have 184kg limit for our return this year.

john - sounds like a good plan

caroline - Since airlines have limits that exceed your magic 25 kg, I guess other people beside John take this amount. You know it is not "evil" to have a couple of 23 kg bags per person.
summer or winter? or spring or fall which we find always requires more clothes.

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it, just that it seems an unimaginable amount to me. We are shortly off to Italy for 3 weeks & will take the same cases we've had for a few years now, which seem to hold just the right amount for us - which always happens to come in at 20-25kg each. If they weren't big enough I'd have no problem using bigger cases, but that size seems right for us.

I guess we'd need more for a winter holiday but can't imagine taking double.

Not entirely on-topic, but just a little note that BA have announced another increase (£5) in fuel surcharge each way on longhaul flights as of next Wednesday. Now totals £43 each way on 9+hr flights.

to get back to my original question, has everybody who's flown to heathrow recently had to wait 24 hours before to select seats? has anybody been able to select them further in advance, like a few days or a few weeks? are monday night flights usually less full than other nights because that's the night we're flying. how many hours before the flight to heathrow have you gotten to jfk airport in n.y.c.? is 2 hours enough time? thanks, in advance, for your help.

<<to get back to my original question, has everybody who's flown to heathrow recently had to wait 24 hours before to select seats? has anybody been able to select them further in advance, like a few days or a few weeks?>>

I think a number of posters have answered that question quite extensively.

Unless you have club status or are flying full fare business or flying first or have a disability... 24 hours prior it is

i guess i was just "dreaming" that things had changed and one could obtain a seat with a little less anxiety. i still wonder about how full flights are and if monday night is a "slow" night...

putch29: I wouldn't get too worked up about it. I am someone who does not get on a plane unless she gets an aisle seat (claustrophobia), at least in Economy. Because of BAEC status, I haven't had to deal with its stupid new seating policy, but I have flown half a dozen times in the last year with other airlines (including several mid-range flights of 4 hours or more) where I couldn't choose seats until 24 hours before. I haven't yet had a problem getting an aisle seat, although on one flight my husband and I couldn't sit beside or across from each other (but we both got aisle seats). I think that if you log on to check in at T-24 (and I've done it as late as T-10), you shouldn't have a problem, although you might not get the perfect pair across from each other.