Will be arriving on Virgin at 10:30 am and want to leave for Rome on BA flight at 2 pm--is this enough time to get bags and transfer terminals and check in for BA flight. I know that some say that you can check bag through to Rome even on non partner airlines but I know too many people who have lost their luggage this way.

If you can check your bags through to Rome I think that's the best way to go. It will be a HUGE hassle to get your bags, clear customs, then re-check them. I have checked my bags through several times with a non-partner and had no problems.

I have never lost a bag on an interline transfer. I've had bags get delayed under all sorts of circumstances, but never once with interlined baggage.

Heathrow has few virtues - apart from the fact that more people take foreign journeys from it every day than from any other location anywhere in the history of the world.

But it understands interlining. Unlike many American airports, it's not dominated by one airline, so all baggage handlers are primarily trained in interlining.

Choosing to collect your baggage creates all the problems P M summarises so well. Through-checked, you stay airside and never mess with Immigration or Customs. Terminating your baggage's journey at LHR, OTOH, you discover just how much crap even the world's most bureaucracy-averse nation can throw at the unfortunate traveller.

To me this has always been such a no-brainer I've even tried to bribe foreign check in agents who didn't understand the Heathrow system to interline the bags whatever the computer said. And Heathrow has never let me down on this. On everything else, of course, it lets me down every time. But never on interlining bags.

If they'll let you.

For what it's worth, I've had the same experience on interline luggage transfers at Heathrow. Never a problem. That's not scientific certainty, but I think it's easier than going through Customs and checking in again at a different terminal. You'd probably have enough time, though check-ins at Heathrow (particularly on BA) can take forever.

Anyone who CHOOSES to retrieve their luggage at LHR and re-check when they had the option of checking through -- well just a few bricks short of a load IMHO.

Staying airside at LHR is a big advantage w/ transferring..

Once you go landside to retrieve your bags all bets are off re inconvenience and how long it will take.

Thank you everyone, except Janis --who apparently felt the need to call a stranger stupid.

Sorry, but I'm a little green on this subject so hopefully someone will break it down for me.

We leave from Canada on August 5th, Air Canada, and arrive Heathrow @ 10:15am Saturday. We then have to catch a connecting flight on Aer Lingus to Dublin which departs at 1:25pm. How would I go about checking my bag(s) all the way through to Dublin?

If it's an AC to bmi, or BA to Aer Fungus, connection on one ticket, the checkin people will normally do it automatically. AC and BA staff in Canada are usually pretty clued up about this.

Other combinations, or separate tickets, might get them a bit reluctant. Try to press them if you can. Whatever they say, the facts are that Heathrow is geared up to do this, and if you've got a baggage tag that says "change this to the Dublin flight", that's what will happen.

Incidentally, if you do manage to through-check, remember that you behave at Heathrow as if you were entering Britain. You go through the special UK immigration desk for airside transfers, but not customs (which you actually do go through in Ireland).

Most other people get confused about this, BTW.