We have a mileage ticket with United to go from Maui to London. However, our final destination will be Paris, but we could only get a mileage ticket to Heathrow.

So, when we arrive into Heathrow(at 10 am) we will then catch another flight to Paris, hopefully on Air France(at 1:05 pm).

But, I just taked to a UA agent, and she said:

1. Although United has a baggage agreement with Air France, she can't guarantee that our bags will be checked through all the way to Paris. She said it was pretty much left up to the agent checking us in for our flight.

2. She also said that the British government requires that we go though customs and immigration even if our bags are checked through - this is not what posters here usually say, so I was confused about this - is this a new law?

So, if we are not allowed to check in our bags all the way through to Paris, we would have to pick up our bags, go through customs and immigration, and re-check our bags... if we arrive on a United flight at 10am, would we still have enough time to board the 1:05pm Air France flight?

On the second point, she's making it up as she goes along.

Customs is a non-event in Britain whatever happens, but if your bags are through checked, you just get the bus at T3 to the flight connection cennection in T1/2, go through security and get your AF pass, then walk to mthe T2 gate.

There's no new rule sayoing different: during the chaos in early August, some airlines briefly wouldn't process through-checked bags, and some posters on this site misreported what was going on. But that was a panic reaction.

However all passengers getting on a plane in Britain, wherever they're been before, and however many foreign security checks they've been through, must go through security again. And they must conform to UK rules about carry-on baggage

As far as through-checking bags is concerned, the corollary of the advice you've been given is that you must just be very firm with the check in agent. Just make her through check.

UNder normal circumstances (ie no more terrorist threats, and not this coming week), 3 hours is absolutely fine.

Thanks flanneruk - we are actually traveling around the middle of May 2007. We will have a 5 day stopover in New York, so I was worried that if we have delays at JFK, our flight won't arrive at 10am. Don't know if I should include "buffer" time in case our flight is delayed from JFK, and therefore, should look for a flight that leaves around 2pm instead of 1pm

You're likely to get a bit more comfort if you get the bmi (that's how some prat of a branding consultant told them to spell themselves) flight to Paris. bmi are a Star Alliance partner of UA, and current schedules have them leaving T1 (same walking distance from the FCC as AF at T2) about 50 mins later.

So, you aren't believing the expert advice you've received so far?

Assuming you've received good advice, and may have to retreive your bags, go through customs/immigrations (with or without your bags)...

You will probably be fine, but don't count on it.

Anna most certainly shouldn't believe the claptrap the United Airlines person is telling her.

They're simply talking through their rear end when claiming that Britain requires people to go through immigration with checked baggage.

So since they're just saying the first thing that's come into their heads, why should she believe anything else they're saying?

"Expert advice"? Certainly not: just moronic moonshine.

If Anna has to pick up her bags at Heathrow then she will have to pass through immigration in order to do so as baggage collection is beyond immigration.

From baggage collection the only place she could then go is through Customs into landside Heathrow where she will then have to recheck her bags and pass through security again.

This of course supposes UA are mean enough not to check the bags through.

If they do then she follows the signs to Flight Connection Centre when she gets off the plane and won't have to pass through immigration, baggage collection or Customs. She will however have to pass through security which can be rather time consuming

alan,

So, if I have to re-check my bags, will 3 hours be enough time for my next flight to Paris?

Just an update...I just called United again and spoke to another agent who had more experience with my situation.

She said that baggage agreements are only allowed when I purchase both tickets at the same time. Which means, as she said, that I will need to pick up my bags, go through customs and immigration, and then re-check them.

Will 3 hours be enough, or should I book a later flight?

Anna - book a later flight. Why give yourself ulcers if another later flight is readily available?

Since you are buying separate tickets, if you miss your second flight, they are not obliged to put you on the next flight - you could end up losing your ticket and having to rebook in the case of a delay.

If I were in this situation, booked on two tickets, flying in and out of Heathrow (switching terminals?), having to retreive and re-check bags, I would give myself 5 hours between flights. This likely would mean some shopping time at Heathrow, but its better than missing that flight.

I agree - what if the flight coming into London is 2 hours delayed? Can easily happen - weather, mechanical delay, etc. Then you are up the creek with an ulcer. London is NOT a place to get through quickly if you are rechecking luggage - I know, I did it this summer and nearly burst my heart trying to run with all my luggage, to the next terminal!

Anna - <b>Stop calling UA</b> and just listen to us.

If the UA check-in agent in Maui tags your bags to Paris, you're all set. No need to go through immigration/customs or collect bags.

You need to show the agent your continuing AF ticket at that time, and they may need a few minutes calling to confirm that your reservations on AF is legit.

If that UA refuses to do it, ask for a supervisor. If NO ONE from UA at Maui can do it for you, then you're out of luck and have to go through British immigration, collect bags and recheck with AF.

Again, stop calling UA. You'll not get high enough in the food chain to get someone to tell you this true answer. And there are a lot of grey areas in it, as UA doesn't have to do it, but will usually do it as a courtesy. They will not tell you &quot;we can do it&quot;, as there's no written policy they have to do it; and they will not tell you &quot;it depends on our agent at Maui&quot; becuase it sounds funny, though <b>that's the truth.</b>

Anyways, that's not limited to UA. Same for most airlines <b>except BA</b>. BA definitely will <b>not</b> transfer bags to another carrier at LHR unless on same ticket.

rkkwan,

Thanks for the advice - we were actually in the same situation in 2002, and the agent on Maui was totally fine with passing our bags through(but we were transferring on a BMI flight, which I think is a star alliance with United).

However, because we have a 5 day stopover in New York, it wouldn't be the Maui agent, but the agent at LGA. I would almost be 90% sure the Maui agents would do it for me, but at LGA, I doubt they would be so willing to pass bags through for me.