I have done this many times before. To me, there is little point in going into London for such a short period of time. So, when I arrive into terminal 5, first class on BA, I go through immigration and then straight to the BA arrivals lounge which has a relatively private first class dining room. I would have a shower, have breakfast, and do some work. The lounge closes at 2pm. I then walk to the T5 Sofitel hotel. Check-in is technically at 3 pm, but at 2 pm they often do have rooms ready, and I have never had to wait to check in. It’s quiet, it’s convenient, it’s not affected by traffic or public transport outages and I always get a good nights sleep.
A colleague of mine did have to wait about 20 minutes for their room once, so she decided to leave her bags with the concierge and go use the hotel gym. During her workout a staff member came and found her, gave her the key and told her that her bags would be taken to her room. She was extremely satisfied with this.
If you really feel like it, you can drop your bags at the hotel and catch the train into London. Keep in mind that there are three options to go into town, But even with the fastest, I would allow an hour each way as a minimum. I did this once, and I have not done it since. For me, it is better to get some good, uninterrupted sleep, catch up on work and think about going to the gym.
The next morning I would Walk back to T5, drop my checked bag and go to the lounge. Note, there is a dedicated first class check in down the far right end with its own security. Depending on your booking and/or your airline status, you might be able to use this great feature. There are a few different lounges that BA operates. Depending on the time of the week and year, some may be busier than others. Furthermore, sometimes the terminal is better than the lounges when they get very busy. Also, make sure you know exactly what you are entitled to, because sometimes the staff aren’t quite with it.
There are some things that you need to consider.
Firstly, are all these flights on the same itinerary/booking reservation number? Because if they are, you will be able to have first-class benefits throughout your trip.
Secondly, if you have a transfer beyond 12 hours, no one can check your bag through. The maximum time the bags are allowed to be checked through for a transfer is 12 hours (Checked bags will not be held for transfers by an airline for more than 12 hours regardless of carrier, except where delays occur). So you WILL need to go through immigration and collect your bag.
Concorde1990
Concorde1990
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 13 Nov 2018
Total posts 27
Hi @LoveToFly
I have done this many times before. To me, there is little point in going into London for such a short period of time. So, when I arrive into terminal 5, first class on BA, I go through immigration and then straight to the BA arrivals lounge which has a relatively private first class dining room. I would have a shower, have breakfast, and do some work. The lounge closes at 2pm. I then walk to the T5 Sofitel hotel. Check-in is technically at 3 pm, but at 2 pm they often do have rooms ready, and I have never had to wait to check in. It’s quiet, it’s convenient, it’s not affected by traffic or public transport outages and I always get a good nights sleep.
A colleague of mine did have to wait about 20 minutes for their room once, so she decided to leave her bags with the concierge and go use the hotel gym. During her workout a staff member came and found her, gave her the key and told her that her bags would be taken to her room. She was extremely satisfied with this.
If you really feel like it, you can drop your bags at the hotel and catch the train into London. Keep in mind that there are three options to go into town, But even with the fastest, I would allow an hour each way as a minimum. I did this once, and I have not done it since. For me, it is better to get some good, uninterrupted sleep, catch up on work and think about going to the gym.
The next morning I would Walk back to T5, drop my checked bag and go to the lounge. Note, there is a dedicated first class check in down the far right end with its own security. Depending on your booking and/or your airline status, you might be able to use this great feature. There are a few different lounges that BA operates. Depending on the time of the week and year, some may be busier than others. Furthermore, sometimes the terminal is better than the lounges when they get very busy. Also, make sure you know exactly what you are entitled to, because sometimes the staff aren’t quite with it.
There are some things that you need to consider.
Firstly, are all these flights on the same itinerary/booking reservation number? Because if they are, you will be able to have first-class benefits throughout your trip.
Secondly, if you have a transfer beyond 12 hours, no one can check your bag through. The maximum time the bags are allowed to be checked through for a transfer is 12 hours (Checked bags will not be held for transfers by an airline for more than 12 hours regardless of carrier, except where delays occur). So you WILL need to go through immigration and collect your bag.
Nalanji
Nalanji
Member since 28 Mar 2018
Total posts 28
Heathrow closes overnight, so you will need to clear customs and collect your bags on arrival. Check in will be next morning.
The only choice you have to make is which hotel you prefer to stay at.
LoveToFly
LoveToFly
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 06 May 2012
Total posts 133
Thanks team, booked the Sofitel and will chance my arm the next day at the concorde lounge. thanks all for your help.