British airways experience?

[wesheltonj]

I’m considering this same BA/BA trip through London, but departing from either DFW or IAH instead. I’ve heard bad things before about London with guns and because of that I’ve taken Qatar or Delta on my other trips. Unfortunately Qatar is blacked out at this time so I can’t use miles for the two flights and their tickets are 2x the price of a BA flight. I’m probably going to travel through London and see if the guns get through. I’ve been told if they don’t, they sit in a safe and get put back on your return flight.

Between having miles to burn, the best status with OneWorld, and having a bunch of system wide upgrades it should let me book the two round trip Business Class tickets for just the cost of taxes/fees. This is basically a savings of $8-10k a person on comparable tickets and $4500 cash in my pocket towards other aspects of the tip. I figure if the guns don’t make it, I rent rifles from the PH/Outfitter.

My question for you @PHOENIX PHIL or anyone who’s flow LHR is how long have your layovers been and did it give you enough time to leave the airport for a bit or did you just go to one of the Lounges?

I fly BA yearly, but not yearly with guns, but I have taken guns through Heathrow without problem. The problems are at check-in. You call BA and give them your rifle info a couple of weeks before you fly and then call again with 48 hours to confirm it has been approved. Allow 3 hours to check-in, and make sure you get a photocopy authorization from the counter agent for your gun, you will need it at check-in in JNB (biggest problem checking in, they are not BA employees but contractors) I usually leave from IAH because BA has 2 flights a day from IAH and its easier to get a miles ticket and it's cheaper if I have to buy a ticket. But it is a 4 hour drive. DFW and AUS, both have 1 flight a day. It's next to impossible to get a B class ticket from AUS on miles and it's the most expensive city if I have to buy ticket, but an hour drive. I really don't understand why, BA can fly that AUS route daily and make a profit with only cargo and no passengers.

DFW and IAH flights arrive at T5, and JNB departs T5. AUS arrives T3. T5 to T3, BA says 1 1/2 hour layover is a legal connection. Heathrow say 2 hours is a legal connection. I've made T5 to T3 with a 1 1/2 layover, don't stop to pee or you are in trouble. A 2 hour layover at T5 is more then enough time and actually have some lounge time. The longer the time over 2 hours the more lounge time. Last summer the two contract lounges in T5 had a wait lists as they were capacity restricted for Covid, but once in they were almost empty. The BA lounges were business as usual as they require a B class ticket or better to enter or status. When you board your JNB flight, right before the jetway they will confirm that your gun is on the plane. I've had long enough layover to head into the City or Windsor, sometimes a day room. If you want to take an Uber, walk to the Sofitel and get the Uber. The fastest way into the city is Heathrow Express (there is an App) the cheapest is the tube.

I really don't understand why BA and Heathrow get the "don't fly though London" with guns. Yes, if I had to change from Gatwick to Heathrow, I would not take a gun, that's a pain the ass without a gun and I've done that connection and try to avoid it if possible, even if it mean a flight to a different airport that's less convenient, but sometime you can't. I get the AA/BA connection was a problem, but that was AA fault not BA's AA was the one who would not transfer the gun. I get folks booked Southern Africa flights on "BA", but those were really Comair flights and they did not carry guns, but again not BA fault it was Comair's.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

I fly BA yearly, but not yearly with guns, but I have taken guns through Heathrow without problem. The problems are at check-in. You call BA and give them your rifle info a couple of weeks before you fly and then call again with 48 hours to confirm it has been approved. Allow 3 hours to check-in, and make sure you get a photocopy authorization from the counter agent for your gun, you will need it at check-in in JNB (biggest problem checking in, they are not BA employees but contractors) I usually leave from IAH because BA has 2 flights a day from IAH and its easier to get a miles ticket and it's cheaper if I have to buy a ticket. But it is a 4 hour drive. DFW and AUS, both have 1 flight a day. It's next to impossible to get a B class ticket from AUS on miles and it's the most expensive city if I have to buy ticket, but an hour drive. I really don't understand why, BA can fly that AUS route daily and make a profit with only cargo and no passengers.

DFW and IAH flights arrive at T5, and JNB departs T5. AUS arrives T3. T5 to T3, BA says 1 1/2 hour layover is a legal connection. Heathrow say 2 hours is a legal connection. I've made T5 to T3 with a 1 1/2 layover, don't stop to pee or you are in trouble. A 2 hour layover at T5 is more then enough time and actually have some lounge time. The longer the time over 2 hours the more lounge time. Last summer the two contract lounges in T5 had a wait lists as they were capacity restricted for Covid, but once in they were almost empty. The BA lounges were business as usual as they require a B class ticket or better to enter or status. When you board your JNB flight, right before the jetway they will confirm that your gun is on the plane. I've had long enough layover to head into the City or Windsor, sometimes a day room. If you want to take an Uber, walk to the Sofitel and get the Uber. The fastest way into the city is Heathrow Express (there is an App) the cheapest is the tube.

I really don't understand why BA and Heathrow get the "don't fly though London" with guns. Yes, if I had to change from Gatwick to Heathrow, I would not take a gun, that's a pain the ass without a gun and I've done that connection and try to avoid it if possible, even if it mean a flight to a different airport that's less convenient, but sometime you can't. I get the AA/BA connection was a problem, but that was AA fault not BA's AA was the one who would not transfer the gun. I get folks booked Southern Africa flights on "BA", but those were really Comair flights and they did not carry guns, but again not BA fault it was Comair's.

Thank you, that’s exactly what I was looking to hear. How long was your layover when you went into the City or Windsor? How long did you give yourself clearing customs to get back into Heathrow? Do you need to call and reconfirm 48hrs from your JNB departure flight as well or just the photocopy?

I’m in the same boat as you flight wise, 2 hours to Austin or Houston, 3 to DFW. I shop them all pretty regularly along with CLL for other travel.

 

[wesheltonj]

Thank you, that’s exactly what I was looking to hear. How long was your layover when you went into the City or Windsor? How long did you give yourself clearing customs to get back into Heathrow? Do you need to call and reconfirm 48hrs from your JNB departure flight as well or just the photocopy?

I’m in the same boat as you flight wise, 2 hours to Austin or Houston, 3 to DFW. I shop them all pretty regularly along with CLL for other travel.

To JNB the layover is usually several hours. My daughters flight from AUS in July is 8 hours on the way over and 4 hours on the return. But she also has to change T5 to T3 too. Those times are more then enough with a gun for T5 to T5.

Give yourself a couple of hours to clear back into the airport and don’t forget travel time. You only have to call 48 hours on your way over. The photocopy is for JNB.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

To JNB the layover is usually several hours. My daughters flight from AUS in July is 8 hours on the way over and 4 hours on the return. But she also has to change T5 to T3 too. Those times are more then enough with a gun for T5 to T5.

Give yourself a couple of hours to clear back into the airport and don’t forget travel time. You only have to call 48 hours on your way over. The photocopy is for JNB.

Thanks, i think one flight option has a 8 hour layover and the other has 12 hours if I’m using miles

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

I’m considering this same BA/BA trip through London, but departing from either DFW or IAH instead. I’ve heard bad things before about London with guns and because of that I’ve taken Qatar or Delta on my other trips. Unfortunately Qatar is blacked out at this time so I can’t use miles for the two flights and their tickets are 2x the price of a BA flight. I’m probably going to travel through London and see if the guns get through. I’ve been told if they don’t, they sit in a safe and get put back on your return flight.

Between having miles to burn, the best status with OneWorld, and having a bunch of system wide upgrades it should let me book the two round trip Business Class tickets for just the cost of taxes/fees. This is basically a savings of $8-10k a person on comparable tickets and $4500 cash in my pocket towards other aspects of the tip. I figure if the guns don’t make it, I rent rifles from the PH/Outfitter.

My question for you @PHOENIX PHIL or anyone who’s flow LHR is how long have your layovers been and did it give you enough time to leave the airport for a bit or did you just go to one of the Lounges?

The layover both ways was something on the order of 8 hours, maybe a little less on the way out. I inquired about jumping on the tube and going into London, but was told I’d be pushing it getting back to the airport and to my flight on time. Not sure I’m buying that to this day, but we just at the airport and muscled thru the boredom.

 

[wesheltonj]

Thanks, i think one flight option has a 8 hour layover and the other has 12 hours if I’m using miles

At 8 hours, that’s not going to give you a lot of time in the city. I would go to Windsor. At 12 hours, the city for sure.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

At 8 hours, that’s not going to give you a lot of time in the city. I would go to Windsor. At 12 hours, the city for sure.

Thanks, I’ll probably go with the 12hour layover since times are better. Thanks for the boost of confidence in booking through London. I’ll let everyone know how the gun travel goes

 

[Philip Glass]

Looking at flights and trying to sort options. Does anyone have any experience flying British airways through Heathrow to Johannesburg? The flight Options would be either delta from Phoenix to Atlanta to Johannesburg or British airways from Phoenix to London to Johannesburg. Cost isn’t really the concern it’s more that BA puts us into Jo-burg at 1000am versus 530pm for delta.

any issues with flying through London with guns provided they are checked all the way to the final destination with the same carrier?

One of my outfitter friends was doing the AUS-LHR-JNB route regularly a few years ago and he recommended it. I think they were getting a good deal on business class at the time. I was going to consider that BA route and use AA miles but the BA fees were tremendous to use miles.
If you use a travel agent, stay on one airline (actual metal not codeshare), and checked through on ONE ticket to JNB you will be fine going through LHR.
The people who have trouble in London are either changing airlines (AA-BA) or airports.
For me unless there was a good deal on BA Business I'd just go Comfort + on Delta.
I would be interested in your trip report.

 

[Philip Glass]

Glad to see the responses here, but making me nervous. My son and I are booked from Ohare to London to Jburg in June. We are taking two guns. We are booked through Gracy Travel. I heard similar comments recently from SA Outfitters/agents at an outdoor show and I became a bit paranoid. I contacted Gracy as well as our agent and both assured us it was a non issue. Why such a discrepancy? Sorry, first time SA trip and depended on agent and travel agency to do what was right. @Elkeater, thanks for posting the question.

You are set because you are using an agent! Others don't use an agent, switch from AA-BA in LHR, and/or change airports in London. These are no no's but they don't listen.

 

[BWH]

I flew BA from DFW-JNB, no
Issues….. no firearms. Intentionally…. Had a long layover. Enjoying the sights & sounds of London. It was fine.