BA + Check-in options

[NotQuiteCockney]

We're flying to Canada on Saturday.

I hate hate hate airports, and like to minimise how long I spend in them. DH is slightly anxious about being late, and likes to be early.

Can we do online check-in, and then he can go out to Heathrow early, to give in the bags, and I bring the boys later to meet him? I know I have to be there to go through security etc at least an hour ahead, but this would let me stay away from the airport as long as possible. (It's not a flying phobia, I just hate crying people saying good-bye. Seriously.)

NQC: Make sure they do it for the flights back as well...sometimes the "assistants" are a bit dim and only do the bulkhead one way...i speak from bitter experience - though not with ba but with expedia involved.

Oh, and I think we're going to skip Heathrow Express altogether, just get a taxi to Heathrow. Without check-in, Heathrow Express doesn't appeal much - we've always had a hard time getting pram/bags/children across the councourse (we only have 2 kids! and maybe 4 wheely bags, maybe 3).

Good point, dillydally - I've emailed them again to make sure.

At least I can check seat allocations online to be sure they've done it. I guess if it all goes wrong, I can get bulkhead at check-in, as we've always done.

And at least BA lets you find out what films you'll get, ahead of time. The seat-back tellys are very much worthwhile, particularly for DS1.

dilldally, have done manston airport - it was a good airport but I will say the following

• the check in people know nothing there. If there is any hassle with anything about the booking, you have to sort it out yourself
• on the way back, dh's flight couldn't land at manston so was diverted to gatwick and then everyone had to get a coach back to manston in the middle of the night (as everyone had parked their car there). I know this was an isolated incident, but if ANYTHING goes wrong with your flight, you take the lowest priority at any of the other airports (in terms of taking off) because you're not on a major airline. I think dh's flight was supposed to go at 5pm and eventually left after midnight and then had to pick up other stranded passengers around Europe and then a trip round south london at 3am!
• the parking is good and cheap

Marston sounds ok, but City is so close to us, I'm sure we'll just stick to that, for small airplanes.

Oh, and lots of check-in people are ... not so competant, shall we say? Once, on a flight to Canada, they upgraded one of DH and I, but not the other, and not DS1, to World Traveller Plus. They only noticed when we were actually boarding!

At least, finally, we all got upgraded, but it was more than a little weird.

Oh no dillydally, look Here

NQC - even with a silver card, they don't usually allow kids in the lounge, so your DH can go in, and you'll be left outside on your own with the kids

I am cursed I tell you...cursed...

NQC,

For your information:-

Access to British Airways lounges is available to passengers travelling in FIRST and Club World, plus Silver and Gold Executive Club members.

• The Executive Club lounges are for Silver and Gold members only. Members are entitled to bring one guest travelling on the same flight - although at peak times we may be unable to admit guests.

What terminal are you going from?

Oh, good, one guest.

Why isn't there a "left children" service at air terminals? You drop off kids, you get a receipt, you come get them later, or even say which flight they need to be put on?

NQC - don't get too excited about the silver card!

BA count the children as companions, so if your DH goes in, he can only take one other person in with him, so doesn't work if you have children with you. We have found BA to be pretty ruthless on this point!

Tis nice when only the two of you are travelling though!

There are some lounges which you can pay to use, I think. Would that be an option??

Following on from what Soapbox has written there is a Holideck lounge.

Prices are as follows:
Location: London Heathrow Airport
Position: Terminal 4 next to Gate 15/16
On the Door price:
(Subject to space being available) Adults (16 & over) £18
Children (2-15yrs) £9
Children under 2yrs - Free entry
Opening Times: 05.30 - 22.00 hours daily

Have not used it myself but would certainly consider such an option if the departing flight was delayed for instance.

soapbox, that sounds like the sort of thing they'd do.

Oh, I hate airports.

Thanks, guys.

Just wanted to say that DS has always been able to come into the lounge with DH and me on DH's silver card. Not sure it works with 2 kids, though (will find out once DS2 arrives).

Back to the bulkhead seats.....
In November when we flew to Oz, we had requested bulkhead seats in advance, but then found that we had to check in as early as possible in order to actually be given bulkhead seats (DS was 23 months old) - and on the way back there were so many young children on the leg from Singapore to Manchester that there were no where near enough bulkhead seats to go round and the first 3 rows in both sections were packed with families with babies....
Good luck!

Message withdrawn

Expedia didn't reply to my email. (Not even an automated reply, which I thought all the big companies did, at the minimum!)

So I've phoned again, and had to explain what a bulkhead seat was. And then get asked "an aisle seat?" and "do you all want to sit together?"

She now says she's asked BA to do it, and we'll probably get one. I'm betting it won't get sorted at all until we check in. Another reason why I'll have to be 7 hours early for the flight, gah.

Ok, next time i give up and book over the phone with an actual travel agent.