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Question about long layover

BJinNM

10+ Posts
I just booked business class frequent flyer miles tickets to Prague (one way). I purposely chose a 23 hour layover in London (10 AM one day to 9 AM the next, give or take some minutes). It's how we like to travel, slowly. Anyway, we have done this probably a dozen times now and stay overnight in the Sofitel in Terminal 5 (these are BA flights through American). We will do this again. The thing is that we have always had two sets of tickets and so have claimed our bags at Customs and rechecked the next morning. This time there is one set of tickets for a through flight to Prague with the transfer in London. My neurotic, year ahead worry, is do we claim our luggage and recheck it since we have 23 hours in between flights, do we go through the transfer lines or through the regular customs, will they tag our luggage in Philadelphia for Prague and we won't see it until Prague on the second day? I realize that given the current state of affairs in the World, these are not worries everyone will have, but I am already obsessing over how to handle this.
 
I don't have experience with this on BA, but on other airlines with overnight layovers they've asked which destination we would prefer to have on the tags. I would say to tag them to London in this case; I'd get concerned about them getting lost when they're held for such a long time. With security concerns in London, they may require it.
 
Thanks, Andrew. I figured you would know. I do know American won't let you check luggage in in Philadelphia (and I assume elsewhere) more than 6 hours ahead. I did give them my poor pathetic me look and the supervisor allowed it, but that's a different trip.
 
Thanks, Christy. Good to know we have that option. It will make a difference how we pack the carry-on. Give Venice a kiss for me. Miss it already.
 
BJ, just for you

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I remember well those long flights from Albuquerque to Italy. I never thought of doing an overnight at Heathrow - great idea! We've stayed in that Sofitel many times, and the one at Gatwick. If we have an early flight, we do the 3 hour drive from Dorset the evening before. On our recent return from Italy we got in at 9pm, so spent the night at the airport before driving home.
 
I remember well those long flights from Albuquerque to Italy. I never thought of doing an overnight at Heathrow - great idea! We've stayed in that Sofitel many times, and the one at Gatwick. If we have an early flight, we do the 3 hour drive from Dorset the evening before. On our recent return from Italy we got in at 9pm, so spent the night at the airport before driving home.
Pauline, we also frequently stay overnight in Dallas because, as you remember, the plane gets to ABQ at 10 or 10:30 and then you have to drive 45 minutes or more home. It just isn't worth saving that money to take chances anymore.
 
We have stayed at the Hilton, but catching the bus there was such a hassle (and a long wait), that we switched over to the Sofitel which is actually in Terminal 5. It's also easy to get to the tube stop and go into London. We will never go back to flying straight through! It averages between 24 and 27 hours from leaving our apartment to walking in our home. Too long for these "older" citizens. BTW we loved the Indian restaurant at the Hilton. Is it still there?
 
Those long flights from the western US to Europe are difficult. A few times we drove from Santa Fe to Denver or Phoenix so we could do a direct flight to London. In hindsight that seems to not make a lot of sense. For Denver we drove all day to get there for an evening flight. For Phoenix we spent the night in Sedona on the way, then drove in the afternoon to Phoenix airport. We were always trying to figure out ways to make the flights easier for us.

On arrival we always had a taxi or car service take us to our first destination, usually the city we flew into, and had a hotel for 3 nights there. We gave ourselves two very easy days before we moved on.

I read about people who fly to London, rent a car and drive all day on arrival. I can't imagine doing that - but jet lag has always hit me hard. I know many people take an overnight flight in their stride.
 
I checked my bag through from Marseille to Sacramento and spent the night at the Sofitel at LHR (as you know!) a few weeks ago. My LHR layover was about 18 hours. My entry point was Seattle and the bag was there waiting and it even made it to Sacramento.
 
I checked my bag through from Marseille to Sacramento and spent the night at the Sofitel at LHR (as you know!) a few weeks ago. My LHR layover was about 18 hours. My entry point was Seattle and the bag was there waiting and it even made it to Sacramento.
Good to know. Did you do the same going to France?
 

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