Through booking luggage from Havana

[Ed Set]

I have a problem which maybe some kind person from Virgin/BA /Touchdown may be able to answer?
We are a party of four travelling back from Havana with Virgin, via BA at Gatwick and on to Aberdeen at the end of the month (Friday27th.)
Bookings between the two airlines were made seperately. Our connection time at Gatwick is fairly tight (arr LGW at 0610 and depart at 0815) but it REALLY is essential that we catch that 0815 flight.
Is there any way that our bags can be checked all the way through to ABZ from Havana???????? Obviously if we have to wait to collect the bags, then we may possibly miss our onward connection!!
Any help/advice would be GREATLY appreaciated.
Ed

[apaddyinuk]

Hi Ed, Sorry but if they are seperate tickets then I dont think you will get any help in through checking your luggage ESPECIALLY where a tight connection is involved as niether airline will want to accept responsibility under the circumstances.
All I can suggest is that one of your party go straight to the South Terminal and join the check in line when you arrive while another waits for the luggage and follows behind!!

[WexCan]

Can you check in online and do a bag drop to shave some time off your connection?

[Ed Set]

Thanks for the input folks.
If we can find a computer we'll attempt to check in on line for the LGW-ABZ leg. Still trying to think of other options as well.
Thanks for that
Ed

[SXB]

I'm not sure what the position is regarding multi sector trips with different airlines but I do it on a regular basis and my luggage is always checked to the final destination. As an example I flew SXB-CDG-LHR-GYD the other day, the first leg with AF and the other two with BA but my luggage was checked through. My tickets were bought via our resident travel agency but are clearly separate purchases. Same story for another recent trip SXB-VIE-BEG-TGD, Austrian as far as BEG but then JAT for the hop to TGD (Podgorica)

Maybe I'm wrong but aren't Virgin a point to point airline ?

[Globaliser]

Different airlines have different rules about this. The three big UK scheduled airlines (BA, BD and VS) have all adopted variants of the rule that there is no through-checking when the onward flight is on a separate ticket.

BA has an exception, namely if the onward flight on a separate ticket is operated by BA or another oneworld carrier (and the connection time exceeds the MCT for the connection).

OTOH, BD's rigour is impressive: No through-checking to another flight on a separate ticket, even if it's another BD flight.

I don't off the top of my head know VS' rule, though. It'll be on their website.