Day before check-in?

Has anyone ever been able to use 'Day-before check-in' on Thomson flights to the Caribbean from Gatwick?

I know Thomson offer this service from Gatwick and Manchester (perhaps other airports too) but strangely not for their own Caribbean cruise passengers. That may have something to do with them carrying a mix of passengers - cruise, cruise + stay, hotel package and independent travellers on these flights. As the Thomson P&O charter flights will be exclusively P&O cruise passengers, I was just wondering if it's a possibility these flights may offer that provision. I'm assuming it's a 'No' but it would be great if it's possible - makes it so much easier on the day of your flight. Has anyone ever had experience of that?

As far as I know it is not available on P&O charter flights.

Brian

As far as I know it is not available on P&O charter flights.

Brian

Thanks for your reply Brian. Rather thought that would be the case.

Has anyone ever been able to use 'Day-before check-in' on Thomson flights to the Caribbean from Gatwick?

 

I know Thomson offer this service from Gatwick and Manchester (perhaps other airports too) but strangely not for their own Caribbean cruise passengers. That may have something to do with them carrying a mix of passengers - cruise, cruise + stay, hotel package and independent travellers on these flights. As the Thomson P&O charter flights will be exclusively P&O cruise passengers, I was just wondering if it's a possibility these flights may offer that provision. I'm assuming it's a 'No' but it would be great if it's possible - makes it so much easier on the day of your flight. Has anyone ever had experience of that?

Yes we have done so on four occassions leaving from Gatwick. We flew into Gatwick airport about 6pm booked into the Sofi hotel or hilton in airport , then took our cases down to Thomson check in desk at 7.30 pm where we were on a charter flight with P&O to Barbados. However,in saying that the last time we flew from Gatwick with P&O charterf flight was five rears ago, it may very well have changed by now. When we last travelled with Princess from Gatwick on their charter flight we were unable to book in the Day before and were quite dissapointed because we just assumed as we had done so with P &O before we could do so again with Princess.

Yes we have done so on four occassions leaving from Gatwick. We flew into Gatwick airport about 6pm booked into the Sofi hotel or hilton in airport , then took our cases down to Thomson check in desk at 7.30 pm where we were on a charter flight with P&O to Barbados. However,in saying that the last time we flew from Gatwick with P&O charterf flight was five rears ago, it may very well have changed by now. When we last travelled with Princess from Gatwick on their charter flight we were unable to book in the Day before and were quite dissapointed because we just assumed as we had done so with P &O before we could do so again with Princess.

Thanks for that. Oh well perhaps it might just be possible. We're booked in overnight at an airport hotel so it would be very handy (not quite such an early get-up!) but we'll just have to wait and see. But now you've raised the possibility I will enquire when we get to the airport as I wouldn't be too pleased to find out in the morning that we could have got rid our cases the day before. I'll report back afterwards in case anyone else would be interested to know.

I would be very surprised if it is available that you haven't been pre warned of the facility on your booking info.

We have dropped cases off the night before at Manchester but not for a cruise, I would be surprised if it was available because there are a lot of P & O staff milling around at check-in with the health forms and they wont be there the night before.

We have dropped cases off the night before at Manchester but not for a cruise, I would be surprised if it was available because there are a lot of P & O staff milling around at check-in with the health forms and they wont be there the night before.

Hadn't thought of that - you could well be right as it would be an issue. I had believed the reason Thomson didn't do it for their own Caribbean cruises was because of th bonded luggage issue and therefore thought for a charter flight it may be more straightforward for them. But that may have nothing to do with it and other regulations are in force.

We called and asked if this was available when we booked - it isn't.

We flew on P&O's Thomsons charter from Manchester earlier this year and wanted to do night before check-in.

We were told at the airport that we could check our cases in the night before but would still have to arrive 3 hours before the flight the following morning and queue for our boarding cards.

We called and asked if this was available when we booked - it isn't.

We flew on P&O's Thomsons charter from Manchester earlier this year and wanted to do night before check-in.

We were told at the airport that we could check our cases in the night before but would still have to arrive 3 hours before the flight the following morning and queue for our boarding cards.

Definitely looks like a 'wait and see' situation! As I said before, we'll check out the possibility the night before just to test it out - if not available as may well be the case from Spikey's response, nothing's lost!

Janet, had you done on-line check-in prior to your Manchester flight? I wonder if you still need to go 3 hours before the flight if you have printed boarding passes or do you still have to present at check-in for some other purpose - get the proper boarding cards for example? Anyone know?

When do you go? We fly out in November and would very much like to put bags in the night before. I'm hoping P&O advised us incorrectly (which does seem to be a running theme), so if you return before November 15th could you let us know either way?

When do you go? We fly out in November and would very much like to put bags in the night before. I'm hoping P&O advised us incorrectly (which does seem to be a running theme), so if you return before November 15th could you let us know either way?

Sorry -can't help as we go after you in January. Perhaps you'd be kind enough to let me know though! :)

 

Janet, had you done on-line check-in prior to your Manchester flight? I wonder if you still need to go 3 hours before the flight if you have printed boarding passes or do you still have to present at check-in for some other purpose - get the proper boarding cards for example? Anyone know?

No, we didn't do on line check in. The staff at night before check- in were insistent that although they would take the cases the only way to get boarding cards was to queue the following morning. I don't know why we didn't check in on line, we would usually. Perhaps you can't for this type of flight. Incidentally they were doing a roaring trade in over weight charges, so take care with the amount you pack.

Please post and let us know how you get on

No, we didn't do on line check in. The staff at night before check- in were insistent that although they would take the cases the only way to get boarding cards was to queue the following morning. I don't know why we didn't check in on line, we would usually. Perhaps you can't for this type of flight. Incidentally they were doing a roaring trade in over weight charges, so take care with the amount you pack.

Please post and let us know how you get on

Yes I will - I'll try on-line check-in and see if that makes a difference. I'll let you know! And thanks for the tip about xs baggage charges. More recently we have had our hand luggage weighed too when they never used to bother. Mind when you look at what some people bring on as hand luggage there's no wonder they have tightened up!

We are staying at a hotel the night before we fly, so I will ask and let you all know how we get on.

We are staying at a hotel the night before we fly, so I will ask and let you all know how we get on.

Thanks! :)

On a similar note a few years ago we were able to drop our bags at BA the night before for scheduled flights. Enquired about this for our recent flight from T5 to Istanbul but were told the service was no longer offered. If we had been flying from Gatwick or Edinburgh we could have done it but not from their flagship Heathrow terminal - what is that all about 😮

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On a similar note a few years ago we were able to drop our bags at BA the night before for scheduled flights. Enquired about this for our recent flight from T5 to Istanbul but were told the service was no longer offered. If we had been flying from Gatwick or Edinburgh we could have done it but not from their flagship Heathrow terminal - what is that all about 😮

 

 

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Defies all logic doesn't it? We had a poor experience of BA at Heathrow recently too. We were flying from T4 at 6.45 to Athens for a Cunard cruise. We were told to check in 3 hours before departure. OK - but then BA didn't open any check-in desks until 5am!!!! Despite having done on-line check-in we were in a queue when the cruise rep came bustling up and down the queue asking who were on the 6.45 flight. she said if you're no nearer the front by 5.45 you will 'have to go straight to the front' as if you don't get through by 6.00 you won't be able to fly!!!! (Can you imagine several groups all arriving at the front of the queue at 5.45 demanding to be dealt with - or the other passengers' response???)

But what organisational chaos - if BA have flights leaving so early the chances of passengers not being able to check-in in time despite having been there since 3.30!!!!! there are some serious issues there!

Eventually some extra desks were opened but we didn't get through security until 6.00 and decided we'd have to go directly to the gate - good job we weren't relying on having breakfast before we left. A coffee would have been nice though! I thought it was all very poor - getting passengers there 1.5 hours before there was any chance of checking in then adding the stress of possibly not getting through in time. Not left me with very good customer satisfaction levels for B.A. (Don't know if Cunard could have done anything to improve the situation - but it must be a potential problem for early BA flights in general.)

P.S. And to add insult to injury - there were no outlets open in T4 Departures at 3.30 to get a drink - in fact no sign of life at all re Heathrow personnel until 5am!

Defies all logic doesn't it? We had a poor experience of BA at Heathrow recently too. We were flying from T4 at 6.45 to Athens for a Cunard cruise. We were told to check in 3 hours before departure. OK - but then BA didn't open any check-in desks until 5am!!!! Despite having done on-line check-in we were in a queue when the cruise rep came bustling up and down the queue asking who were on the 6.45 flight. she said if you're no nearer the front by 5.45 you will 'have to go straight to the front' as if you don't get through by 6.00 you won't be able to fly!!!! (Can you imagine several groups all arriving at the front of the queue at 5.45 demanding to be dealt with - or the other passengers' response???)

 

But what organisational chaos - if BA have flights leaving so early the chances of passengers not being able to check-in in time despite having been there since 3.30!!!!! there are some serious issues there!

 

Eventually some extra desks were opened but we didn't get through security until 6.00 and decided we'd have to go directly to the gate - good job we weren't relying on having breakfast before we left. A coffee would have been nice though! I thought it was all very poor - getting passengers there 1.5 hours before there was any chance of checking in then adding the stress of possibly not getting through in time. Not left me with very good customer satisfaction levels for B.A. (Don't know if Cunard could have done anything to improve the situation - but it must be a potential problem for early BA flights in general.)

 

P.S. And to add insult to injury - there were no outlets open in T4 Departures at 3.30 to get a drink - in fact no sign of life at all re Heathrow personnel until 5am!

We flew at 7.10am and checkin opened at 5.00am but only a few desks and, just our luck, we picked the queue where the operator 'forgot' her sign-in password and spent ages on the phone to their IT department. We did have time for a quick breakfast in Giraffe but it takes so long now to get through security and up to the gates that we were left feeling really rushed and weary by the time we got on the plane. It was the same with our Easyjet flights to Crete in May with our family. We barely had time to get through security and up to a distant gate before the closing time😔

Have to say the food seems to have improved since our last BA flight. We are with BA again in January on long haul to San Francisco and back from Hong Kong but decided to blow the budget and upgrade 😄

I would never arrive at a UK airport 3 hours before departure, it's far too early.

We did not arrive 3 hours before our flight - we arrived 2hours 25 minutes before our flight. Checkin had been done on line and the bag drop was not mega busy but we were only at the gate for a few minutes before boarding. We only stopped for a very quick breakfast. I would say that it would be sensible to adhere to the suggested 3 hours before departure but that only works if checkins/bag drop open 3 hours before departure - we waited 15 minutes for bag drop to open. We were a long time going through security which is getting stricter each time we fly.

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Defies all logic doesn't it? We had a poor experience of BA at Heathrow recently too. We were flying from T4 at 6.45 to Athens for a Cunard cruise. We were told to check in 3 hours before departure. OK - but then BA didn't open any check-in desks until 5am!!!! Despite having done on-line check-in we were in a queue when the cruise rep came bustling up and down the queue asking who were on the 6.45 flight. she said if you're no nearer the front by 5.45 you will 'have to go straight to the front' as if you don't get through by 6.00 you won't be able to fly!!!! (Can you imagine several groups all arriving at the front of the queue at 5.45 demanding to be dealt with - or the other passengers' response???)

 

But what organisational chaos - if BA have flights leaving so early the chances of passengers not being able to check-in in time despite having been there since 3.30!!!!! there are some serious issues there!

 

Eventually some extra desks were opened but we didn't get through security until 6.00 and decided we'd have to go directly to the gate - good job we weren't relying on having breakfast before we left. A coffee would have been nice though! I thought it was all very poor - getting passengers there 1.5 hours before there was any chance of checking in then adding the stress of possibly not getting through in time. Not left me with very good customer satisfaction levels for B.A. (Don't know if Cunard could have done anything to improve the situation - but it must be a potential problem for early BA flights in general.)

 

P.S. And to add insult to injury - there were no outlets open in T4 Departures at 3.30 to get a drink - in fact no sign of life at all re Heathrow personnel until 5am!

Had a similar experience to you with BA this summer kruzseeka. We were flying 7 am Heathrow to Munich from T5, so had to be there for 5 am. We decided to do the online check-in, with a view to doing a bag drop and grabbing some breakfast, as we had a longish transfer from Munich to our hotel. When we arrived there was a queue that was clearly signed "Bag drop", but no-one taking bags. After queuing for some time a BA bod came along and told everyone in the queue to go to different sectors as there were more staff and we would be dealt with more quickly. We were directed to ordinary check-in desks where there were huge queues. When DH said we had already done online check-in and just wanted to bag drop, we were told we had to get boarding cards, despite having cards we'd printed out at home. We then queued for an hour at a check-in desk manned by the slowest member of staff and with people at the front of the queue who didn't have the right this, the right that, passports, you name it. By the time we cleared security, we just had time to board the plane - no chance of breakfast - and the rubbish offered in-flight by BA was a joke. Do so hope our flight to the Caribbean next year with P&O/Thomson will be a better experience.

We did not arrive 3 hours before our flight - we arrived 2hours 25 minutes before our flight. Checkin had been done on line and the bag drop was not mega busy but we were only at the gate for a few minutes before boarding. We only stopped for a very quick breakfast. I would say that it would be sensible to adhere to the suggested 3 hours before departure but that only works if checkins/bag drop open 3 hours before departure - we waited 15 minutes for bag drop to open. We were a long time going through security which is getting stricter each time we fly.

 

 

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Sensible yes.

When we checked in at the bag drop, BA did not issue new boarding cards, we used the ones we had printed at home. However, on the return journey they issued new ones as the boarding cards we pri ted offon board Constellation had no barcodes (although unlike at T5 we did not need a bar code - at Heathrow the barcode opened the security gate and we also had to scan it when we were going up to the xray machines). Have to say some of the food was fairly nice on BA but by no means all of it 😉

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