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Early flights to Heathrow - luggage collection

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  1. #1

    Join Date
    Oct 2020
    Posts
    123

    Early flights to Heathrow - luggage collection

    Hi folks,

    Apologies if this has been covered already

    I'm looking at flights from HK to London (most likely Cathay) and preferred flight arrives in LHR at 0530 on Monday morning - CX251.

    This time really works for me as I want to be in office at a reasonable time, but I've been warned that Heathrow's baggage operations do not start until 0600 so I will be waiting ~1 hour for my bags, and so the 2335 (CX255) would be a better option, arriving later but no delays with baggage collection.

    Any experiences of the above flight, or baggage issues with early-arriving flights in Heathrow?


  2. #2

    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Posts
    14,484

    I was on that flight in October and waiting for up to an hour for bags is rubbish.

    I always land around that time and by the time I get to luggage collection the belts already started, Never had to wait more than 20 minutes for luggage.

    Shiojiri Hiro, shri and Corrib like this.

  3. #3

    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Sai Kung
    Posts
    5,368

    Never had an issue with bags collected on the first flights down (and in summer well before 6am). Was 20 mins max in December.

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  4. #4

    Join Date
    Oct 2023
    Posts
    831
    Quote Originally Posted by Corrib:

    I've been warned that Heathrow's baggage operations do not start until 0600
    Who 'warned' you of this?
    Of course the bags are going to be unloaded right away. The airport won't be open without ground handling in place. That's madness.

  5. #5

    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Posts
    1,267

    same here. never had any issues with early landings at LHR.

    shri and newhkpr like this.

  6. #6

    Join Date
    Mar 2024
    Posts
    1,193

    Your bigger issue (assuming not a UK Citizen) might be immigration lines - but that's just a matter of how many other big planes full of non-Brits arrived just before you, and for that I would think earlier is better.

    newhkpr likes this.

  7. #7

    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Posts
    1,685

    Same... I landed on a public holiday at 4.45am and bags were out quicker than usual. I think what you're hearing is out of date and probably relates to the staff shortage period in 2023 post covid.

    newhkpr likes this.

  8. #8

    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    2,798

    I have never heard of nor experienced this, and I've taken that flight many times over the years. Airlines pay extra for the early landing slots AFAIK, so I can't imagine they'd ever find it acceptable that their premium customers who may have paid more to be on these favoured flights would find that acceptable.

    newhkpr likes this.

  9. #9

    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Posts
    1,254

    The luggage thing sounds like rubbish but I hate Heathrow.

    newhkpr likes this.

  10. #10

    Join Date
    Oct 2020
    Posts
    123

    Thanks everyone - seems pretty clear!