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Holiday handbook
Getting to the airport
Please allow plenty of time to get to the port or airport. If you're travelling there by car, you'll need to allow extra time to park it and make your way to the terminal.
At the airport
We recommend that you check in for your flight as follows:
Flights within the UK
90 minutes before departure.
Flights within Europe
2 hours before departure.
Long haul flights
3 hours before departure.
At main departure airports, you'll find one of our helpful representatives. Please don't hesitate to ask them if you need any help or information.
Flight tickets: e-tickets
These replace the paper tickets that you're probably used to, and there's nothing for you to worry about if you're travelling this way. (You'll know if you are because a booking reference will appear alongside the flight details on the enclosed itinerary). Most airlines are introducing e-tickets, so paper tickets will soon be a thing of the past.
What's an e-ticket?
An e-ticket - or an electronic ticket - is a virtual paperless ticket. Bookings are made in the normal way, but the ticket details are held and stored electronically, rather than being printed on paper.
Where can I find information about my flights?
You'll find all of the information that you need on the enclosed flight itinerary.
What are the advantages of an e-ticket?
They're safe - the data is stored electronically so tickets can't be lost or stolen. This saves you the cost of having to pay for a new ticket if you lose it.
How do I check-in without a paper ticket?
Easy - just arrive at the airline check-in desk and present your passport and booking reference to identify who you are. Everything else will be taken care of for you.
Flight tickets: Paper tickets
Some airlines are still using paper flight tickets. If any are needed for your journey, they'll be enclosed, and the words 'paper ticket' will appear alongside the flight details on the enclosed itinerary. You don't need a paper ticket for any flight on the flight itinerary which has a booking reference number next to it.
If you've been issued with paper tickets, please keep them safe, and present them with your passport when you check-in.
If you lose your paper flight ticket, you will be liable to pay any charges the airline imposes to re-issue them - this may be the full cost of the flight!
Packing your bags
How much baggage can I take on my flights?
Baggage allowance details are included on your Flight Information sheet.
What happens if I exceed the baggage allowance?
Additional charges will apply if you exceed these allowances. Information about excess baggage charges can be obtained by visiting the airline's website, or by calling them directly.
What's the piece system?
Some airline's baggage allowances are based on the number of pieces of baggage being checked in, rather than the weight of it. If a piece system applies, you shouldn't try to check in more than the stated number of pieces. If you do, additional charges will apply.
There's a maximum weight for each piece. If your baggage allowance is expressed as a weight, eg 20kgs, you can check more than one piece of luggage into the hold, as long as the combined weight of all of the pieces doesn't exceed the total allowance. If you're travelling together, most airlines will allow you to combine your allowance.
How much luggage can I take onboard the aircraft?
Restrictions relating to the size and number of bags allowed through security search areas and onboard aircraft apply. You must comply with these.
Most airports and airlines will allow you to take one cabin bag, no bigger than 56 cm x 45 cm x 25 cm (approximately 22 inches x 17.5 inches x 9.85 inches).
The amount of luggage that you can take inside the aircraft should be limited to what you need during your flight, plus any valuable items or essential medication.
Restrictions are changing all the time, and vary from airport to airport (at the time of printing some airports are relaxing these restrictions). But please remember that what's allowed at one airport, may not be at another (including airports overseas). For up-to-date information about hand luggage restrictions, we suggest that you contact the airports/airlines directly.
What about liquids?
Most airports limit the amount of liquids (eg water, alcohol, gels, lotions, creams & pastes) that can pass through security search areas. Any liquids must be transported in containers of less than 100ml.
The containers should be packed separately, in a transparent zip-top or re-sealable plastic bag that does not exceed 20 cm x 20cm (8 inches x 8 inches). Please try to keep the amount of liquids that you carry to an absolute minimum. Security staff reserve the right to confiscate liquids from passengers who exceed these limits.
Dangerous items
Nothing sharp can be packed in your cabin luggage. Any sharp items must be packed securely in your hold baggage. Explosives, corrosives, gas canisters and any other hazardous items may not be carried anywhere on your person, or in any part of your baggage.
Can I take medication with me?
If you're carrying prescribed medicines with you, it's important that they're contained in their original packaging, so that security (and customs) staff can identify the contents. It's helpful to carry a copy of your prescription with you, so that security staff can see that the medication has been prescribed to you. If you've got any concerns about taking medication onboard an aircraft, please call our customer services team for advice.
Labelling your luggage
Every piece of luggage that you take with you should include your name and address. Items checked into the aircraft's hold should have this information on the inside and outside of each piece of luggage. We've provided you with labels which you should attach to each piece of luggage that you're taking with you.
Should I lock my luggage?
Try to lock your bags where you can to prevent items being stolen. But if you're flying to the US, remember that the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) advises passengers to leave baggage unlocked* for security reasons. If you don't, airport staff may force open your luggage to inspect the contents without any reference to you. No compensation will be available if your luggage is damaged if this happens.
*Special locks that only security personnel may open are now available from most luggage shops or department stores.
What happens to my luggage?
It's normally possible to through check your luggage to its final destination.
If the airline operating the first flight is the same as the one operating the second (or even third) flight, or if there are two different airlines belonging to the same global alliance (see 'What's a global alliance?'), it'll almost certainly be possible to through check your luggage.*
Please ensure that you tell the check-in agent where your final destination is (have all of your flight tickets or e-ticket confirmation available), and ask them to confirm where your luggage has been checked to. They'll give you a receipt for each piece of checked luggage, which will show the final destination.
If your luggage can't be through checked, you'll need to collect it from the baggage reclaim area at the airport that your bags have been checked through to, before you check-in for your next flight.
*If the booking reference for the flights is different, you may not be able to through check your luggage, even if all flights are with the same airline or airlines within the same alliance.
What about boarding passes?
If the airline operating your first flight is the same as the one operating the other flights, or if there are two different airlines belonging to the same global alliance (see 'What's a global alliance?'), it'll almost certainly be possible for boarding cards for all of the flights you're taking that day to be issued at the first airport.* If the airline can't issue your boarding cards, you'll have to check-in for your onward flight when you arrive at the next airport.
*If the booking reference for the flights is different, you may not be able to obtain boarding passes at the first airport, even if all flights are with the same airline or airlines within the same alliance.
What happens when I arrive at the next airport?
If you were given boarding cards for all of your flights at the first airport, and your luggage has been tagged to your final destination, you simply need to transfer to the boarding gate for your onward flight.* Follow the 'transfer' or 'flight connections' signs, and look for information screens for details of where your flight is boarding.
If your luggage has been checked to your final destination, but you don't have boarding cards for your onward flight, you should still proceed to the airline 'transfer' desks. Once there, you'll be able to check-in (and obtain boarding passes) for your onward flight, before you proceed to the departure gate.
If your luggage was only tagged to the first destination, and you weren't issued with boarding passes for your onward flight, you should follow the signs for Baggage Reclaim, and collect your luggage. Once you have done this, you should proceed to relevant terminal/check-in area for your onward flight.
* If you are travelling to the US, you will always clear customs and immigration procedures at the first point of entry into the US. So if for example you're flying from London to Los Angeles via Chicago, you'll clear customs and immigration in Chicago. Even if your luggage is checked to your final destination (eg Los Angeles), you'll still need to collect it on arrival at the first point of entry (Chicago). Once through customs with your bags, you'll find desks where you can hand over your bags to be put on your onward flight.
What's a global alliance?
Many airlines cooperate with each other as part of an alliance. This normally means that if you're flying with airlines in the same alliance, it will be possible to have your luggage checked to your final destination, and have boarding passes issued at the first airport. This isn't always the case, so please ask when you check-in.
Will there be a representative available?
We hope that you won't have any problems during your travels, but if you do, it's good to know that help is available.
Airline staff should be able to provide you with all of the information and assistance that you need. Please don't hesitate to contact them if you need any help. In addition, you'll find one of our representatives at most main departure airports.
If airline staff can't help you or one of our representatives isn't available, we offer a 24 hours telephone service. The number to call is +44 (0) 1858 414077.
