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Where does British Airways offer ‘overnight bag drop’?

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‘Overnight bag drop’ is one of those features which some travellers appreciate and others turn their nose up and say ‘What’s the point?’.

A reader mentioned this to me the other day. I realised we’d never done a full article on where British Airways offers it, so I thought it was worth a look.

It is currently available at five terminals across four UK airports. You can’t access the service outside the UK.

British Airways overnight bag drop

What is ‘overnight bag drop’?

At selected airports, British Airways allows you to check in your luggage the day before your flight.

In theory, it’s a benefit for both parties:

  • by moving some passengers from the busy morning peak to the quieter afternoon period, the airline can spread out demand for check-in desks
  • by checking their baggage the day before, the passenger can have a less stressful start to their trip the following day

The vast majority of users of ‘overnight bag drop’ will be passengers staying at airport hotels the night before their flight. Those with young children may appreciate the ability for one passenger to pop over to the terminal with the luggage whilst the children stay in the hotel. No-one wants their children stuck in a long queue first thing in the morning.

One person can check in bags on behalf of multiple people as long as all passports and boarding passes or tickets can be shown. The official rules on ba.com are here.

British Airways overnight bag drop

Where does BA offer ‘overnight bag drop’?

‘Overnight bag drop’ is currently available at these airports:

London Heathrow Terminal 3

  • Drop off between 4pm and 9.30pm
  • Cut-off for departures: 10am the following day

London Heathrow Terminal 5

  • Drop off between 4pm and 10pm
  • Cut-off for departures: 10am the following day

London Gatwick

  • Drop off between 6pm and 9pm
  • Cut-off for departures: 1pm the following day

London City Airport

  • Drop off between 4pm and 8.30pm
  • Cut-off for departures: 10am the following day

Edinburgh

  • Drop off between 4pm and 8pm
  • Cut-off for departures: 12 noon the following day

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Comments (76)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • Jay says:
    20 Mar20 March 08:53

    Anyone with experience in Madrid with Iberia?

    • David says:
      20 Mar20 March 11:39

      Yes it’s a beauty, 24 hours before your flight you can check in and drop bag off. Done it as soon as I land to MAD for overnight stay.

  • flyforfun says:
    20 Mar20 March 08:55

    I love Twilight Bag drop and have been using it at Gatwick for years on early morning departures. I have a smug smile in the morning when I’ve spent 20 extra minutes in bed and by pass the queues checking in and go straight to security.

    The one time I didn’t do it was when I booked a last minute trip with Thomas Cook. It was only after I’d booked that I heard about their financial woes. I arrived at Gatwick and saw people checking in, but I remembered that when some other airlines collapsed, it generally happened at 3am when there were no planes in the air. Didn’t want my bags to be stuck in Gatwick somewhere!

    I had a restless nights sleep (well, I was in the Yotel, which may have been part of it!). Thankfully they were checking in that next morning. The crew on board were jovial despite the impending doom, joking about taking anything with the TC logo on it to flog on ebay. I hope they did as the airline collapsed 2 days later! I had a 1 way ticket with them and wasn’t affected, but I as at the airport in Greece “recovery” flights put on to get people back for the next 2 weeks.

  • Mike P says:
    20 Mar20 March 09:47

    I used this back in October at T5 – I live fairly close to LHR (10-15 minute drive to T5) and was flying out to IST on the 0600 the next morning. I took mine, my wife’s and my daughter’s bags and dropped them off the night before. I made sure I had everyone’s boarding passes and passports with me and this was a smooth experience with very helpful staff at LHR (you go to the family check-in area at T5 to do overnight bag drop).

    It made for a smooth journey the next morning. Planning on doing the same in a couple of months as on a morning departure to SEA.

    I kind of wish more airlines offered this at LHR as it makes my life easier when travelling with all the stuff needed for a 3 year old!

  • chris says:
    20 Mar20 March 09:51

    you also get free parking at Edinburgh (long stay I think it is) for the bag drop. Used it once and it made for a much more pleasant early departure

    • dundj says:
      20 Mar20 March 13:29

      There is a a bag drop area which gives a 1 hour free stay to the right of the terminal parking area. This is if you have a car parking booking with Edinburgh Airport. That way you have less distance to travel with the luggage for dropping off.

    • EwanG says:
      20 Mar20 March 18:19

      Everyone can get 30 mins free in long stay, but to get from there to check in, do bag drop and back in 30 mins is a tall ask. I’ve tried!
      You get this upped to a more useful 1 hour only if you have pre-booked parking at the official EDI parking ie not a 3rd party operated parking site

  • MCO says:
    20 Mar20 March 10:16

    I was genuinely unaware of this. In fact, I had asked the question a while back on FT and was advised that they never offered this service at London Heathrow Airport.

    I’m curious to know how strict they are for T5 at LHR. My regular flight departs at 10:50 AM, and the cutoff time is 10:00 AM.

    • BA Flyer IHG Stayer says:
      20 Mar20 March 11:29

      It started in Feb 2020 so 5 years ago and there have been regular posts asking about it on the BA FT board since then.

    • Toby Sheard says:
      20 Mar20 March 14:39

      I’ve always assumed, for no obvious reason, that it applied to flights departing before 10:00 and that an 09:59 departure was therefore your latest departure. I had a 10:00 departure from T5 a few months back and chose not to try as I didn’t want to become embroiled in some petty argument.

  • Andrew. says:
    20 Mar20 March 12:25

    It makes for a stress-free trip.

    My brother and his family use it at EDI regularly. Last summer it was an absolute zoo on the first day of the school holidays. They’d dropped the night before and breezed through security.

    With the car in the long stay and in the Hampton, they could drop off most used clothes and overnight bits before departing too.

  • Red Flyer says:
    20 Mar20 March 12:35

    Vueling metal flight from LGW but on a BA ticket – can I use a BA desk to check in my hold luggage the night before?

  • Robin says:
    20 Mar20 March 14:22

    No mention of the Airportr great service where all bags are collected and taken to LHR the evening before. They just photo your B P etc.

    • Peter K says:
      20 Mar20 March 15:09

      Different services. Those staying overnight at a hotel airport wouldn’t want to pay airpotr when they can do it free themselves. Those not in London can’t use airpotr.

      Those living in the London area, but not close to these airports, will be less likely to bag drop, more likely to use airpotr.

      Same issue (getting rid of bags the day before), but different circumstances meaning different solutions.

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

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