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Anyone flown British Airlines LHR to Italy recently?

Trying to find out if British Airlines has been flying to Italy recently. We are scheduled to fly LHR to FCO soon. I’ve heard BA has been cancelling many flights.

Posted by
7277 posts

Well, we were scheduled to fly Denver to Heathrow on 9/21, then Heathrow to Bologna the next day, with a 7 hour layover at Heathrow. Last month, we learned that simply changing planes, even if it was less than a 7 hour timeframe, meant that we’d have to quarantine for 5 days upon landing in Italy - any flight from Britain required that quarantine. And apparently we’d have to be put up in a hotel with room service; couldn’t have food delivered to the apartment we were going to be renting.

Well, BA cancelled our flight from Denver to Heathrow a couple weeks ago, so flying to Bologna wasn’t going to happen. Calling BA, they switched us to a flight on partner American Airlines from Denver to Dallas, then Dallas/Ft. Worth to Rome. We’ll use a train to reach Bologna, no quarantine required. Except in the last week, we now have to test negative for Covid-19 to enter Italy, and being vaccinated alone isn’t enough.

How soon is your flight? Maybe they haven’t cancelled yours yet - or maybe that one flight that will still go.

Posted by
2047 posts

Actually we’re traveling on an American Airlines award ticket. They partner with BA and the bulk of their award tickets involve British Airlines. Hoping to hear from someone who was flown on a BA flight from London. Great to hear that the 5 day quarantine was dropped for people coming from LHR who have proof of vaccine and a negstive Covid test within 3 days. How was Bologna? I’ve had a great time there in cooler months.

Posted by
7277 posts

Becky, actually we’re not leaving tor Italy for another 2 1/2 weeks. I was in Bologna in October 2 years ago, so one month earlier this time. Of course, remains to be seen what additional policy changes happen in the next 2 weeks!

I wasn’t aware (or had forgotten) that the quarantine mandate wasn’t still in effect for arrivals in Italy from England, with a negative test result. Since our flights had been changed and Heathrow wasn’t on the itinerary anymore, I’d stopped following those regulations. Hope you get a first-hand report from somebody on this forum.

Posted by
2047 posts

Thank you, Cyn. Hopefully, someone with direct experience will post.

Posted by
4616 posts

We had seven flight cancelations from BA, you can read my earlier posts - but it might scare you! We actually did finally get to Switzerland, and it's lovely here.
I suggest you use Flight Aware and see if your booked flights are currently being flown. If not, get on the phone with BA.
Good luck and safe travels!

Posted by
16028 posts

Becky, you will get much more complete information if you look it up your self, using FlightAware of FlightTracker for your BA flight number. Enter it like this in Google: BA 566. That is a BA flight to Milan (Malpensa). You will see that it hasn’t flown in the past 2 weeks (and probably not before that) so they are canceling that one.

https://flightaware.com/live/flight/BAW566

On the other hand, BA 568, also to Milan (Linate) IS flying, although it is running late today. It has been flying (on Fridays and Sundays only) over the past 2 weeks.

https://flightaware.com/live/flight/BAW568

I used those flight numbers because I know them by heart. You can use the actual number for your flight to Rome and get the answer you seek.

Posted by
16028 posts

OK, I looked up the Rome flights. BA is selling tix for two flights to Rome every day in September, BA 548 (departs around 8:20) and BA 556 (departs around 12:40).

The earlier flight has been flying every day:

https://flightaware.com/live/flight/BAW548

The noon flight only 2 days a week:

https://flightaware.com/live/flight/BAW556

When is your flight and which one are you on? Things could change. But If you are on BA 556 and it is not flying on the day your booked, you could be moved to the earlier flight—-which could mean an overnight layover at Heathrow unless your plane from the US arrives very early in the morning. But there is really no way to predict at this point. At least they ARE now flying to Rome, at least one flight every day.

Posted by
2047 posts

Thank you all, especially Joe32F. Great to have resources to check our planned flight. I’m feeling better already.