flights to Glasgow

Hi all,

I am trying to book flights for my husband and I from St. Louis (or even Chicago) to Glasgow and am wondering which airline you've found to be the best in terms of price AND baggage allowance? The latest we could arrive in Glasgow would be August 17, so this is pretty quick coming up!

We are not shipping anything over to Scotland, all we're taking is what can fit in our suitcases, so we're trying to fly with an airline which is generous in how many pounds we're allowed.

I've been searching and searching and the cheapest I've found are one-way tickets on atiflights.com. However, the flight would be with British Midland Airways and I checked their baggage allowance and it says each passenger can have unlimited pieces of baggage, but their total weight must weigh under 20 kg, equaling 40 lbs!!! What in the world, how can that be true?? Supposedly, American Airlines allows each passenger two checked bags, each bag weighing up to 50 lbs. with the option of paying for additional baggage. Why the big difference??

Also, to make things more difficult, we have to get to Stornoway a couple of days after landing in Glasgow. We are toying with the idea of just purchasing a car in Glasgow to drive/ferry to Stornoway because the price difference between flying into Glasgow vs. Stornoway is INSANE. We could get cheap tickets with Flybe from Glasgow to Stornoway, but their baggage allowance is so tiny it would just not work for us.


Yikes! Sorry so long!! Have I confused anyone yet?? 

 1800flyeurope.com has some cheap-ish tickets, but you can't even see which airline you'll be on until you purchase the ticket, so that may not work for you!

 I've flown USairways almost every time I've been to the UK, they are usually the cheapest American carrier, and that hard stale pastry-thing that they give you for breakfast is TO DIE FOR! (or to die from....hmm).

 I know you can take two big bags, which can be 75 pounds each(I think), plus your carry on. I think each additional bag is 50 dollars.( I hope I'm not feeding you loads of misinformation here, I believe I am correct)

Driving to Stornaway might be your only option.  At least they run ferries on Sundays now. 

Check out iceland air, I am flying from Minnneapolis to Glasgow for under 400$

I've always flown Continental to Glasgow since they offer a direct flight from Newark.  They aren't always the cheapest as far as tickets go (it ultimately depends on the time of year) but I've always found the experience to be enjoyable. For international flights they allow 2 checked bags per person free of charge and the bags can be 50lbs each.  I think each bag after that is $25.

Me again...ugh, I am so confused! Okay, still looking at flights and I *think* I've found a winner, but I'm getting conflicting information.

I've found a flight that uses United Airlines from St. Louis to Chicago, then from Chicago to London and London to Glasgow it uses British Midland Airways.

On United's website it states "If a ticket includes both international and domestic travel on two different airlines, then the rules of the carrier initially accepting the baggage will apply." To me, that translates into saying that we can abide by United's baggage allowances even when we board our bmi flights. We should be okay right? I just don't want to get off in Chicago and then have bmi tell me that I owe them all these excess baggage fees.

I called United and they said that my luggage should be sent all the way through to Glasgow according to their baggage allowances; however, I called bmi to verify this and the lady told me whichever airline I'm on for the longest duration of time is the one by which baggage allowance guidelines I should follow (obviously, the longest part of our flight would be from Chicago to London on bmi). I thought that was the weirdest thing for her to ask??

I'm just worried because the baggage allowance differences between United and bmi are drastic!

Help!! Who's right...United or British Midland Airways??

Is BMI and United partners?  (I believe United is part of the Star alliance, is BMI?)  If they are then the flight you get on first, their rules for luggage will be applied. 

assuming these aren't separately purchased flights of course. 

Is BMI and United partners?  (I believe United is part of the Star alliance, is BMI?)  If they are then the flight you get on first, their rules for luggage will be applied. 

Yes, BMI and United are Star Alliance and do Code Sharing Flights.

United is right - I have done what you say you will be doing and was subject to United rules.  Also, you will most likely be on a United plane from Chicago to London, eventhough your ticket says BMI. 

United will allow 2 bags per passenger, which can be up to 50lbs.  Any additional bags are $200.  

I would be booking it as one ticket, not separate ones.

Thanks everyone! I feel much better! I was just hoping that bmi wouldn't start giving me grief about my luggage while I was in the midst of travel, I would probably not be very nice. 

If you decide to fly from Chicago, I find that Aer Lingus usually has the best rates.  Not always, but more often than not.  And for international flights, iirc, I was allowed two checked bags.

As far as getting to Stornoway, again, I think you might be farthest ahead to buy (or at least get a long-term rental) on a car, then take the ferry.  If you get to Lewis without a car, you'll find it a bit difficult.  However, if you do decide to fly to the islands (now or in the future), just book a separate ticket, rather than trying to get one straight through.  Flybe have flights from GLA to Stornoway for as little as 25 pound, one-way (depending on the day/time).  Much cheaper. (Though you can sometimes run into issues with baggage allowance, because they're such small planes.  If they can't fit all your stuff, they send it along on the next flight.)