Lagos to London with family: school terms, staff visas and luggage

For Nigerian families with children at school in England, the London flight is a fixture of the calendar. A private flight takes most of the strain out of it: one departure time, everyone together, and luggage that would cost a fortune in excess fees on an airline. The details that make it work are mostly about planning, and some of them are not obvious.

The dates that fill first

The heaviest demand on the Lagos to London corridor falls at the start of the English school terms in September and January, and at the start and end of the Christmas holidays. The long-range jets based in Lagos are few, and families book them early for those weeks.

Half-terms in October and February, and the Easter holidays, are quieter but still busy. If you know the term dates, send them to us at the start of the school year and we can plan the season together.

Your staff need the right visa

A nanny, cook, chauffeur or other member of the household travelling with you to the UK does not go on an ordinary visit visa. The UK has a specific Overseas Domestic Worker visa for domestic workers in a private household who accompany their employer.

• The worker must have worked for you for at least one year.
• The visa allows a stay of up to six months and cannot be extended.
• It covers cleaners, chauffeurs, cooks, carers and nannies.

Family members need their own UK visit visas, and the private flight does not change any of these requirements. Allow time for applications before the term dates, not after.

Luggage

The start of a school year means trunks, sports kit and a term’s worth of clothes, and luggage space decides the aircraft as much as seats do. Long-range jets differ widely in how much they hold. Tell us the number and size of bags, including anything awkward such as instruments, golf bags or a bicycle, and we choose the aircraft to fit. On heavy jets the hold is often reachable in flight; on smaller types it is not.

Travelling with a pet

Nigeria is not on the UK’s list of approved countries for pet travel, so the rules for unlisted countries apply. A dog or cat needs a microchip, a rabies vaccination and a blood test, followed by a waiting period of several months before it can enter. It must also arrive on an approved route, which for a private flight means an airport with an approved animal reception. Start the process months before the move, not weeks.

Which London airport

Farnborough suits families heading for Surrey, Berkshire, Hampshire and west London, and many boarding schools are within an hour or so. Luton suits Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and the north of London, and operates around the clock. We set the arrival airport by where the children are going, and arrange the cars to each school if there is more than one.

Children travelling with one parent

When a child flies with only one parent, or with a guardian or nanny, carry a letter of consent from the absent parent with a copy of their passport. Border officers can ask for evidence of the relationship, and having it ready avoids delays on arrival.

One booking for the season

Many families fly the same route several times a year. We hold the term dates, the passenger details and the luggage notes from one trip to the next, so each booking starts from what we already know. See Lagos to London, Abuja to London and lifestyle management for the year-round side.

Good to know

Routes, empty legs and seasonal notes, as they come up: @ofluxurygroup on Instagram.