Convince me tht indirect are the way to go

[crabbie1]

Well after looking at VA site last night and the M+M flights are now all suddenly gone for all dates from 14th-25th sept outbound I hv been looking at indirect as not paying £670 with VA. always flown with them and as most know I'm a terrible flyer.
Anyway I found flights with Delta via Atlanta for £508 adult £465 for DD. flight time was 11.5 hours out and 11 cmg back.
I could not see what type of plane it was (size wise)??????
Is Atlanta airport ok or best to go into another one and do airlines like delta hv seat back tvs?.
I'm toying with waiting another month with va but then I presume the prices will go up and up now though both flights are still available for most dates.

 

[Kath2003]

All planes that cross the Atlantic are a decent size, you're not going to end up on a propellor plane

They all have setback TVs on the long haul flight. On the shorter flight, it's about 50-50 but you won't be on it for more than a few hours.

Any airport is fine, they're one and the same in the US.

It actually adds very little to your flight time on the outward leg, as lots of your connection time is spent clearing immigration at your first stop. You then save this time at Orlando by just walking out of the airport.

 

[wilma-bride]

What bit of the flying do you have a problem with? The only thing I would say is that indirect is going to mean two take-offs and two landings. Will you be OK with that if you are sucha nervous flyer?

Personally, I wouldn't do indirect (although never say never) but that is just me and my circumstances. It just doesn't suit us. There are plenty who do fly indirect and I'm sure they'll be along soon to give you all the pros and cons

 

[crabbie1]

Thnks guys. I get claustrophobic. Not the take off or landing really but prefer the airbus and jumbo to 757. I hv me medications but Dnt work for long. So silly I know

 

[Netty]

as you know we have just booked flights with delta going from man to atlanta to key west, the plane is a 767 with overhead monitors. where did you get your flight price from alyson

 

[disneyholic family]

as you know we have just booked flights with delta going from man to atlanta to key west, the plane is a 767 with overhead monitors. where did you get your flight price from alyson

how do you know they have overheads? Delta is in the process of converting all of their fleet, so i don't know how you would know this in advance...

 

[chmurf]

Delta * should * have seatback tvs installed on their 767s. Most of them have. But they also have 6 or 7 planes without them, and there doesn't seem to be a real will to upgrade them.
But as I always say, even if your plan is supposed to have AVOD, prepare and pack as if your seat will be the only one not working on that plane.

Indirect pros and cons ?

cons :
the flight is longer, you sometimes have to hurry if your connection is tight, you have to go through security one more time at point of entry. You need to claim your bags and recheck them. You face higher possibilities of delay or flight cancellation, and you need to go through 2 take offs and landings.
And you only get IFE/AVOD on the TATL leg, domestic flight may have IFE but it's not free.

pros :
You clear immigration and customs at your point of entry. Meaning you won't have to go through that huge line at MCO
It's usually much cheaper.
It breaks the flight in 2 parts and you're able to stretch your legs and it sure sounds nice with kids.
You get to do a *real* bathroom break and get to freshen up a bit in a more friendly environment than that sorry excuse for a lavatory they have in planes.
If you have enough time on your connection (2+ hours) you can do some basic things such as withdrawing cash at an ATM (sometimes much cheaper than getting the cash in the UK through Travelex and the likes), you can also grab something to eat, maybe have a drink at a more decent price than in the plane.

Anyway, I don't have much choice, since there are no direct flights from France (except for one that operates on a random basis)

 

[wayneg]

Anyway I found flights with Delta via Atlanta for £508 adult £465 for DD. flight time was 11.5 hours out and 11 cmg back.

We enjoy indirect as much as direct, makes no difference at all to us but your timings concern me.
Outbound 11.5hrs via Atlanta. I couldn't find this on Kayak, least I saw was 12hr 9mins, that would have a connection time in ATL of 1hr 25min so your time of 11.5hrs would have a connection of 46 mins, out of all the US hubs Atlanta has the slowest connection, I wouldn't take less than 2 hours. Our friends took the 1:25 a few years back and they missed the connection.

Look at connection time rather than total flight, you need 2hrs outbound 1 hour return to be comfortable, less and its a worry for the inexperienced.

 

[chmurf]

I wouldn't take less than 2 hours.

very good advice.

Moreover, MCT (minimum connection time) for international to domestic is 60 minutes.
Any connection time lower than that should (and will) be considered an illegal connection and should not be offered by your carrier.

I only have 1h50 minutes connection time at PHL on our connection to MCO and I consider it very very tight. We decided to go with carry on only to cut on the baggage claim time

On the way back, when our flight changed, our TA made the mistake to put us on a flight with 61 minutes connection time.
Although that should be sufficient (it's 1 minute over MCT) I had to threaten to sue them (see my rant from a few weeks ago) so they change my domestic flight to one that will leave me 2 hours to be on the safe side (non-refundable, non-exhangable tickets are great value, but they're a pain if something goes wrong)

Remember than entering the US require to get through Immigration, retreive checked bags, go through customs, recheck bags, go through security, and proceed to the gate, possibly changing terminals with a long way to walk.

On the way back home, it's more simple, you only get to go to the right terminal/gate.

But even if you make your connection, there is no guarantee that your luggage will make that connection
With a connection tighter than 1 hour, it's asking for trouble and lost luggage.

Also, on tight connections, remember that where you seat in the plane can make a great difference.
Seating at the front can have you off the plane 15 to 20 minutes before those who sit at the last rows.
Deplaning last means you'll have at least 150+ people waiting in line before you to get through immigration.
Atlanta is slow, if you consider those 150 people are 60+ parties, with 10 immigration lines open, you're up for 30 minutes in line.
so here are your 45 minutes connection time reduced to nothing and you're still a very long way from your next plane's boarding gate.

 

[dixonsontour]

We are going from MAN via Atlanta to MCO in October.

I've been through Atlanta before and it was fine.

For us it's all about the money (convert the £367 saving into dollars - approx $578 dollars ) and that's a decent chunk of money to spend on your hols.

Pros of indirect are a shorter first flight, chance to go to a real toilet enroute, clearing immigration at 1st stop (this could save you 1 hr plus), arriving at MCO as a domestic passenger.

You also get a different customer on indirect flights - older, less kids, more experienced travellers. Knock on effect is it should be a quieter flight and things like check in may be quicker as everyone knows the score. First timers and those with very small kids tend to fly direct.

 

[scottishgirl87]

Pros of indirect are a shorter first flight, chance to go to a real toilet enroute, clearing immigration at 1st stop (this could save you 1 hr plus), arriving at MCO as a domestic passenger.

You also get a different customer on indirect flights - older, less kids, more experienced travellers. Knock on effect is it should be a quieter flight and things like check in may be quicker as everyone knows the score. First timers and those with very small kids tend to fly direct.

Being in Glasgow we have alot more indirect options than direct but I actually like flying indirect for all of the above reasons. When it comes to flights it's all about price for me, obviously if direct was cheaper I wouldn't say no.

 

[Netty]

how do you know they have overheads? Delta is in the process of converting all of their fleet, so i don't know how you would know this in advance...

info is on the website when i log in

 

[crabbie1]

We enjoy indirect as much as direct, makes no difference at all to us but your timings concern me.
Outbound 11.5hrs via Atlanta. I couldn't find this on Kayak, least I saw was 12hr 9mins, that would have a connection time in ATL of 1hr 25min so your time of 11.5hrs would have a connection of 46 mins, out of all the US hubs Atlanta has the slowest connection, I wouldn't take less than 2 hours. Our friends took the 1:25 a few years back and they missed the connection.

Look at connection time rather than total flight, you need 2hrs outbound 1 hour return to be comfortable, less and its a worry for the inexperienced.

Thanks Wayne. It was 12.9 as u said. Iv tried to look flying with continental but do their planes exist anymore? All their flights were with someone else. Still an option but wld feel happier knowing there was seat back entertainment

as you know we have just booked flights with delta going from man to atlanta to key west, the plane is a 767 with overhead monitors. where did you get your flight price from alyson

I looked on flight scanner Jeanette
VA hv got the m+m flights back on just need them to stay till the 28th

 

[scottishgirl87]

Thanks Wayne. It was 12.9 as u said. Iv tried to look flying with continental but do their planes exist anymore? All their flights were with someone else. Still an option but wld feel happier knowing there was seat back entertainment

Continental merged with United so all of their flights are now United flights. Continental was probably our preferred airline but we've also flown with United so are happy for them to be our preferred now

 

[wayneg]

You just need to keep looking at prices and book as soon as you see a price you are happy with. Delta prices have risen since you last posted, VA dropped so its cheaper direct now.

 

[crabbie1]

You just need to keep looking at prices and book as soon as you see a price you are happy with. Delta prices have risen since you last posted, VA dropped so its cheaper direct now.

I amDriving me mad looking and saying yes thts a great price but hv to wait another week before I can book!!! So frustrating roll on pay day

 

[tinkerpea]

I amDriving me mad looking and saying yes thts a great price but hv to wait another week before I can book!!! So frustrating roll on pay day

when have you decided to go? where are you staying? Im so happy for you that your back planning your holiday I hope everything else in your life is getting better for you

 

[crabbie1]

when have you decided to go? where are you staying? Im so happy for you that your back planning your holiday I hope everything else in your life is getting better for you

Cindy I did you a long pm and my comp crashed I was fuming.
Well I hv booked DVc 19th sept till 5 th oct to cover dates cus of flights but can go anytime really before end October. Fingers crossed. Hope ur sorted now

 

[tinkerpea]

Cindy I did you a long pm and my comp crashed I was fuming.
Well I hv booked DVc 19th sept till 5 th oct to cover dates cus of flights but can go anytime really before end October. Fingers crossed. Hope ur sorted now

GUTTED!!!
I hate it when that happens.....
Such a shame your not there from the 8th October we could have meet up and done soem stuff together My boys LOVE meeting new children, Keep me up-dated on how things are going and when you finally book your flights, Have you done any planning beyound figuring dates etc x

 

[paulh]

as most have said,cheaper than direct,more to spend on holiday over there than on getting there.
If there are weather problems and MCO or Sanford shut.You have the option of flying to the hub airport and making a different connection(happened to us when Charley hit, we ended up flying to Miami rather than Tampa,as Tampa and MCO were closed added 2 hours instead of 3 days)You have to remember that the yanks use the plane like a bus,so there is never a problem shifting you around.never be afraid to walk up to a desk to see if you can get a different internal flight
International flight shorter
better customs at the hubs
Paul