Flying indirect to Orlando August - Examples please

[Portugal1000]

Have booked SSR from 10th to 24th August 2009 (44% off and free dining just too good to turn down). Unfortunately have to go in school holidays as already taking son out of school this December for 7 days for our usual 3 week
Xmas trip. I know August flights will cost a fortune but just wondering if anyone out there had examples of how they flew to Orlando indirectly this year so that I could get an idea of the prices. Thinking this may be cheaper. I do have 40,000 miles with Virgin so maybe might get some sort of M&M fare.
Thanks

 

[leicesterbob]

Depends where you live and want to fly from. Continental fly from several regional airports via Newark(NJ) while US air, United etc fly from Gatwick/Heathrow. A travel site like Expedia would show you the options though they are not always the cheapest.

 

[juliebro]

We always fly indirect with US Airways via Philadelphia from Manchester.

Julie

 

[DISWolves]

May be worth sending PM to Wayneg. he should be back anytime now.
I know he has done this for his return journy, so he should be able to help

 

[JPS]

I have a question rather than a reply. When you fly indirect, where do you go through immigration? I'm from South Africa, flying Cape Town to New York & connect to Orlando. It's my understanding that we go through immigration in NY, but will my 2hr lay-over be long enough? Can my luggage still be checked through to MCO or do I have to collect & re-check? If we've already cleared through immigration in NY surely it will be much easier getting out of the airport in Orlando!!!

 

[tigger137]

I have a question rather than a reply. When you fly indirect, where do you go through immigration? I'm from South Africa, flying Cape Town to New York & connect to Orlando. It's my understanding that we go through immigration in NY, but will my 2hr lay-over be long enough? Can my luggage still be checked through to MCO or do I have to collect & re-check? If we've already cleared through immigration in NY surely it will be much easier getting out of the airport in Orlando!!!

You go through immigration wherever you first land in the US, so for you that will be in New York. Two hours should be okay but can't be guaranteed. Just depends on how many other people arrive around the same time, how many booths are manned, how long each person takes to get through etc etc, plus whether you need to change terminals. We once had a 1hr 45min layover at Newark and only just made our connection. But if that's the through routing your airline have given then it's their responsibility to get you to your final destination if you are delayed.

As long as you're ticketed through to Orlando then your luggage will be checked through to MCO. You will have to collect it in New York to take through Customs/Agriculture but then just hand it back in again, not re-check it. The area where you hand it back is usually just past where you go through Customs so you don't have to take it far.

 

[wayneg]

May be worth sending PM to Wayneg. he should be back anytime now.
I know he has done this for his return journy, so he should be able to help

Got back yesterday morning

August flights, Virgin economy are usually around the £700 mark. Indirect around £500. These can vary a lot if you see any price mistakes or offers(Expedia/Virgin last year, price came down if you added hotel ) or I got a error on Airnet £335 with BMI, also some on BA site. All were honoured as far as I know.
This month I flew out (1st) with Virgin Miles (20,000 + £101 tax) then bought a return flight (25th) thru Orbitz.com with BMI at $470 (£235) total return cost £336 + 20,000 miles.

Make sure you get your ADR's booked ASAP. Never seen Disney as busy in August as it was this year, we prefer offsite dining and many places were very quiet but onsite they were heaving, I guess the free dining and other offers they do onsite are killing offsite. We only did one ADR at Boma went to guest services around 20 days in advance and they only had 2 time slots left 4:30 and 8:25pm
Personally free dining and ADR's don't work for us, prefer offsite dining, deciding same day where to eat, just can't plan ahead like that. Plus cost is crazy IMHO, 25 nights offsite costs me about £500-£700 for a good hotel. Just had 3 nights at AKL at £82/night, great for 3 nights but that was my limit, couldn't do it for longer but we are all different.