Please help a novice indirect flyer!

[wifey]

We just booked flights with Delta for next August from Manchester via Atlanta to MCO for a decent price. We have never flown indirect before so we are a little perplexed our flight is due to arrive in concourse E so will we need to do Customs and Immigration and security checks there as well as claim our cases and then head to concourse F do do the bag drop before going down to the plane train to concourse B , have I got this correct? We have a 3 hour layover each way so time should not be a worry for making our connection to the MCO flight hopefully. On the return flights do we need to collect our cases again at Atlanta or are they booked straight through once we clear MCO Customs and Immigration and security since its a split flight part domestic leg and part international or will we just need to collect our cases at Manchester ?
Many thanks for your understanding and I hope I didn't confuse you.

 

[chmurf]

our flight is due to arrive in concourse E so will we need to do Customs and Immigration and security checks there as well as claim our cases and then head to concourse F do do the bag drop before going down to the plane train to concourse B , have I got this correct?

almost correct, here's how it goes :
- plane lands, you deplane
- go through immigration
- go to bagage claim, get suitcases
- go through customs
- follow "connecting flight" signs
- drop bags (make sure they've been tagged to MCO at MAN)
- either go through security and proceed airside to concourse B (if available) or proceed to concourse B and go through security there.
- get to next boarding gate, and enjoy the domestic flight

We have a 3 hour layover each way so time should not be a worry for making our connection to the MCO flight hopefully.

3hrs should be okay, plenty of time

On the return flights do we need to collect our cases again at Atlanta or are they booked straight through once we clear MCO Customs and Immigration and security since its a split flight part domestic leg and part international or will we just need to collect our cases at Manchester ?

check that your bags are tagged through to MAN when you check in in MCO
you don't have to collect them at ATL
you only need to get from gate to gate. Do not exit the terminal (go past security) if you don't have to, because you'd then have to go through security again. Be sure to remain airside

 

[wifey]

Thank you CHMURF for the quick reply I really appreciate it, are there check in desks at Manchester and Orlando or is it all self-service kiosk things now? Is there anything else we should be aware of that isn't obvious to me at the moment? Is it any different landing at concourse E to concourse F or will we just be shepherded through from one to the other ? We were wondering about how easy it will be to do Delta check in at Buena Vista Factory Outlets as we have only ever used DTD with Virgin before , is it relatively painless and stress free? Sorry to ask so many questions. We will be security conscious as usual following the 3-1-1 rule and keeping electrical stuff in the carry on bags . We just have to remember to put plenty on entertainment on our devices before we go and then not worry about the stuff on the planes.

 

[Steve and Sarah]

Just a quick note about the check-in at Lake Buena Vista - we used this in Auhsut when we flew with US Airways - we arrived just after opening at 8.30am and only one other family there. Process was just like Downtown Disney which we have also used before like yourselves. Got our boarding passes and bags were tagged and checked through to Gatwick so no collection in Charlotte.

We also had a buggy and two car seats which we kept and just had tagged at the gate in Orlando as we wanted the buggy back at the gate in Charlotte to use before our connecting flight.

As it was a domestic flight from MCO to Charlotte and we had boarding passes, arrived just under two hours before our flight and walked straight through to security.

We used to fly direct with Virgin but prices forced us to look at alternatives and have now done many indirect flights with two small childen and really had no problems.

Sarah

 

[wifey]

Thank you so much Steve and Sarah, it's great to find out from you how straight forward this was. I'm trying to get prepared well enough in advance to prevent a case of the jitters before we get there LOL I like to be familiar with the process first, 08:30 is a good opening time and I'm sure it will be easy enough to get a taxi to and from there too.

Do you by any chance remember where in the LBV factory outlets this is done from? If not don't worry about it, we haven't been for a few years but it can't have changed that much.

Thankfully our son will be 13 when we are there but I remember those yearly years and all the stuff you need when kids are small it's great that they took such good care of you.
Once again thank you.

 

[chmurf]

Do you by any chance remember where in the LBV factory outlets this is done from?

Marker A, green section on top of the map, where the restrooms are

 

[wifey]

Thanks chmurf that's good to know, we are steadily getting organised now... It's been a while since we were there and it's worth checking these things in advance. You have boosted my confidence for doing this trip and boy we really need a holiday it's totally worth all the planning!

From Wifey

 

[Steve and Sarah]

Hi Wifey

Glad to hear you're feeling more prepared for your trip now

Just another little tip that I found helpful when I first started flying indirect which was to go on the airport's website where I was landing into first (in your case Atlanta) and familiarise myself a little with the layout of the airport, where there different Gates/Concources are, resturants that we liked, etc

You may have said already but when are you going and where are you staying?

 

[CHEK]

Some great advice, we like you are also doing our 1st indirect from Manchester via Atlanta at Easter, slightly apprehensive to say the least, especially when I'm the chief organiser for the 6 of us!!

 

[wifey]

Great minds think alike! That's just what we have done Steve and Sarah and it really helps you get your head around it all doesn't it . I must remember to stay airside once we get into ATLANTA. We will be there the last two weeks of the school summer holidays for a double celebration...my birthday and our 20th wedding anniversary and we will be staying at the Yacht Club ( yes we are splurging out on this once in a lifetime opportunity we got a decent price for the room and tickets plus dining plan) with hopefully a lagoon view room which I requested (yes I realise it might not be honoured) but at least we have a high floor water view room booked. DS and DH have both had their birthdays celebrated in WDW in the past as well as our Re-hitching ceremony at the Garden Grill and our 16th anniversary on our last trip so just for a change we managed to wrangle these precious weeks our of the grasp of management at work. DH is the only one on his team with a child still in school so we were lucky in that respect and I'm taking redundancy next summer.

Lots to do between now and then though, we just got the ok from school about DS missing one or two days attendance at the beginning of September... it's strange they moved up a year in June can you believe it...but it will be an unauthorised absence and make sure his grades and attendances are kept high and we will not risk being fined. So now it's just waiting working and reading other folks food reviews and trip reports before we do our ADR plans in February which will soon come around. We really want to try some new dining experiences and shhh we plan on popping over to Us/IOA and Seaworld too for a couple of days since we have not been there since 2005 the draw to go back is getting stronger, all those rides DS wasn't tall enough for and all the ones DH loves but I can't even look at because they make me feel dizzy we are gonna see again. I don't mind waiting for them it gives me a chance for some people watching and relaxation maybe a little shopping too.
Anyway enough rambling from me, and thanks from Wifey

 

[Steve and Sarah]

Yep, great minds do think a like Sounds like you've got a fanastic trip booked, we're flying out 22nd March for Easter but are also looking to go the last two weeks of August too!!!

We did these two weeks this year and its was fantastic. It was very warm and very quiet with the american kids having gone back to school. We had a day at Legoland and never queued for a thing, walk on everywhere. Not sure Disney will be that quiet but having two little ones 4 and 2 years old, we haven't explored Disney parks in recent years as we have annual passes for Seaworld, Busch and Aquatica.

Hope you get all the ADR's you want, nice to have a mid-way point between now and the holiday to focus on!

 

[wifey]

Steve and Sarah I just wanted to say thanks again, my hubby was starting to worry about doing indirect flights but he talked to someone at work who flies indirect and regularly on most USA trips and I think their discussion has put Niel's mind at ease now which is great. I'm so happy to get my head around it all well in advance.

 

[Netty]

We flew with Delta in August, would do it again
Atlanta wasn't a problem,easy to get around, the planetrain goes quite fast!
we used LBV check in , well we tried to.. we did what we used to do when we flew with VA and used the dtd check in, we used to check in online then go to dtd to drop off luggage...
whatever you do don't check in online, go straight to LBV , we checked in online then went to LBV to drop luggage off, but delta had frozen us out so the staff couldn't then access our booking, and so couldn't take our suitcases.. they said not to check in online.. I wish they had said that the day before when i went there to check out their opening times...

 

[paul_toria96]

You have just put my mind at rest too, We've flown direct on both visits to WDW but the cost is so expensive. We are looking to do indirect flights in August (2014) but I'm very nervous about doing it.

I maybe back later for more advice later.

Let us know how you get on

 

[jill4140]

You also need to be aware if you are traveling on a Sunday the check in service is only available by appointment.