Scottish holidaymakers ripped off again....

[tink too]

I completely agree it is more than just a regional airport, but are there the same number of population (ie potential passengers) within an x mile radius in Glasgow as there are with the SE airports? No. This leads to more flights and costs beng shared over a much larger base for the SE airports- Carolfoy gives a good explanation earlier of why.

Glasgow is our nearest major airport although Aberdeen is our nearest International airport.

Pretty much the "whole of Scotland" would fly out of Glasgow to Orlando if the flight prices were a decent price! I think that, especially London Gatwick, would lose a lot of passengers to Orlando if more of us flew out of Scotland direct as pretty much every flight we've taken from there to Orlando has been about 75% Scottish folk!

Many years ago (20+) when I was little, I remember being on our way home to Manchester to catch our internal flight to Aberdeen. The pilot made an anouncement that if we looked out the windows we'd see the coastline of the most north-eastern point of the UK (where I live! ) Of course, that's when my dad said "quick, that's us - get the parachutes ready!"

 

[loadsapixiedust]

Where did you see that the flight originates in Manchester? As looking at the VA schedules the Glasgow flight arrives in Orlando two hours later than the Manchester flight so cannot be the same aircraft, also if it were the same aircraft that then would mean the Manchester flight is no longer non stop??

Claire

From what I have read on v-flyer, the glasgow flight will be replacing the VS073 which is the second flight from manchester per day. The aircraft operating the GLA departures is based at MAN. Primarily this will only be availble to book as a GLA-MCO route, not a MAN_GLA_MCO route. Virgin are hoping that the seats will sell out from Glasgow and it will make the trip from MAN-GLA empty. I guess if the seats don't sell they will then offer it from MAN with a touchdown in GLA. It seems to only be available to book as a package option, not flight only or flydrive through VH.

 

[florida sun]

Point taken! No offence meant

I suppose I'm used to Cardiff (the capital city of Wales) having its airport referred to as 'regional' and use that term loosely for anything except Gatwick / Heathrow.

Hilary

I dont think you could ever offend anyone, and I agree, living in Cardiff, we also are used to calling Cardiff Airport our regional airport as we do with every other airport thats not London

 

[Claire L]

From what I have read on v-flyer, the glasgow flight will be replacing the VS073 which is the second flight from manchester per day. The aircraft operating the GLA departures is based at MAN. Primarily this will only be availble to book as a GLA-MCO route, not a MAN_GLA_MCO route. Virgin are hoping that the seats will sell out from Glasgow and it will make the trip from MAN-GLA empty. I guess if the seats don't sell they will then offer it from MAN with a touchdown in GLA. It seems to only be available to book as a package option, not flight only or flydrive through VH.

Ah right! I guess the flight only option may become available through VA once the 336 day window opens which will be in late July early August.

Claire

 

[pezzapixiedust]

have you tried www.travelcitydirect.co.uk? We travel with them every year and they are fab!!

 

[Shooby doo]

Just adding my tuppence on the regional debate: Glasgow does in excess of 7 million passengers per annum (sad but I had to do a presentation on it for work!) the Population of Scotland is approx 6 million ,give or take one or two,so if that's regional what are the Airports with less?

 

[tartangirl]

Where did you see that the flight originates in Manchester? As looking at the VA schedules the Glasgow flight arrives in Orlando two hours later than the Manchester flight so cannot be the same aircraft, also if it were the same aircraft that then would mean the Manchester flight is no longer non stop??

Claire

Looking this morning it looks like there are now 2 flights from Manchester and the second, although advertised as Direct, seems to tie in with the Glasgow times (and takes 2hrs longer than the Friday flight).

Looks like fly-drives from Glasgow are also now available.

Prices are the same as from Manchester but with a £130 per person flight supplement.

In October we drive down to Newcastle as the Airtours flight from Edinburgh had a £200/person flight supplement - so Virgin are not worse than others.

I guess during Scottish schools holidays we get hit - let's hope the tour operators dont start putting flight supplements on the flights from the north of England when it's a Scottish school holiday as I really dont want to start going via London.

 

[Claire L]

Looking this morning it looks like there are now 2 flights from Manchester and the second, although advertised as Direct, seems to tie in with the Glasgow times.

According to the VH website the Glasgow plane leaves two hours later than the Manchester one and arrives 2 hours later at Orlando so cannot be the same plane -

Route Depart Arrive Flight Number

Manchester to Orlando (B) 10:25 14:50 VS075
(A) 10:25 14:35 VS075
(K) 13.30 17.40 VS073
(L) 13.30 17.40 VS073
(B) 13.30 17.55 VS074
(C) 13.30 17.40 VS073
(D) 13.30 17.40 VS073
(E) 13.30 17.40 VS073
Glasgow to Orlando (F) 15.30 19.40 VS071


(A) Summer service – flight scheduled to operate from 26 March 2006
until 28 October 2006 and from 25 March 2007 until 27 October 2007
(B) Winter service – flight scheduled to operate from from 29 October 2006 until 24 March 2007 and from 28 October 2007 until 31 December 2007
(C) Manchester - Orlando flight operates from 26 March 2007 until 28 April 2007
(D) Manchester - Orlando flight operates from 03 May 2007 until 27 October 2007
(E) Manchester - Orlando flight operates from 26 March 2007 until 16 June 2007, from 21 July 2007 until 29 September 2007 and from 20 October 2007 until 27 October 2007
(F) Glasgow - Orlando flight operates from 23 June 2007 until 14 July 2007 and from 06 October 2007 until 13 October 2007
(K) Gatwick – Orlando summer service only – flight scheduled to
operate from 07 May 2006 until 10 September 2006.
(L) Summer service – flight scheduled to operate from
24 April 2006 until 30 November 2006.

ALL ABOVE TIMES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Also the flight number is different signifying a totally different plane, if it was a direct route with a stop over it would have the same flight number AFAIK.

Claire

 

[tartangirl]

I must be looking at the wrong thing as the flight numbers I can see aren't on your list.

On the flydrive page the flights I'm looking at are:

Outward 7th july

Manchester
Leaves 13:30 VS071 arrives Orlando 19:40
(although Frirst class leaves 20 minutes later )

Glasgow
Leaves 15:30 VS071 arrives Orlando 19:40

Inward 28 July

Manchester
departs Orlando 22:40 VS072 arrives 13:50

Glasgow
departs Orlando 22:40 VS072 arrives 12:50

 

[Claire L]

How very odd as I was checking on the Florida Flight schedules page???? Wonder what is going on??

Claire

 

[Ali and boyz]

Went in and priced it. £7855 for the six of us thats me in hysterics. thats now £2155 MORE than MY Travel Premair

oh well guess we won't be able to try VA for a while