virgin check in questions

[sam_b]

Hello,
I'm new to the forum, but it looks like a great place.
I am going to Orlando in November and have a question about check in.
We have always used the Virgin DD check-in, and now that it is no longer an option, I'm not sure what time we need to get to the airport.
We are flying to Manchester, so there isn't a twilight check-in either. I read in one of the posts that it is posible to drive to the airport early, check in, and then go back out again to the parks or shopping.
Has anyone done this? The Manchester flight leaves at 6.30pm, does anyone know what time check in opens?

It really bugs me spending my last hours cooped up in the airport looking at the sun and dreading returning to work so if anyone has any tips I would be really grateful.

Only 6 weeks to go!

Sam

 

[neilybealy]

i'm pretty sure you'd need to be checked in at the airport 3 hours before

it might be better for you to e-mail virgin and ask them what time their checkin desk opens at orlando international airport in the morning as you might be able to check in your bags early in the morning and then drive back to disney or universal and come bag later on

 

[daywalker]

Last november I checked in at the airport about 9am. They never made a point of telling you that this could be done, it was only cos we asked. There must have only been about 10 families waiting when we got there . Was even better when we came back in the evening to see stacks of people still waiting to check in, we got emerg exit seats too

 

[Shuttle Fan]

We came back on the Manchester flight in August. I think you could check in at about 12.00, but I'm not positive as we didn't do it. They were advising latest check in as 3 hours before the flight due to the extra security checks you have to go through before reaching the boarding gate.

There were quite long queues for the extra security (hand luggage is scanned and you have to walk through x-ray machine). We were in the queue for about half an hour.

We decided it wasn't really worth checking in earlier and although at 3 hrs before the flight there was a big queue at the check in desk, the Virgin staff were very efficient and we weren't in the queue for very long (about 15 mins till we reached the desk).

We normally like to have a look around the shops at the airport but this year didn't really have time due to queueing for the extra security check.

 

[DisneyAli]

What about checking in times for coming back if you are flying PE?

 

[bengunn]

Hi Sam,

When we came back a couple of weeks ago, we checked in (for Virgin) at about 1:30pm. We then drove to Downtown Disney for lunch and shopping and then to Fantasia Golf by the Swan (only had time for 10 holes though). We left at about 4:40pm and were back at the car rental return at about 5:05pm which is about when we were supposed to return it (at the same time of day as we collected it).

So you do not have to hang around the airport all day at all

 

[daywalker]

PE? You can still use the early check in if you like or just turn up later for the evening check in as they have a dedicated check in desk for you.

 

[neilybealy]

does anyone know how busy twilight checkin gets as we'll be arriving at the airport between 7.30pm or 8pm tomorrow (fri) night

i'm worried that there's going to be a huge queue

 

[bengunn]

We got there at 6:20pm and there was no queue at all. That was on Thursday 15th August.

 

[sam_b]

Thanks to everyone for your replies.

I think that I will try to get there at about lunchtime and see what happens - I would like to get there early to get Exit seats, so if I can do that and then leave, that would be ideal.
Are there a seperate check-in desks for Manchester and Gatwick or are they the same?
Does anyone know why they don't have a twilight check in for Manchester??(

Thanks again!

 

[neilybealy]

Originally posted by bengunn
We got there at 6:20pm and there was no queue at all. That was on Thursday 15th August.

we'll have to wait and see

 

[bengunn]

Hi Sam,

There are about 4 check-in desks but they all do all flights; when we were there, there were two queues each having two desks; it all moved quite quickly and we were only parked for about 40 minutes.