Big air travel shake-up for UK visitors flying to Orlando

[nickys]

I originally booked for May 2020 with thomas Cook theg went bust ..

Rebooked with TUI.. corona virus got that cancelled....

Rebooked with virgin for flights 3 weeks ago ..

Maybe mickey doesn't want me back!!

Flights are from Manchester so fingers crossed mine are OK

That’s what I call bad luck. Fingers crossed for you. When are you going?

 

[The Mighty Tim]

I wonder if this will cause extra traffic for Tampa International. Its pretty much the next closest international airport so some people may just fly into tampa then drive from there.

But no DME

 

[DreamalittleDisney]

But no DME

Same for Sanford where TUI flies into.. maybe they'd consider one ...

 

[Skywise]

But no DME

Might accelerate that train development...

 

[YDdraigGoch]

Same for Sanford where TUI flies into.. maybe they'd consider one ...

TUI is leaving Sanford in 2022 for Melbourne.

LGW is my usual route. LHR is actually easier for us so direct flights from there will be an improvement if offered.

One thing that’s for sure is UK to Florida capacity will be down significantly for a very long time.

DVC Owner here... had May 2020 canceled and we will cancel September If it doesn’t get cancelled for us!

 

[Kyledychchi]

I’m holding out to see what the airline offer.

Keeping a close eye on how things operate both sides of the pond to see whether it’s worth the hassle to travel this year or take some sort of extra payment to alter dates.

As a train driver I get set leave dictated each year so it may prove difficult to fit in my leave to the rest of the families plans.

Uncertain times unfortunately.

 

[nickys]

TUI is leaving Sanford in 2022 for Melbourne.

LGW is my usual route. LHR is actually easier for us so direct flights from there will be an improvement if offered.

One thing that’s for sure is UK to Florida capacity will be down significantly for a very long time.

DVC Owner here... had May 2020 canceled and we will cancel September If it doesn’t get cancelled for us!

Are you expecting to be able to fly in September?

You have several things need to happen first:
- the US let’s you in
- you don’t have to quarantine for 14 days when you arrive
- airline has to be operating
- guidelines for flights required (I can’t imagine wearing a mask for the entire flight, plus at the airport at either end is going to be fun, that’s potentially 13-15 hours)
- and my big worry would be that I always end up with symptoms like a cold, dry throat, cough after a long flight; I’d be worried about being allowed into the parks

I hope it works out OK for you though.

 

[biggy H]

Virgin 747 cabin crews at GLA have been playing around with the A350 doing touch and go rounds, and the long term plan was for the high density A350's to replace the 747, so I'd imagine MCO is going to make the jump to those.

I really did like both the A340 and the 747

There is no cabin crew based at GLA, it was always operated by MAN based crew. As to the A350 ops it was pilot training only for the LHR fleet.

 

[biggy H]

So far BA has only stated they MAY leave LGW and even if it did then MCO is expected to move and not all the LHR flights will survive in the short term. I suspect Virgin would move its MCO flights as well unless its more profitable to fly elsewhere.

 

[esskay]

Guessing they're using this as a way of bringing the removal of 747's forward - they were planning on ditching them pretty soon anyway. It's a shame. Think I've been on all but 1 of their fleet over the years.

I'd assume all major flights over to MCO will all be out of Manchester and Heathrow for a while, can't imagine Gatwick will be worth keeping runnning in any real capacity for a good year or so now.

Assuming Virgin even survive this I can't see them dropping MCO at all, it's always been a very popular and profitable route for them.

 

[mkt]

and no more 747s

To be fair, those were on their way out before this - four engine jets are extremely thirsty, and there are plenty of two engine jets that can easily cross the Atlantic.

 

[mkt]

Assuming Virgin even survive this I can't see them dropping MCO at all, it's always been a very popular and profitable route for them.

Is it profitable for them though? It's a leisure route, where people are buying the cheapest tickets they can get (see Norwegian) - I wouldn't be surprised if for Virgin, their MCO flights barely break even - or are even loss leaders - and they end up making their money off of package tours.

 

[nickys]

Is it profitable for them though? It's a leisure route, where people are buying the cheapest tickets they can get (see Norwegian) - I wouldn't be surprised if for Virgin, their MCO flights barely break even - or are even loss leaders - and they end up making their money off of package tours.

Airlines like Norwegian will be lucky to survive. And after the Flybe collapse, people are more likely to book with a “safer” company. Regardless that both VIrgin Atlantic and BA are in trouble, they’re still in a better position to survive.

 

[King Racoon 77]

Airlines like Norwegian will be lucky to survive. And after the Flybe collapse, people are more likely to book with a “safer” company. Regardless that both VIrgin Atlantic and BA are in trouble, they’re still in a better position to survive.

Don't VA codeshare with AA on the MCO routes ?

 

[nickys]

Don't VA codeshare with AA on the MCO routes ?

Possibly. I know we flew one leg of a journey with AA but I don’t know if that was code sharing with Virgin or BA. There is certainly a lot of code- sharing between American and European airlines.

 

[King Racoon 77]

Possibly. I know we flew one leg of a journey with AA but I don’t know if that was code sharing with Virgin or BA. There is certainly a lot of code- sharing between American and European airlines.

I think AA has shares in VIrgin.

 

[Andy_0410]

Just checked my flights for October and still shows 747 as booked seats on upper deck out of Manchester see how long it takes them to change it and let me know

 

[Kyledychchi]

I’m still booked on a 747 out of Gatwick in Sept. Virgin have sent out an email to a relative, who is flying out of LHR to say they will be in touch with other changes but nothing to myself flying on a plane that is now out of service from an airport they aren’t using...I’m sure it will all come around in the next few weeks !

 

[Q_Division]

Don't VA codeshare with AA on the MCO routes ?

No it's with Delta, AA codeshare with BA.

 

[Q_Division]

I’m still booked on a 747 out of Gatwick in Sept. Virgin have sent out an email to a relative, who is flying out of LHR to say they will be in touch with other changes but nothing to myself flying on a plane that is now out of service from an airport they aren’t using...I’m sure it will all come around in the next few weeks !

I'm a bit like you scheduled on a 747 in to Gatwick (leaving via Manchester again on 747). Did get an email but's quite generic. My understanding is we'll be contacted in a couple of weeks time, presumably moving to a LHR based flight.