VS to Orlando

[NWSRG]

Hi folks,

Quick question from some SLF...

...what IFE can I expect on a 747 from LGW - MCO?

Are all the LGW 747s fitted with the latest seatback TVs complete with Skymap and games?

A curious, expectant passenger!

[dgutte]

All of the Gatwick based 747's have seatback IFE.

Chances are you will have a flight using the NOVA system:

Movie channels
2 kids channels (featuring a combination of movies and tv programming)
1 TV channel which works on a cycle basis showing a selection of current TV programming
14 audio channels ranging from soul to Classical music
Moving Skymap display which plots the aircraft's flight path
Bulkhead Telephone

This website is absolutely brilliant if your flying Virgin:

http://www.v-flyer.com/

[Leezyjet]

5 of the 7 LGW a/c have Nova which has audio and video channels, but no games.

The other 2 are ex-LHR machines so have the more advanced Odyssey system that has games and a telephone in each seat.

:)

[NWSRG]

Thanks folks,

Looks pretty good either way then...and V-Flyer is worth a look!

[NWSRG]

Hi Folks,

Back with another question...

...keeping an eye on LGW - MCO flights this couple of days.

VS015 and VS027 heading to MCO seem to be consistently delayed at the moment...anything between 1 and 3 hours...

Is this a pattern that I can expect on my flight soon (less than 3 weeks away!).

[lexxity]

Could be problems waiting for US immigration to clear the flight. Most carriers to the US have this problem at the moment as the aircraft has to be cleared prior to take off. We had a problem with an infants passport a couple of weeks ago that held the flight up for an hour!!

[daz211]

Took this flight last year, we live next to STN not that far from LGW, but for some reason we decided to stay at the LGW Hilton, good job we did, the a/c took off 1hr late, we had to wait for pax and crew that were stuck on the M25 in a crash, when the a/c took of we were still missing 120 pax and 2 crew.

also on the flight, the flight deck took full advantage of dancing with the Miami flight flying very close to us i will try and find pics and add them later.

[Felix Saddler]

Hi im going to Orlando on the 1st of jan with Virgin, my flight departs at 11.15am (VS027) from the south terminal.
My domestic flight from newcastle to LGW touches down at 07:45 (BA8070) at the north terminal.

My Questions are,

When changing flights what happens to my baggage? do i have to pick it up and check it in again or does it get transferred to my transatlantic flight?

How long does it take to get from the north terminal to the south?

Thanks,

Felix.

[lexxity]

Felix are you on through or seperate tickets? If you are on through tickets your bags should be tagged through, if you are on seperate tickets you will have to collect your bags and recheck in.

[Felix Saddler]

I booked the holiday online but booked the connecting flights seperately! If i have to collect my bags will i have enough time to get from the north terminal to the south, check in and be at the gate by 11:00am?

[PAXboy]

Felix you will have to collect bags and re-check them. If the first sector arrives on time, then you will have enough time but, of course, keep on your toes until in the queue at the South.

BAA grumble: I looked at the LGW web site to give you directions to the shuttle linking the terminals but there is no information or map. They detail how to reach the airport and each terminal but I can see nothing about transfers between the terminals, even though it happens all day every day but BAA don't make any real money from it, so they don't talk about it on their web site [he said in an unkindly manner].

Someone will be along in a moment to give you directions but an 08:45 arrival gives you 90 minutes to the usual two hour check-in. Some carriers are now suggesting three hours but it shold work. HOWEVER, if your first sector is delayed then you have no recourse for missing the second as they are two tickets.

[Felix Saddler]

Thanks, the first sector arrives at 7:45am so i could afford a small delay!? Couldn't I? lets hope it doesnt come to that!!

[Globaliser]

BAA grumble: I looked at the LGW web site to give you directions to the shuttle linking the terminals but there is no information or map. They detail how to reach the airport and each terminal but I can see nothing about transfers between the terminals, even though it happens all day every day but BAA don't make any real money from it, so they don't talk about it on their web siteWhen you exit from UK arrivals, you're on the ground floor. You need to go up one floor. There should be lifts to your right as you come out of the domestic arrivals exit. Or, if you walk slightly further forward, there should be a Costa Coffee to your left and escalators to your right.

When you're one floor further up, you need to look for the signs for the shuttle to the South Terminal (and it'll also be the posted route for the railway station). If you were walking in the same direction as you were when you exited domestic arrivals, but just one floor up, you would need to turn left to get to the shuttle.

At the shuttle station, if you have time walk all the way forward to the first or second pair of doors - it saves you walking that distance when you get off, and most people tend to congregate at the pair of doors closest to where they entered the shuttle platform. You will exit the shuttle through the doors on the opposite side from which you got in.

When you get to the South Terminal, you will already be at the same level as the check-in area, so that's very easy.Thanks, the first sector arrives at 7:45am so i could afford a small delay!? Couldn't I? lets hope it doesnt come to that!!You should have no problems with a 3½ hour connection. The actual transfer from North to South, once you're out of domestic arrivals, should take no more than 10 minutes at the outside. Your main holdups, if any, are likely to be inbound delays, or slow baggage delivery - and that's always just a matter of luck, and you have a pretty good cushion for any small holdups in this department. The inter-terminal transfer is not a problem at LGW.

If you are badly delayed into LGW and you get to check-in uncomfortably close to the time of your VS flight, draw attention to yourself and your plight. Make sure that the VS staff know that you're late - don't just stand there in a long and immobile queue unless told to.

[Felix Saddler]

Thankyou very much Glob!!

[malagajohn]

But what about the New year snow and frost??:rolleyes:

[daz211]

Snow and frost :hmm: thats what I was thinking!
reported on sky news last week, GOOD NEWS winter should arrive late this year about late December, BAD NEWS heavy frosts and heavy snow for this winter:eek:, but dont they tell us that every year, not the it matters just a few flakes and our airports grind to a hault.

If it were me I would have booked feeder flight the day before and spent the night at a LGW hotel and took advantage of twilight check-in.

Good luke mate.

[Felix Saddler]

Its still not too late to change the connecting flights, however i would think that if it was to snow then the outbound flight to orlando would be delayed aswell.
What would you recomend? Cancel the flights and go a day earlier and stay in a gatwick hotel overnight?

[daz211]

Hello felix, If it were me I would change to the night before flight, but this is only due to what could have happened to me (missing flight) see my post 10oct above, Lets put it this way you dont have to get up early to catch feeder flight, you can take advantage of twilight chk-in, go to sleep and wake up fresh and bright as a button for you flight, all you would have to do is stroll through security to the gate, no rushing,worrying,clock watching, just a nice stroll to your a/c.:ok:

Also take into account what elso could go wrong, if you done it all in a day! your car / transport might breakedown, you could get stuck in traffic and miss feeder flight, your flight might go tech,delayed or get diverted,

[Felix Saddler]

Ok, have you got any recomendations on hotels? Also i have already booked my flights for the first at £57 each the day earlier is £35. So it would be about the same as im paying now as they charge to change amendments to your booking, right? Does anyone know how much this is?

[daz211]

As you are arriving at LGW by air I would say the best for you would be the Hilton linked by a walkway to/from the Terminal, or you could check
the web for holidayextras, I stayed in the Hilton and it was very nice and not that much realy, hope this helps, and I glad you changed flights I can sleep easy now and not have to worry about your travels:ok:

[NWSRG]

Folks,

Yesterday was my big day, which means that tomorrow my new wife and I head to Orlando...

Now, today's VS015 is delayed to a 9.15am departure tomorrow morning! Can anyone tell me (quickly!) if this will have an effect on our VS015 tomorrow?

Thanks in anticipation.

[Globaliser]

Afraid I've got no advice or insight to share, but I do want to say: Congratulations! And best wishes for a long and happy future together.

[NWSRG]

Well folks,

My honeymoon in Orlando has now ended, and I just wanted to post to thank all at VS for the fantastic service we received.

The staff were all friendly and efficient, the in-flight food was better than I had expected, and even the failure of the IFE on our outward flight was handled with professionalism and good humour...

And the Downtown Disney check-in provided a super service, with the staff proving cheerful and helpful despite an IT failure and the flu!

...and I have a special thanks to one of the Gatwick check-in staff. I chanced my arm in asking for an emergency exit seat when we checked in. She checked if anything could be done, then came back to me to say that nothing was available. However, the same lady was staffing the gate also as we boarded, and on seeing us, she came over and changed our seat numbers on our boarding passes...and we got our emergency exit seats! A really appreciated touch...

So if any of you work for VS at Gatwick, or know anyone who does, pass on my thanks from two appreciative customers!