Family Florida holiday, back on track!

[Gemini]

As my original thread began in 2018 it's time for new one!

Talked about for many years, this holiday was eventually booked for April 4th 2020. That obviously didn't happen.
Great disappointment for all, especially the three grandchildren for whom it was to be their first trip to Florida.

We rebooked for April 2021, but soon realised that would be a no go too so moved our villa dates forward a year, to 2022.
We managed to get our theme park tickets moved to 2022, with no charge, just the increase in price to pay.

Yesterday we were able to book our flights (having been refunded the original ones some time ago)

I have also booked a night at the airport Premier In for the night before and rebooked the original local taxi which was to take us.

Back on track We hardly dare hope that all will go smoothly and we eventually all get on this longed for holiday, but we do hope, and keep everything crossed!

[Glammanana]

How wonderful to have everything back in place was there any difference in the cost of flight tickets ? are you flying with Virgin direct from Manchester or Heathrow ?
I bet the children are counting down the time it will be a fantastic family experience.xx

[Daisy]

Gem, you were so unlucky with the timing of the original holiday and I know how bitterly disappointed you were. I've got everything crossed that April 2022 will see your whole family jetting off to Florida for the holiday of a life time. xxx

[Oma]

I do hope you finally get there Gem , what a carry on the past almost 2 years have been

[Gemini]

Thanks everyone.
Glamma we are paying more than we did originally. But with normal price rises over two years, plus airlines needing to recoup all they can, and them cashing in on the great demand once the UK/USA travel corridors reopen, it's understandable.
We are actually flying with Aer Lingus, who from July will fly direct from Manchester to Orlando. We are saving over £860 for our flights (OH and me) by choosing them over Virgin.

[Nanto2girls]

Now you have something nice to look forward to.

[Plantaholic]

That is good news Gemini, so pleased for you all.

[Daisy]

Gem - it sounds as though Virgin are going to have to look to their laurels to compete with Aer Lingus. It's quite ironic really because Virgin originally set up in competition with BA and the big American operators.

[Lizzie48]

Good news Gem, I hope it all goes through this time round.xxx

[Gemini]

Gem - it sounds as though Virgin are going to have to look to their laurels to compete with Aer Lingus. It's quite ironic really because Virgin originally set up in competition with BA and the big American operators.

Daisy, Virgin lost competition when Thomas Cook collapsed. They could and did charge the earth for flights from Manchester after that. It still costs far more to fly from Manchester than any other airport. Add for us the extra travelling and making a long journey even longer by going via London, we (and plenty of others) prefer to fly direct from Manchester.
This competition is great for travellers.

[Daisy]

Gem, at one stage when we were going to Cuba a lot for holidays Thomas Cook stopped offering flights from Gatwick, and it put a lot of people down here off because they had to travel up to Manchester, so I can understand people not wanting to travel down to London. Still, the competition from Aer Lingus is good, as you say.

I think generally a lot of people would prefer to travel from their nearest airport if they can. Before now we've chosen holidays on the basis that we could fly from Bournemouth or Southampton. Southampton is brilliant because there's a mainline railway station right outside the airport so you don't even need to park there.

[Gemini]

That sounds good Daisy!
Our airport of choice is Leeds/Bradford, closer and smaller than Manchester. We fly from there for most holidays, but for the States or Canada (and further far flung places which we have never visited!) it's Manchester or one of the London airports.

[Daisy]

Southampton is only short haul, too. The runway isn't long enough for the bigger aircraft, although there is talk of increasing the length of it a bit. Bournemouth runway can take much bigger planes - Concorde used to fly out of there sometimes.

[Glammanana]

It was 5 yrs ago this week that we travelled to Las Vegas for my eldest son's wedding my goodness how the time goes by,we had to go from M'chestr to Heathrow and that was an awful trek the flight to McCarron in LV was delayed by 4 hrs I had never been to Heathrow before and shocked at how busy it was.
Next year we are looking at revisiting LV (DD&I) in October and will look and see if Air Lingus fly there direct from Manchester.

[Gemini]

At the moment Aer Lingus are only flying from Manchester (starting next month) to Orlando, New York and Barbados at the moment Glamma. Let's hope that they add more to their list though!