GeoffM

What's with the LGW-MCO route? It keeps saying no flights on whatever dates I put in but I can't find any explanation of why - whether no availability or they don't even do that destination, at least from LGW.

Pulaski

Well only BA and Virgin offer that route direct. And almost all trans Atlantic flights to/ from the US are now routed to LHR, so even with a change there aren't many flights to/from LGW.

GeoffM

Norwegian don't use LHR. I'm guessing that MCO is an option from other cities - Oslo, for example. Odd as it seems a natural destination to serve if you're going to serve multiple places in the US. Maybe not enough fleet.

Pulaski

IIRC the MCO website map only shows five routes headed directly to the UK and Europe.

GeoffM

Yep, OSL<->MCO, Thursdays and Saturdays. Maybe elsewhere too.

waff69

Cost me $120 for 10 days at Atlanta

markonline1

Yep. If the plane don't say British Airways on the side, I ain't getting on board.

Pulaski

That hasn't been an option out of CLT in more than a decade.

markonline1

Really? I find that amazing considering how important Charlotte is in the financial world. In that case, I'd settle for Virgin, assuming they fly there.

** I see they don't. I guess BA code share with American into there. That would require me to drive to the nearest airport where BA fly from then LOL. On a side note, I see the airport list British Airways as British Air. Stupid I know, but when the yanks used to call BA "British" or "British Air" it used to really put my heckles up. On more than one occasion, I've sent someone that asked for "British"'to British Midland knowing they meant BA. I know that makes me a bad person, but I've made peace with my former vindictive, passenger hating self.

Pulaski

I'd try just about anything before I'd fly Virgin again. ..... The first, and likely the last, time I flew Virgin the plane had the worst leg room in economy I have ever experienced, and at 6'5" leg room is a pretty big deal for me.

BTW Charlotte's importance in the financial world isn't as great as the city elders would have you believe. As far as I can tell neither of the two big players locally have much if any business outside the US these days. I recall that Bank of America sold off almost all, if not all, of it's branches outside the US a long time ago. I don't know that Wells Fargo ever did much business outside the US.

That said, I do recall that the Lord Mayor of London visited a few years ago and was quoted as warning the Charlotte City Council that Charlotte's economy was "too heavily dependent on banking and that they should look to diversify". ..... Perhaps we need more insurers, more lawyers and accountants, a commodity market, and a stock exchange?

markonline1

I'm not familiar with Charlotte. The wife worked there for e-trade and we still have a house there. She seems to think its the financial capital of the south. As I say, I've never been there.
I remember the first time I flew a VS 340-600. These things are huge, so I was expecting a comfortable flight. However, Virgin had decided to pack their seats in sardine style, but chosen mahoosive rest rooms!!!!! I agree, their economy is awful. My big beef with them is how they flatly refused upgrades. Working at the airport for 16 years, I built up a load of contacts, but virgin always steadfastly refused any sort of upgrades!

tonrob

Until recently a staunch BA loyalist, I'm warming to Virgin Atlantic now I realize they have good last minute availability to upgrade using miles on the routes I use - including at bag drop or even later! BA simply don't do that - availability is worse in general and upgrading using miles is more effort and ends at T-24.

lansbury

You didn't have the right contacts then.

AdobePinon

You mean that you've got to find another outlet, now that British Midland no longer exists?

markonline1

Lot wife was best friends with one of the ticket desk agents, I knew most of the dispatchers, our managers worked closely with the Virgin ops managers. Short of Richard Branson, our department had great contacts with all the airlines. Virgin has a fairly strict no upgrade policy though.