MCO Flights to be suspended from noon Fri 3rd

MCO will close at Noon tomorrow Friday 3rd due to Hurricane Francis
see
http://www.orlandoairports.net/goaa/main.htm

Where will the VS flights go to?

On the Virgin Holidays web site it states that all Virgin flights from LGW and MAN to MCO for Friday, Sat & sunday are now cancelled
http://www.virginholidays.co.uk/caribbe ... nces.shtml

On the VA web site it is still saying that people should continue to check in! They are a little late updating the web site

VA web site now updated
http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/gb/pa ... /index.jsp

VS015 & VS027 have been cancelled on Monday 6th as well.

I'm part of a "rescue" crew currently in Washington. We are waiting for Orlando airport to reopen so we can operate one of the extra flights back to the UK.

I see there is another damned Hurricane heading for Florida, Hurricane Ivan. they reckon it could make catergory 5

ORLANDO
All MCO's canx today - 06 September

The following flights will be operating on Tuesday 07 September 2004

DEPT FROM UK

VS27/07Sep from LGW at 1115
VS15/07Sep from LGW at 1230
*VS127/07Sep from LGW at 1330
*VS115/07Sep from LHR at 1700
*VS149/07Sep from LHR at 1500
VS75/07sep from MAN at 1025

DEPT FROM US

VS28/07Sep from MCO at 1750
VS16/07Sep from MCO at 2025
*VS128/07Sep from MCO at 1959
*VS116/07Sep from MCO at 2300
*VS150/07Sep from MCO at 2100
VS76/07Sep from MCO at 1815

*VS127/8, VS115/6 and VS149/50 will arrive back into LGW on Wednesday 08 September. Theres also talk of a relief VS0175 / 0176 for MAN so maybe 7 VS aircraft in MCO on one day. Now thats a picture opportunity!!!

MIAMI
VS5/6 is operating as scheduled today

Relief flight
VS105P (relief flight) is operating to MIA today, however this will be empty.
VS106 will depart from MIA at 2100 local time, to arrive into LGW (with Passengers) at 1030 Tuesday morning (07sep)


Thats the latest, however the caribbean flights are now a cause for concern.

Cheers

Hey Daffy,

An MCO flight from LHR - is that a first?

Shame they wont all be on the ground in MCO together - that would be a good photo.

Just wondering where the additional a/c are coming from?

Phil (Buffy)

Shame they wont all be on the ground in MCO together - that would be a good photo.

Yeah sorry about that...didn't think !!!

Just wondering where the additional a/c are coming from?

The LHR operated flights are using LHR 744's. The flights which were due to have them are now using A343/346. The extra MCO flights are going to need the extra capacity down the back to clear the backlog

Buffy!

3 weeks ago when hurricane charlie hit a relief flight operated back into LHR from MCO.

VS116 arrived LHR T3 at 10.21am on 17th August!

So sadly not a first!

I just wish the LHR-MCO was a regular - the inlaws live in Orlando and we always have to travel down to LGW (or travel via a intermediate stop and then internally on a non-VA flight).

Another question - just curious - how to VA reservations assign seats on the LHR flight bearing in mind people normally expect to travel to/from MCO from LGW. I am assuming they just tell those who are delayed that there is an option to travel from/to LHR and see who bites?

Phil (Buffy)

quote:Originally posted by BuffyTVS65
I just wish the LHR-MCO was a regular - the inlaws live in Orlando and we always have to travel down to LGW (or travel via a intermediate stop and then internally on a non-VA flight).

Another question - just curious - how to VA reservations assign seats on the LHR flight bearing in mind people normally expect to travel to/from MCO from LGW. I am assuming they just tell those who are delayed that there is an option to travel from/to LHR and see who bites?

Phil (Buffy)]

Well, living in the midlands, both airports are a pain to get to.

I take it that they will lay on a coach to get the pax back to LGW where their cars are parked.

I think we may have been caught out by technology here! According to the BAA website and the BBC VS116 landed at LHR at 10.21am on 17th August. According to LHR/LGW a/c movements. VS116 landed at LGW on 17th August at 9.32am operated by G-VAIR. So now im so very confused! Unless LGW ground handling got all the pax and cargo off and got to the plane to LHR within 50mins and for some reason it didnt arrive as VS116P!hmmm!Airchabum help!

Ok well this is the latest from VS. Flights are expected to operate this evening with MCO opening late this afternoon (7/9).

VS are putting those who have been stranded longest on first flights. All Pax have to ring VS or VH to re book. No DIY or Disney Check in. LHR departing flights are check in at LGW only.

A.net suggest 7 a/c being used. 2 742's (VBEE and VSSS), 4 744s from LGW and 1 343 from LHR (maybe 346). Airchabum will be able to say which a/c are on which route.

Check out vs.aero for latest info and the flight times etc. Having looked at it myself i think we may be seeing one of the 742's from MAN operating into LGW. (MAN flight today is in MCO for 14 hours 1pm-4am!)

Hi Will

VS116 on 17Aug (VAIR) operated MCO-LHR landing 0921Z (1021L) and on-stand 0932Z (1032L). No idea why that showed up on LGW arrivals...maybe it's because the pax were ticketed for LGW [?]

Extra MCO flights this week to mop up the stranded pax:
Tue 7th
VS115/6 VFAB LHR-MCO-LGW
VS127/8 VROS LGW-MCO-LGW
VS149/50 VROC LHR-MCO-LGW
VS175/6 VBEE MAN-MCO-MAN

Wed 8th
VS115/6 VFAB LGW-MCO-LGW
VS127/8 VROC LGW-MCO-LGW
VS275/6 VWOW LHR-MCO-MAN-LHR

Thu 9th
VS115/6 VFAB LGW-MCO-LHR
VS127/8 VHOT LHR-MCO-LHR

That's all for now!

Cheers
Alan

whats with the z/l after the times.

Cheers

Phil

Z is Zulu
L is Local

All airline always work on zulu time.

Zulu time is Greenwich Mean Time.

We flew home on Wednesday night from MCO to MAN on Cosmic Girl which was amazing, got upgraded to PE, couldn't get upgrade to suites as they kept them people with small children/babies!! Great plane especially compared to the normal MAN/MCO aircraft. Got quite excited.

All MCO passengers have been very lucky as there were many UCS aircraft flying from/to Orlando, and with V-Port too, what a great end to a fantastic holiday