V-Flyer

After a very different outbound flight a couple of weeks ago, and a very warm, very expensive but very very quiet stay in Orlando, it was time to think about packing and our return home.

We had stayed at a very empty Hilton GV on Idrive (40% occupancy) in a one bedroom suite for an unbelievable $82 + tax a night which IMHO is one of the best positioned propertys off site in Orlando.

The one mistake I made this trip was discovered at the last minute, when after realising how late the car needed to be returned (6pm) I enquired about a late checkout. No problem until 12 noon, but for 4pm it was another $75. Having only paid $82 + tax per night, I should have added an extra night when originally booking.

Anyhoo, we decided again to checkin at Downtown (previously having doubts about the loading priority of the bags) and have marked it down slightly as for the first time, the priority queue was not totally seen too first before the economy. Still only took around 5 mins to checkin so is still a good bet for extending your last day.

We arrived at MCO after a very warm and sticky last day and entered the foyer at security to huge queues. The different marked lanes (family, experienced travellers etc) have dissappeared since our last trip in June and its back to a free for all, although I wonder if these signs had any relevance to many of the people standing in line

There was a lot of people getting excited about missing their JetBlue flight but we were through without too much waiting. I have posted the "enhancements" to the Delta room for those that are able to experience it and I think it still helps with a calm space when there is 4 or 5 full jumbo's + BA's 777 getting ready to leave from the same satellite within a few hours of each other.

Honey Lamb had generously reported the new menu and Jilly had posted the new IFE guide for us poor relations with Nova and for once I was very looking forward to the inbound catering. In the past it's always been a little suspect for me.

We had the soup, back to VS's gloppy standard and very tasty although there could have been a bit more and had the ribs for the main course - very nice and tasty (but always thought ribs had meat stuck to bone - this was just the meat)

Service was very good, as usual and even the cup of tea in the morning was very hot which always seems to be a problem. Watched Hot Tub Time machine which was very funny after a few glasses of champagne. The flight itself was very smooth and I think I mananged around 4 hours sleep, even though I had wondered if the hurricane heading up the coast might cause us a few problems.

The plane was rammed, as were all the planes leaving the night, so no empty cabins on the way home.

The VS074 is quite a late flight but we landed at a resonable time of around 9.20. Quickly through immigration, although the new self service machines at MAN for reading chipped passports where broken.

We approached belt number 1 and the message on the screen confirmed we landed at 9.20 and the all bags will be delivered by 10.20. Here was us thinking, they better come out quicker than that.

Around 15 bags came out pretty quickly and then, apart from one poor handle (of a case) with an orange label still attached to it going round and round, there was nothing until around half eleven - very very poor. All bags very muddled through each other but its very bad patter when after waiting 2 hours for the majority of the bags to come onto the belt, priorty baggage still doesn't work !

Eventually we meet the Purple Parking guy at departures who told us that they had 3 clients off the flight, one very early , us, and they were still waiting for the other one

Not a great finish to what was a nice flight home.

Got to get back to planning now and will have to pay for the next one if I am wanting to try and keep Gold.

Thanks for reading

David

David

Thanks for the TR

i agree wholeheartedly about the Hilton GV on I Drive and its location - $82 a night I bet there would be a few Hilton Timeshare owners who would be smarting at such discounting

With a rammed flight, i am sure there were one or two on the plane who had been desperately hoping for an Op-Up

Bad News on the baggage reclaim though

buns

Hi Buns

The $82 was a bargin. I always book through hhonors.com and noticed at the very bottom of the options was a rate for "returning guests". Looked like a rate for a studio with a free upgrade to a one bedroom which was guaranteed.

It was quite funny when the guy at reception tried to get me to take a tour and had to withdraw quickly when I asked him why I should buy when I can get a rate like that

I can only guess it was because of the low occupancy rates, but saying that I still think the normal rate of around $129 is still excellent value

David

Hi David,

Thanks for the top TR !

Heres to your next trip !

Thanks for the TR.
Two hours at MAN luggage belt
Surprised there wasn't a mini riot!

Thanks for the TR - as for the arriving baggage seems time for VS to kick their ground handling agents, I'd fire off a note!

There may have been a tech. problem. Occasionally the hold containers do not come out as expected.
That would explain the initial bags then "delivered by 10:20" message.
That does not excuse them not keeping you informed of reasons for the delay.

I was put in mind of the Peter Kay routine where the baggage handlers are watching through the flaps of the carousel laughing at everyone waiting....

Excellent TR, thank you. A two hour wait for bags is pretty poor. We had an hour's wait at LGW a couple of years ago and, though not a riot, it did end up with some very short tempered people stalking off with the wrong luggage, having failed to check the tags...

David wrote:We approached belt number 1 and the message on the screen confirmed we landed at 9.20 and the all bags will be delivered by 10.20. Here was us thinking, they better come out quicker than that.

I've just started a few weeks of flying into MAN from EDI and have noticed that the bag delivery is scheduled one hour after landing. Given that on the last flight mine was the only bag in the hold that seems a tad excessive.

Paul

Great TR and thanks for taking your time on it, i looked at the hilton gv earlier this year and was amazed and what a great price it was too however we are already booked elsewhere.

Flight sounded very nice too bad for the wait on luggage.

cheers

alex

Thank you for the great TR.

Sounds like a good flight. Yet to try UC on a MAN-MCO-MAN
MAN baggage handling is beyond hopeless, I'm hoping this is getting flagged with the airlines (we've reported it twice back to VS).
very long delays, all heaped together, Priority offload non existent or as generally seen, the LAST to come off...

NH

David wrote:The plane was rammed, as were all the planes leaving the night, so no empty cabins on the way home.

Sounds like most flights in the last week as everyone is heading home after the summer holidays!

Glad you enjoyed your flight home.