Manchester to Miami via Atlanta

If I book the above route (VS MAN to Atlanta and Delta on to Miami) via the VS website what happens if the VS flight is late and I miss the Delta connection?

If it's all booked as a single ticket then you are pushed onto the next flight to Miami. It is the airline's responsibility (at their cost, not yours!) to get you to your final destination if it is a single ticket (though who pays may be another question entirely).

just to clarify you will be put on the next flight that has available space

Have you considered flying into Orlando and driving down.
You may find it is just as quick.
We certainly found much less hassle driving from Orlando up to Savannah than flying there connecting via Atlanta.
Dick D

I don't think I would wish to drive after the flight. Is it about 225 miles or so? How is the route?

It's not a bad drive either on the turnpike (toll) or I95 motorway. Or alternatively if you stayed overnight in Orlando there is a great drive down the coast where you could get a great flavour of the Florida Atlantic Coast.

The Hyatt at Orlando airport is a nice hotel . It is great to land knowing you have nowhere to drive that night. Next morning, early as still on UK time, & refreshed, you can drive to Miami .

The Hyatt at Orlando airport is a nice hotel . It is great to land knowing you have nowhere to drive that night. Next morning, early as still on UK time, & refreshed, you can drive to Miami .

That is what we do. It is great to flop off the plane straight into the hotel.
Next morning pick up the car and head for the I95
It does mean we take three days to get there as we do a hotel at this end too.
Dick D

I don't think I would wish to drive after the flight. Is it about 225 miles or so? How is the route?

That's what we did last year - landed at MCO and drove straight to Miami. The route is fine as you head to the Turnpike from MCO and stay on there practically all the way, very easy and takes approximately 3 1/2 hours. Whether you wish to do this straight off a 9hr flight is another thing and any delays to your flight would understandably make such a journey far less appealing.

If driving or changing planes isn't appealing, you can take the train from 2017...

http://www.allaboardflorida.com/

Thanks all for the postings.

Will let you know what we decide.

Don't worry about the connections, as mentioned above DL will protect you on the next available flight. They will likely even do this before you even arrive in ATL if the flight is so late you will obviously miss your connection. DL have lots of ATL-MIA flights so really no big deal if you are late. Has happened to me many times and all but once got to destination same day (along with my luggage). Very worst scenario is that you end up in an ATL hotel for the night (DL will not pay for this but will give you a special discounted rate). This scenario is the same as some are suggesting you go with by flying to MCO, so unless that option is cheaper, I see no argument for not flying via ATL - unless you absolutely love driving!

Thanks for that.

Do you enter the USA at Atlanta then and avoid Miami international arrivals?

What happens to luggage at Atlanta -will we see it?

[mitchja]

When arriving in the US off an international flight and if you have an onward flight connection, you always have to collect your luggage and go though immigration at the point of entry, so that would be at ATL.

From the Atlanta Airport website here:

2. International inbound connecting at Hartsfield-Jackson for U.S. domestic travel: These passengers are arriving in Atlanta from a city outside the United States to connect on a domestic flight for travel within the United States.

Passengers arriving at gates on Concourse F will process through immigration and customs at the Concourse F Federal Inspection Station (FIS). Passengers arriving at gates on Concourse E will process through immigration and customs at the Concourse E FIS.
After the immigration inspection, passengers pick up their checked baggage.
After the customs inspection, passengers’ checked baggage is rechecked and transferred to domestic connecting flights.
Passengers are required to pass through a security checkpoint.
To reach a connecting flight, passengers will follow signs to the Airport’s people mover system, The Plane Train, which connects the international concourses (E and F) to all other concourses and the domestic terminal.

VS flights from LHR & MAN arrive at the F concourse.

The ATL>MIA will be just a domestic flight so yes, you would avoid MIA international arrivals.

When arriving in the US off an international flight and if you have an onward flight connection, you always have to collect your luggage and go though immigration at the point of entry, so that would be at ATL.

From the Atlanta Airport website here:

Has that changed over the last year, I know that is the case if your connection is to a flight which is domestic. But if your connecting onto an international flight then you can check your luggage till the end point. I flew from Manchester to Lima via Atlanta on delta last year and was able to check my luggage all the way through both going and coming back.

[mitchja]

Sorry, I should have made my post a little clearer. If you connecting flight is domestic, you always have to collect your luggage and go through immigration at your initial arrival airport.

Has that changed over the last year, I know that is the case if your connection is to a flight which is domestic. But if your connecting onto an international flight then you can check your luggage till the end point. I flew from Manchester to Lima via Atlanta on delta last year and was able to check my luggage all the way through both going and coming back.

In your case, your fall into point 4 from the Atlanta airport website, in that you were connecting to another international flight, but even then you can only check your luggage all the way through if your are on a single ticket. If you have separate tickets for each international flight, you still have to collect your luggage at the first airport.

Edit to add - just noticed the VS109 MAN>ATL flight is delayed by almost 4hours today - not a good start to that service which only commenced yesterday!!