V-Flyer

On the way back from the summer hols on Monday 25th from MCO. Won't be too sorry (I never thought I would ever say that, but the weather has been atrocious) and the only way I could utilise a free PE companion flight AND a free reward upgrade was to come back via JFK, flying up from MCO on Delta.

Now, there are a couple of questions that I just can't find the answer to (I have had plenty of spare time looking out over the rental home's pool at the pouring rain):-

1) Speaking with the Gold team before I left they said I would be able to use the MCO lounge even though I am on Delta for that segment as it is all one booking (booked through Virgin). They said Delta will see I am Gold and will allow it knowing the next segment is on Virgin. Can't help feeling I am going to look a fool when I ask for access, hope I'm wrong.

2) When changing at JFK will I need to collect baggage?

3) Please God, I won't need to go through security again?

I do want some time in the JFK lounge as I have not been there before, but there is only a 1hour 50 min turnaround.

I have changed both to and from MCO in the past, but it has always been on the same carrier - I have done Delta (loads of times until the family couldn't stand them any more, but at least my daughter is a Silver member with them, much to her disgust !), Continental, and US Airways. On each of these it has been relatively pain free as no baggage pick-up required and no re-doing the check-in and security.

Any advice gratefully received.

Spiceke

At JFK you will have to transfer from the Delta terminal (either 2 or 3) over to the VS terminal 4 - they are adjacent however this means using the airtrain.

If your ticket is booked through as one I don't think you'll need to collect bags ... but others may correct me.

You will have to go through security again at T4.

Your turnaround time should leave you some time for the JFK clubhouse, its before security and once you're out of the airtrain very easy to get to - presumably you'll have your VS boarding card and gold card to hand.

It has been wet and stormy in Florida for the last week and a bit hasn't it!

I was abit puzzled last year how to connect a Delta flght to a VS flight at JFK. I came in from YYZ on DL with a VS4 connection at JFK all under one ticket and there were no signs in the JFK terminal for connecting passengers. In the end I was told to leave the DL terminal and get on Airtrain to terminal 4. Once you get to terminal 4 you are just like a normal passenger getting from landside to airside through security screening etc.

Strange thing was I had a DL boarding pass with VS flight number on it and the security was abit puzzled whether to let me through or not. He did let through but said I might not get very far with a DL boarding pass. I got to the gate with my DL boarding pass and managed to get the VS agent to issue me with a VS boarding pass.

As long as your bags are tagged straight through to LHR/LGW then there is no need to collect your baggage at JFK.

Thanks for the repsonses. I was hoping to avoid security - not for any underhand reason, butI just find it a pain now and it has taken the fun out of travelling, especially in the US.

Slinky - you are right about the weather. We've been here through hurricannes before (we were closing on the sale of our vacation home the day Charlie hit), but we have never experienced such bad weather before - it is so misarable.

I feel sorry for those unfortunate souls who have seen this as their 'holiday of a lifetime'. At least we have the luxury of knowing what it should be like and we will also be back in October.

I connected from Delta to VS at JFK a couple of years ago. They had checked me through from GSO and issued boarding passes. However they had not been able to honour my seat requests because then (about 3 years ago) the DL system did not 'talk' to the VS system. I went to the VS desk to 'claim' my original seat requests and the check-in agent told me I would have had to come to them in any case to have the security questions asked.

I didn't have to claim my bags but I did have to go through security again in T4 as others have said.

Originally posted by spiceke


1) Speaking with the Gold team before I left they said I would be able to use the MCO lounge even though I am on Delta for that segment as it is all one booking (booked through Virgin). They said Delta will see I am Gold and will allow it knowing the next segment is on Virgin. Can't help feeling I am going to look a fool when I ask for access, hope I'm wrong.
Spiceke

So, here I am sitting with the masses at MCO - yes I did look a numpty asking for lounge access when checking in.

Remind me again - why do we spend x thousand's of pounds with VS, get Gold status, just to be given duff information?

Only consolation is that I had a feeling the advice given was wrong so was not too surprised when denied access.

Still bloody annoying though.