Advice re Virgin flight MAN to MCO to ATL

Hi there Virgin (& other) Frequent Flyers.

As a medium length lurker on the forum, I wondered whether any of you might be able to assist with some information relating to our upcoming summer holiday flying with Virgin, given your greater experience and frequency of long haul.

We are flying from Manchester to Atlanta via a stop in Orlando and we have not done an indirect flight like this before.
Our ticket is a Z class Upper (Man to MCO), Delta First (MCO to ATL) all on one ticket (return leg is direct).
Only Silver status (if it matters).

Having read other posts, it appears we undergo immigration and customs checks at MCO as our point of arrival but I have some queries about the mechanics of how this operates at Orlando.

a) We are returning on valid ESTAs for which we were photographed & fingerprinted last year. Does this confer any advantages, like being able to use e-booths or the like ? or is it just into the main immigration queue for us ?

b) After clearing immigration, what's the process with the checked bags ? Are we leaving airside & rechecking them, or is there some sort of Delta bag drop or carousel to drop them onto ?

c) Are we safe to buy duty spirits in Manchester or would we lose them with having to go through security again during transit at Orlando ?

d) As we are arriving from a transatlantic Virgin flight and connecting onto A Delta flight on the same day (Upper/First), have we any access to the delta SkyLounge in Orlando. On this matter I seem to recall someone has previously said this is the case, so I'm just looking for confirmation really.

Hope one or more of you may be able to help. Thanks and regards, Stephen J.

[mitchja]

Welcome to V-Flyer

To answer your questions.

a) Yes will be able to use the ESTA machines for immigration at ATL.

b) Your checked luggage will be tagged all the way to your final destination at MAN though you will have to collect them when at arrive at ATL. After immigration you head to baggage reclaim. At ATL as you then exit baggage reclaim you can either turn left for connecting flights or turn right for arrivals. On turning left, everyone drops their checked luggage at a bag-drop belt and then you head through security before heading to your next departure gate.

c) If you buy duty free bottles before you get to ATL, you must make sure they are in a sealed clear plastic bag which clearly displays the receipt. VS cabin crew know exactly what to do for selling duty free if you have an onwards connection. Not sure if MAN airport duty free staff will though? Make sure you tell them you are connecting onto another flight and ask them to put bottles in a sealed bag displaying the receipt.

Do not open that bag what ever you do!

When you pass through security at ATL, show them the sealed bag and they will examine it but will allow you to keep it as long as the plastic bag has remained sealed and they can see the receipt details clearly. They may well open up the plastic bag and tape it back up for you.

d) Yes, you can use the Delta Sky lounge at both ATL and coming back from MCO too.

I think you’ve misread the OP James. They’re flying MAN-MCO-ATL, not MAN-ATL-MCO.

Having said that, most of the above still applies. MCO isn’t as geared up for connections as ATL but I THINK (though I could be wrong) you’ll be able to recheck your luggage straight after clearing customs without having to board the transit to the main terminal, as your DL flight should depart from the same concourse VS arrives at. You can then go straight to the SkyClub as soon as you get off the escalator leading up from customs.

If there isn’t a recheck facility after Customs, I fear you’ll have to catch the transit to the main terminal, go landside, check in at a DL desk, reclear security and catch the transit back to where you started, which could easily add 45-60 minutes to the process.

Manchester duty free know exactly what to do for an indirect flight. We frequently do the MAN - ATL - MCO route and purchase duty free and it's given exactly as stated above, in a sealed bag in the Manchester shop.

[mitchja]

opps sorry, my bad, yeah just read the post properly!!

There are no machines in use at the moment at MCO so be prepared for a long wait! Having said that, they really do not make a lot of difference, because you still have to queue to see an immigration officer!

The one and only time we used the machines at MCO, we then waited to see an immigration officer who repeated the entire process, fingerprints and all! We didn't have Xs on our pieces of paper either! By the time we got through, the "normal" queue had long gone and we were some of the last people to collect our luggage.

Any DF needs to be in a STEB (security tamper evident bag). DF staff are pretty good at asking if the airport on your BP is your final destination and giving you the right bag. Though it's just as easy to slip them into your case when you collect your bags at MCO before dropping them off again.


But yes

You will be able to use the 'returning ESTA' line .

And yes you'll get access to the DL lounges but you'll need to show the boarding pass for your long haul VS flights as First on US domestic does not qualify (some exceptions on premium routes) does not get lounge access.

Thanks for the advice people - appreciated.
Yes- the itinerary is MAN to MCO to ATL
the direcy ATL to MAN on the return leg.
So the only bit I'm not too clear on is where any transit luggage drop is likely to be at MCO.

The Orlando airport website wasn't great at informing. Might it be worth a call to VS customer service ?

[mitchja]

Though it's just as easy to slip them into your case when you collect your bags at MCO before dropping them off again.

Do that at your own risk though. There are clear warning signs (certainly at ATL) telling you not to open your checked luggage between collecting it and dropping it off again if you are connecting.

No idea about MCO though?

Some further digging has yielded that both our arriving flight and departing flight are from Airside 4 BUT it appears we have to go through security again with our hand luggage.
So only outstanding question appears to be whether there's a bag drop for the checked baggage before we leave the secure area.

A bump please.
Does anyone know whether on arrival at MCO there is bag drop that is post customs but before you leave the secure area - where you can drop checked bags for an onward internal flight.
All itinerary is on one ticket.
Cheers.

PS : In the trip reports - other airlines - are people interested in LCC trips, to see how non FFs fly