V-Flyer

* Family of 5 off to Florida for a fortnight, 2 adults 3 kids (7, 5 and 18 months)!
* A rare Glasgow trip report!
* Going for the record of longest, most detailed TR ever!

Last year we had a successful trip to Florida when the baby was just 11 weeks old so we thought we’d do it again. So as last time apologies for the length of the trip report but I found it useful for parents who surfed in looking for information about travelling long-haul with young children / babies, and they thrive on this kind of detail which reduces the stress caused by the unknowns of travel.

We had three options: Thomas Cook £3300 (9 abreast seating in an A330 into Sandford, small baggage allowance, no food), Virgin £3500, Thomson £3800 (pay a premium for a service that may or may not be operated by a Dreamliner with 9 abreast seating, no thanks)

So why do we subject ourselves to this? Although we live in Glasgow we have family in the south of England so we’re accustomed to 10+ hour car journeys. A 9 hour flight, where I can get up and walk about and don’t have to stop (repeatedly) for a pee should be simple…

Our story begins at T-90 days. The last time we flew in rows 31AC/32AC with the bulkhead for the Skycot. This time the toddler is physically too big for the Skycot and having him on my knee for 9 hours didn’t seem appealing so we wanted the bulkhead seats to give him space to sit, play and sleep. I would have gladly paid extra for this. We couldn’t use the online system to reserve seats (due to the infant on the ticket) so I had to phone up, the call was answered quickly (9am Sunday morning). I was told that I couldn’t reserve the bulkheads, these can only be allocated by the check-in staff so we were provisionally allocated a few rows from the front 38DEFG. This led to quite a stressful 90 days of anticipation – seriously it put a downer on the build-up to my holiday - it also meant that we went to the airport earlier than desired for the check-in opening to secure them rather than keeping airport time with kids to a minimum. Although you will see from my return trip, non-bulkhead seats worked out just as well for us too, so it won’t be an issue in future. I didn’t bother with OLCI as from my previous experience I knew it wouldn’t work with an infant.

I live virtually at the far end of the runway at Glasgow airport (I love planes, reason I bought the house!) so it’s just a short taxi-journey to check-in. Virgin use “Terminal 2” at Glasgow which is just glorified Portakabins, but to be fair it does give a bit more space and it’s quieter than using the main terminal building. However this is the furthest point in the airport from the departure gate, and also miles from the car drop off zone (with suitcases).

We arrived at 9am and check-in was open but it was fairly quiet only a few in front and it moved really quickly. I had pre-written parts of this report and based on my previous experiences had already written about Glasgow check-in staff not being the best as they are rent-a-mob (Serviceair I think) but then something incredible happened. The lady was charming, friendly, and then went totally out of her way (including disappearing to the back office for 5 minutes) to juggle things about and give us the coveted middle bulkhead seats 32DEFG. She even came out and helped us put a plastic bag over our pram and car seat. I walked away astonished with the above and beyond service received and I intend to write a letter of commendation to Crawley Towers if I can remember her name.

They took our 3 suitcases off us, infants get a full 23kg luggage allowance AND pram AND car seat so we had bubble-wrapped his buggy and bulky group 1 car seat to prevent damage (top tip!) and then Virgin now bag it on top. We find its best to check the buggy in the hold and not take it to the gate as the wee man is happy walking and it reduces the risk of damage/loss. For the other 2 lads we took booster car seats that could fit inside the suitcases. Only negative aspect about check-in was no nod was given to my V-Flyer luggage tags.

As we had checked-in early I had booked the Sky Lounge at Glasgow (£48 for the 5 of us) to let the parents relax (there was only so far the Todzilla could run to), have some breakfast and a play area for the kids. The Sky Lounge is split into two wings, the business wing with lovely views over the apron and the holiday wing with views of the car park which the kids didn’t appreciate as they want to see planes! I’m a frequent visitor to the British Airways Galleries lounge at GLA which before its very recent expansion was quite cramped, always busy and food selection lacking, in compassion the Sky Lounge was much more spacious, the food about the same (cereals that were cleared away at 10am, orange juice, tea, coffee, fizzy juice, crisps), the décor to a slightly lesser standard but not that shabby. The play area was a big hit with the kids especially as we bumped into a school pal on the same flight and it gave the parents a much needed break, the toys were fairly new and not that abused, there was a TV but I don’t think the X-box was working. The staff had no problem warming a baby bottle for us. I certainly thought it was worth the money and will use it again.

We made our way to the gate and inspected our trusty steed – G-VKSS Mademoiselle Rouge was waiting for us. There’s something beautiful about an A330’s high aspect ratio wings. The aircraft had already loaded, no queues at the gate and straight on, we were one of the last to board 40 mins early, what is going on as Glasgow always struggles to get the big planes away on time? Turns out it was a fairly light load with 250 pax (plenty of empty seats up the back.)

The kids Virgin goody bag wasn’t available at the gate, when we enquired onboard they said none were loaded, that was a bit of a shame as we were kind of depending on them to use as hand luggage at the other side. No newspapers at the gate as well.

Pushed back from the gate 25 mins early, taxied the long way down to Runway 23 and took off at 1145 on a SID ROBBO departure.

I’m a rather tall 6 foot 2 inches which normally restricts me to aisle seats, the bulkhead seats were great giving me the extra leg room but also room for the kids to move about. The bulkhead seats have the IFE and trays in the arm rest which makes them bulkier than normal but the seat width is fine and there was plenty of room for the wee man to sit on my lap during take-off. It means, however, that you cannot use the gate-to-gate entertainment not that I would as flying within sight of the ground is the most interesting part. Economy in an A330 is 2-4-2 arrangement, having the middle 4 seats we were able to raise the very middle two armrests and fit 5 bums on seats after the seatbelt light went off.

I had brought with me two Skymarks model A330s (G-VKSS the actual plane we were on) that I’d purchased from Amazon for £11 (£30 on the flight) so the boys were delighted with those. They also attracted the attention of the cabin crew, one of who collected models and didn’t realise that one was available. They were, however, a little delicate for the boys and I had to glue the landing gear back on while on holiday. The baby had a more robust toy plane that he used in the galley area.

IFE is the on-demand touch system, and very good it is too. We brought our own headphones but the ones supplied free by Virgin were adequate (and Virgin headphones have to be used if doing the gate-to-gate IFE.) I had a couple of films I wanted to watch, Lincoln and Flight in particular but didn’t have a chance (my book went untouched too)! The kids channels were vastly improved over last year in my opinion, my boys aren’t Disney fans believe it or not but there was plenty of other non-Disney programing (and dare I admit I quite like Peppa Pig!)

As ever the IFE games are very good, some aren’t that suitable for younger children but there was plenty to keep the 5 year old entertained, head-to-head battleships is a particular favourite as well as the moving map which strangely doesn’t prevent ‘are we nearly there yet’ but instead changes it into ‘what part of Florida is Canada in?’ Some IFE touch screen sensitivity was better than others.

Lunch was served soon after take-off, menus handed out beforehand. The salad seemed to be partially frozen, very good chicken korma and some nice cheesecake pots. We had pre-booked the kids meals and they actually turned up this year, including one for the infant. One lad asked for spiral pasta and I can’t remember what the other one ordered however as soon as they saw the chicken curry they wanted ours so there was a bit of swapping about and everybody ate something.

Trying to feed a toddler on a plane without a highchair is fun; he would just lunge at all food and drink. It’s like trying to put an octopus in a string bag. The cleaners won’t be very happy with us but at least none was thrown at fellow passengers.

Again a small gripe that kids can only drink water, fresh orange/apple juice or cans of fizzy juice (Coke, lemonade.) Why can’t they have diluted juice, orange squash, Fruit Shoots etc.? Kids drinking sugary/caffeinated soft drinks in an enclosed space are not a good idea! We mostly kept them on water with a Diet Coke as a treat.

Sandwiches were served as dinner, not my favourite but apparently its standard for most airlines to have a cold second meal on transatlantic. Sandwiches were much better than last years and again a bit of swapping about and everybody ended up with something they liked. We had brought some cling film wrapped sandwiches with us just in case.

Ice cream was served later and Love Hearts on landing, nice touch.

We had Gatwick Cabin Crew, we recognised some faces (and some with a distinct Scottish twang!) Last time when flying with a new baby they really went above and beyond the call of duty. This time it was more normal as we didn’t require any special treatment, but they still came over to chat to the kids which really does make the flight. As a personal preference I always prefer having at least one CC visible walking about as sometimes you’d like to speak to one that’s passing but it’s not important enough to press the call button, they did do this. They had no problem heating a bottle of milk for us (they now provide milk which I didn’t know about). I do believe CC attitude can make or break your opinion of a flight, and have no issues awarding them 5*.

Facilities for the baby: On the 2-class A330 there is a galley towards the front of the aircraft (between EC and PE) which is rarely used by CC out of meal service and passengers are free to help themselves to water. There is a small sink here with water if you need it for formula, but ours is on full fat milk and the crew warmed the bottle for us. We brought three 8oz bottles of milk through security, he had one in the departure lounge and two on the flight, security didn’t have an issue with this as it’s a justifiable amount of milk for the length of flight although we did have to taste a bottle. Although Virgin can supply milk onboard I think it’s wise to carry your own just in case.

There are baby changing in the toilets, basically a wooden board that folds down above the toilet, at 18 months he was getting on the large side for it and he wasn’t particularly happy about the space. The IFE distracted him for a bit but he wasn’t keen on wearing headphones, he played in the galley and bulkhead space with his toy plane, had a run up and down the aisles, played with an iPad and slept for a couple of hours in my arms which let me watch some TV.

I see a lot of comments on here about travelling with screaming kids on planes (about as welcome as a mobile phone in a train quiet zone), yes they are annoying I’ve been on those flights too! We do try our best, it’s stressful for the parents to be on edge for 9 hours in case their children annoy somebody. The baby had a couple of moments where he cried (not full on tantrums thankfully), mainly because he wanted down to run about daft or was tired, but on the whole was well behaved. As for the other two, I barely saw them as they had their iPads and the inflight entertainment. At one stage the school friend paid us a visit and it felt like we were running a crèche.

Landed early at 1530 (due 1605)

On arrival at MCO we were old pros at getting through the airport, the layout is starting to make sense to me now! We walked down the ramp off the plane into immigration. Unfortunately since we were early the flights from LGW (VS27) and MAN (VS25) still hadn’t cleared but we’d beaten the later “heavies” VS15 (747, LGW), VS73 (747, MAN) and BA2037 (747, LGW which was at our back) so it was a 20 minute wait at security which wasn’t bad. I was carrying the baby and made sure he was visible but unfortunately we didn’t get picked out of line as the US desks were busy.

The TSA officer was a pleasant lady, very welcoming, by the time we got through the cases, pram and car seat were waiting to get collected, bit of a queue for customs then headed to the monorail where they take the bags off you once again! This time we knew where to go, from terminal B walk across the terminal past the fountain and into terminal A, pick up the bags near the car hire desks. We were however given a misdirection, cabin crew onboard said talk to Virgin in the terminal to pre-book the bulkhead seats for the return trip, they couldn’t do this and that wasted a bit of time. Straight out into the parking lot as we’d already done the Alamo OLCI (booked via Virgin Holidays which was cheaper than booking direct with Alamo). Got a nice Hyundai Santa Fe which pleased me.

One more tip – try and spend some money in the airport to get change for the toll roads! If you come off at a remote (automatic) off-ramp you need exact change (coins only) otherwise it’ll be an instant fine to the car hire company. Staying on the main toll road to the interstate isn’t a problem as there are manned booths.

To explain my star ratings
5* Ground crew in Glasgow, can’t think of a single thing they could do to improve
4* Meals good curry lunch, sandwiches were ok, kids meals surprisingly turned up but weren’t as good quality, drinks service ok but marked down for kids choice
5* IFE wish I had a chance (and a longer flight) to enjoy it. Sometimes clumsy touch screen.
5* Seats were the ones we wanted, extra leg room and space for the kids, but would like to pre-book
5* Cabin Crew great attitude, friendly, helpful, accommodating, chatted to a few about work and they always had time for us

Overall – we had a very good flight with a new born last year, this one was far better. I think every one of my minor gripes has been addressed; plane early, Glasgow ground staff exceptional, food a bit better (and kids meals turned up), IFE choice better, cabin crew with a great attitude who are trying to deliver that missing spark and it did feel like they were trying to help us with the infant rather than just shut him up for the benefit of the other passengers. The only negatives I can think of were kids drinks and lack of newspapers/goodie bags.

I know it’s not the most popular on here but I think the A330 is a tremendous aircraft especially for leisure EC pax compared to other operators’ offerings. This has confirmed that Virgin is by far the best westbound operators out of Glasgow by miles. Tempted to book up for next year already (Jumbo service too, and wee man will have his own seat.)

Great TR, we made our first trip over to DW when our son was 2. I was very nervous about the whole journey but being prepared really does help doesn't it?
Hope you had a great trip and looking forward to reading the return TR.

I flew into Sanford when my daughter was 10 months old and her brothers were 6 and 10, it was fine. Like you say you just have to be prepared and organised! Hope you had a good holiday we were there in May/June this year although the kids are a bit older now 18, 14 and 8 so not much trouble!!!

Thanks for posting a TR ,a most enjoyable read and great to hear how good things were ,
The Florida / Canada comment made me chuckle

Thanks for the comments. We've always traveled with the kids, they've had more long-haul flights than birthdays! It is a case of knowing what to expect so that you can take less stuff and pack light.

Met with a 'realtor' while over there so looks like this flight will now be a regular fixture.

Return trip has been written and will be posted soon, it's shorter I promise!

That TR was fantastic FUZZY14.
If I ever have the privilege to travel with a little one I will be re-reading these TRs for all the detailed advice.
I have been on a long haul with a few kids and yes it can be a bit frustrating when they are noisy but I have never been annoyed by it. They are KIDS afterall and dont have the same sense of time etc. Also on VS the CC have been great with all the KIDS I have seen. I have certainly never lost any more sleep due to a crying baby. Thats what earplugs are for. lol

Thank you for a most enjoyable TR. I was delighted to read all your positive comments. Also, it is good to be reminded about the stress and strain ( & delight) of travelling with children .

Great read this - thank you for posting it.

The A330 is a nice looking plane, shame it's slower than the 747 though!

Your TR is yet more evidence, if any were needed, that the crew attitude is what makes the greatest impression on the passenger.

As a point of interest, I don't think you are obliged to give up your bags for the momorail trip at MCO? The last 4 or 5 times, we've never done this, and just aken them with us - unless that has changed very recently.

Oh, and Peppa Pig rocks!

Thanks for such an engaging and epic TR

I preserved through to the end (those who know me will understand ) as next year I will be taking the well trodden route to Orlando with some young travellers - not mine I hasten to add - so your TR has been a great help as the young ones find out this weekend

Still toying with whether the kids meals are worth ordering, so any further advice would be appreciated.

The only slight disappointment in your report was the absence of kids packs I would not have thought they would have been loaded on an inbound plane, but I am sure someone more knowledgeable will provide the answer

Thanks once again for a fab report

buns

Great TR, very entertaining

R-P

Concorde RIP wrote:The A330 is a nice looking plane, shame it's slower than the 747 though!

I think the Jumbo is about 30 minutes quicker to Orlando. We'll see next year!

Concorde RIP wrote:Your TR is yet more evidence, if any were needed, that the crew attitude is what makes the greatest impression on the passenger.

Indeed, after having a grumpy crew on our return last year they were a joy this year, makes a real difference.

Concorde RIP wrote:As a point of interest, I don't think you are obliged to give up your bags for the momorail trip at MCO? The last 4 or 5 times, we've never done this, and just aken them with us - unless that has changed very recently.

Correct but we had 3 cases, a car seat and a buggy so a bit too much to drag about. The problem last time was finding them at the other side, now we know and it makes more sense.

Concorde RIP wrote:Oh, and Peppa Pig rocks!

I'm noticing increased similarities between me and Daddy Pig, which is worrying. Now where's my glasses?

buns wrote:Still toying with whether the kids meals are worth ordering, so any further advice would be appreciated.

I think it depends on their age, children's meals were the safer option for mine being younger at 7 & 5, last year the meals didn't turn up and they weren't keen on the adult food. This year however when they saw adults had curry they didn't want the kids meals and stole mine! On the way back however they ate their own. Ordering the kids meals gives you more options, as long as you are happy eating pasta spirals.

buns wrote:The only slight disappointment in your report was the absence of kids packs I would not have thought they would have been loaded on an inbound plane, but I am sure someone more knowledgeable will provide the answer

See below!

Mrs Fuzzy has now reviewed my TR and would like to make the following corrections :

It turned out some, but not all, children on the plane did have the Virgin goodie bags. When she asked the CC they said they didn't have any onboard. They possibly were at the gate and we didn't notice them, but I'm not convinced. They could have ran out, but I'll give the benefit of the doubt to Virgin on this one.

Meals: I forgot that initially they did not provide a childrens meal for the infant (despite it being booked), but waited until the end to see if they had any left before he got one. Not that he was keen on it and I ended up eating it.

Love this. Didn't see it originally, only after your return TR. And, I just giggled at the fact you not only have sellotape and glue on holiday but cling film wrapped sandwiches! Top parent 10/10!

Fuzzy

Grateful thanks for the advice

Armed with the info in both your TRs, I will consult with mum - who will be the one to decide

buns

Super informative report! Great read.

Although we flew out of Gatwick my daughter did get her kids pack at the gate and not on the plane so it maybe you just missed them. Years ago they were given out when we boarded by the cabin crew but on recent trips they have always be given out as we've gone through security at the gate.