VS027 Vs. VS015 - any differences?

Looking at flying to Orlando on 6th Jan 2010 from Gatwick.
Got a choice of 2 outbound flights - VS027 at 11:15am and VS015 at 13:00.
So, are there any differences with these flights such as loads, arriving at the same time as 10 other flights, traffic on the roads etc?

Have flown both these flights many times and have never really noticed any differences - mainly because they are never very good at arriving at the scheduled times (which I have to say, an hour or so doesn't really bother me that much - I am on holiday [:D])so trying to avoid other arriving flights or busy roads etc is just pot luck.

I would imagine both the flights at that time of year would be pretty light

David

They are both very very light!
But the returning flights are fairly busy so less chance of a cancellation [:)]
You might even end up with complete row to yourself in Y or cabin to yourself in J (on the 27)

Having looked around some others sites, it does apear that VA sometimes tend to cancel the VS027 and put everyone on the other flight. They did this year around the 12th Jan-24th? apparently.
To be honest, arriving a couple of hours later won't make that much difference to me personally as theme parks etc won't be visited at 3-6pm anyway as it's not worth it.
It's down to a few factors such as getting to the airport on time etc at present.

If you are travelling Upper or are AU, you have the option of extra time in the clubhouse if you take the later flight.

The only other factor which would make me pick one over the other would be price.

Enjoy Florida in January [y]

David

edited to add - it's much the same in reverse, but make sure you don't have to return your hire car at 4.00pm and your flight is leaving at 7.30pm - lost time in the sunshine (actually the VS050 is even better in that respect as it doesn't leave till around 9.00pm [:D])

The 27 often lands around the same time as BA and LH so immigration can be busier, but I regularly do the 15 and nothing else seems to arrive at the same time, as no crew to queue behind at the crew lane!
Also when you land back off the 16 you miss all the rush hour traffic (Very good if you have been running around all night and you want a quick drive home to bed!)
Plus checking in at LGW for the 15 should be quieter as all the other VS flights have gone.

So what happens, seat wise, if say the earlier flight gets cancelled due to a light load and merged with the later flight? Do people who have already selected a seat keep them and you then take what's left?
Do have a favourite seat and don't really like to be anywhere but on the port side next to a window - a lot eaier to look left than right and do love to watch the ocean and scenery

quote:Originally posted by xenole
So what happens, seat wise, if say the earlier flight gets cancelled due to a light load and merged with the later flight? Do people who have already selected a seat keep them and you then take what's left?
Do have a favourite seat and don't really like to be anywhere but on the port side next to a window - a lot eaier to look left than right and do love to watch the ocean and scenery



This is what happened to me (I was UC)when I was on a 'cancelled' VS27 which resulted in the 2 flights being merged. Everyone who was on the VS15 kept their seats, everyone on the VS27 were fitted into whatever seats were available, this meant those on the VS27 originally in UC were downgraded to PE (apart from me, I was extremely fortunate and had the 1 and only free seat on the VS15!), the VS27 PE passengers were downgraded to economy, there was plenty of room in economy on both flights so no economy passengers were bumped off. However, a number of UC and PE passengers did not want to be downgraded and travelled the following day. This also happened to me coming back (on the same trip!), again I was fortunate and kept an UC seat, the downgrades followed the same pattern but this time economy was full and it took a couple of days to clear the backlog.

quote:Originally posted by firsttimer
quote:Originally posted by xenole
So what happens, seat wise, if say the earlier flight gets cancelled due to a light load and merged with the later flight? Do people who have already selected a seat keep them and you then take what's left?
Do have a favourite seat and don't really like to be anywhere but on the port side next to a window - a lot eaier to look left than right and do love to watch the ocean and scenery




This is what happened to me (I was UC)when I was on a 'cancelled' VS27 which resulted in the 2 flights being merged. Everyone who was on the VS15 kept their seats, everyone on the VS27 were fitted into whatever seats were available, this meant those on the VS27 originally in UC were downgraded to PE (apart from me, I was extremely fortunate and had the 1 and only free seat on the VS15!), the VS27 PE passengers were downgraded to economy, there was plenty of room in economy on both flights so no economy passengers were bumped off. However, a number of UC and PE passengers did not want to be downgraded and travelled the following day. This also happened to me coming back (on the same trip!), again I was fortunate and kept an UC seat, the downgrades followed the same pattern but this time economy was full and it took a couple of days to clear the backlog.


so what happens if you do not wish to be downgraded and fly home the next day,do you get put up in a hotel!

quote:Originally posted by jodash
so what happens if you do not wish to be downgraded and fly home the next day,do you get put up in a hotel!



Yup, only time its happened to us (in around 30 odd visits to Orlando), we were put up in the Rosen Centre, one of the large hotels on Idrive near the convention centre.

David

What happens if you are downgraded; is there some sort of compensation and hopefully the return of the difference in the fare? Also, do you get to keep the tier points from the higher class? This could be slightly annoying if someone was trying to keep or upgrade their FC tier.

Luckily it has never happened to me... yet. I suppose in this instance the quicker one checks in the better?!?

Is there any info stored on flight loads from Jan this year? Planning on booking a seat on Wed/Thurs and seeing the past history of the flights in Jan would possibly help me decide which one to book.

quote:Originally posted by ClaireAW
What happens if you are downgraded; is there some sort of compensation and hopefully the return of the difference in the fare? Also, do you get to keep the tier points from the higher class? This could be slightly annoying if someone was trying to keep or upgrade their FC tier.

Luckily it has never happened to me... yet. I suppose in this instance the quicker one checks in the better?!?


Happened to us once - well nearly !

5 coming back from MCO to LGW in Upper.
Our flight (the later one) was cancelled and we were offered PE on the earlier one.
We DONT DO PE so had a bit of an argy bargy (was offered UC to Man but no good either as Sister would have to get to London to pick up har car from my driver then drive back to Yorkshire !).
So offered a flight to MIA then Upper to LHR - result. Even on Z fares we got 2 CDC from LHR to hy house in London (plus a better flight as had V-Port, inflight beauty (oh those were the days !0 and revivals in LHR; plus we all got a free flight to New York as compensation for the way it had been (badly) managed by MCO (downtown) staff. [y]

Sounds like a fair exchange, although you I get the feeling you had to fight for it.

quote:Originally posted by ClaireAW
What happens if you are downgraded; is there some sort of compensation and hopefully the return of the difference in the fare? Also, do you get to keep the tier points from the higher class? This could be slightly annoying if someone was trying to keep or upgrade their FC tier.

Luckily it has never happened to me... yet. I suppose in this instance the quicker one checks in the better?!?


Miles were offered (I can't remember how many though) and a free return economy flight anywhere that Virgin flies to.

I had already checked in online the day before as soon as online check in opened, approx. 2 hours after that the flight was closed for online check-in, apparently the decision had been made at that time to cancel the flight, yet people were still using twilight check-in and were not informed then. Also, no-one in UC (or PE/economy) on the VS15 who had checked in online were contacted, apparently this was an 'oversight'. [:?] everyone was informed when they arrived at the check-in/bag drop desks the morning of departure. It was all of a bit of a mess really and not apparently how Virgin usually handle such situations (so I have been told by them).

I think I should count myself lucky that it has never happened to me. There must be nothing worse when you have to be downgraded or bumped from a flight.