How much hassle is too much hassle?

Hello,

I need to be in Orlando from 18-28th of Sept and unfortunately I cannot be flexible with my dates.

I have a PE Upgrade through Amex but there is no reward availability from LGW. However there is from MAN and it'd also mean I get to have a play on the new A333.

It's for 2 adults and I currently only have one upgrade voucher.

Total cost from LGW: £1860.
Total cost from MAN: £1400.

The MAN cost also includes a return flight to LHR and a night at a MAN airport hotel. I should also mention that I live a stop north of Paddington so LHR is my airport of choice.

I'd like to gauge what you would do and if it's really worth the extra hassle to save £400? This dilemma could be diverted if an LGW reward seat appears... Doing a dummy booking for July and it seems wide open so I might be best leaving it until closer to the time. Big risk, I know!

Thanks for reading,

Mike

No brainer to me...go from MAN. I think you've listed all benefits of going from MAN in your post...new A333, PE upgrade,return flight to LHR, hotel AND a £400 saving which you can spend in Mouseland. y)

All you are doing is adding another adventure to see us up North....we are really friendly natives you know 8D

Go for it while the price is good. y)

Enjoy
Paul

+1, to me £400 is a very worthwhile saving, but only you can decide if the £400 is worth more than the extra time/effort to you?

Absolutely save the £400, goes a long way in $$$

[Nottingham Nick]

Another vote for the Manchester option, especially if you get a chance to try the new planes.

We always go to the airport the day before a long haul flight, and treat it as an extra day on the holiday - nice hotel, nice meal etc. etc.

Manchester isn't SUCH a bad place, you know. 8D

Nick

Another vote for Manchester here.

Am a bit confused you say the return is to LHR but do VS fly from Orlando to LHR or have I read your post wrong?

If the saving is that big and you are prepared with the extra bother of extra flights/ night away etc etc then go for it.

Sometimes savings are just too big to ignore. I'm flying to ORD next week via ZRH because I'm saving £300 over both VS and BA

There is a small (but increasing ) trend for people to look for value rather than convenience e.g. flying to AMS then back to LHR to get the same VS flight to their final destination but with extra savings.

Am a bit confused you say the return is to LHR but do VS fly from Orlando to LHR or have I read your post wrong?

I think the OP meant the price included return flights from LHR to MAN, then onto Orlando.

As to is it worth it? What do you think? Everyone would think different things, as it's still in the UK I would possibly go for it (if I ever went direct to MCO). But often I dont think it's worth the bother and hastle to go to AMS etc to return just to get on the same flight cheaper.

[Neil]

Am a bit confused you say the return is to LHR but do VS fly from Orlando to LHR or have I read your post wrong?

I think the OP meant the price included return flights from LHR to MAN, then onto Orlando.

As to is it worth it? What do you think? Everyone would think different things, as it's still in the UK I would possibly go for it (if I ever went direct to MCO). But often I dont think it's worth the bother and hastle to go to AMS etc to return just to get on the same flight cheaper.

That depends on the saving available. I don't think there are many people who could save £1000+ per person that wouldn't seriously consider it.

To the OP - I think MAN sounds the better options, the saving plus the chance to fly on the new a/c sounds silly not to.

)That depends on the saving available. I don't think there are many people who could save £1000+ per person that wouldn't seriously consider it.

Yes it depends on the savings, but personally I would look at what % roughly of the whole holiday it is saving, where I had to go, what the lounges are like, what the timings were as I wouldn't do it all on one day, that is too much hastle for me.

Mike, go for it. For those of us in the north west, most long haul trips include making a connection, either via LHR>LGW or AMS/ZUR/CDG etc. If you can do what Nick suggests, and make it an extra day's R&R rather than seeing it as hassle I think it's well worth it. And FWIW, I'd book the Radisson at T1. A short walk from T3 arrivals, and then the following day a 10-15 min easy walk via travelators to T2 (not sure if there is twilight check in anymore?)

Regards
R3dV

Are there any reward flights available from LHR-MIA? If so, have you considered taking that route and then paying for an internal flight from MIA-MCO rather than the flight/hotel in Manchester.

Are there any reward flights available from LHR-MIA? If so, have you considered taking that route and then paying for an internal flight from MIA-MCO rather than the flight/hotel in Manchester.

Or an LHR-JFK reward, and then a cheap JetBlue flight down to MCO.

Many thanks for all your replies! A trip to the north it is...

Mike

I have an opposing view. Go to a London airport. It might seem like you are saving a load of money and you may save 'some' but not as much as you think by the time you have faced the hassle of going to Manchester (that is not cheap), the time, effort, taxi here and there plus several cups of tea how much will you really save ?
My philosophy is do what you want when you want rather than calculate every penny. Its not worth the hassle.

And just a very quick update... Did a final search for flights from LGW after posting my last message and they had reward availability. Pays to check everyday! Anyway, I am booked!