Flying Virgin from Ireland

Newbie here looking for some advice

I am in Ireland and wonder how I can go about booking a virgin flight to Orlando. There doesn't seem to be an option on the web site and if this is the case I guess I can't take advantage of the on-line booking discounts.

Are there any fellow country men or women who fly with Virgin and can give me the heads up on booking from Ireland. Also what is the journey home like. We rarely sleep on the plane and the though of a wait in the UK and another flight before the 2 hour drive home makes me a bit worried

One other think to add - we are one pass members with Continental who I believe code share with Virgin. Would this help?

Thanks
[oo]

[Nottingham Nick]

Welcome to V-Flyer.

One of our most respected and regular posters.. honey lamb .. is a compatriot of yours. I am sure she will be along soon, and be able to answer all of your questions.

Don't expect good news though. [:I];)

Nick

[honey lamb]

Hi Irish-Tink and welcome

As you can see from the little flag on the side I live in Ireland and regularly fly Virgin Atlantic. Unfortunately you cannot book on-line as the website demands a UK post code and I have always booked by phone (made a booking this afternoon as a matter of fact [y]) Regulars here will be well aware I bemoan the loss of the on-line booking bonuses [:(!] but on the other hand the VS staff are absolutely delightful to deal with and tremendously helpful in answering queries. [^]

Like you I have an onward flight and an hour's drive home but it honestly hasn't been a problem - except for the time coming back from LAX when we flew over the house and then took a further 8 hours before we saw it again! [ii]

[honey lamb]

One of our most respected and regular posters.. honey lamb ..

[:I] [:I] [:I] [:I] [:I]

[preiffer]

I'd second Nick that it's a "honey lamb" question. In terms of booking, at present, there's no online option - so you'd have to use either a TA or call Virgin direct.

I did DUB-LHR-SFO and SFO-LHR-DUB quite a few times about 4/5 years ago, using an EI flight into London. Apart from a couple of worrying moments where the EI leg was late into Heathrow (either left late, or circling), the outbound was never a problem. (The transfer from T1 to T3 wasn't that bad)

The inbound flight, to be honest, was the killer. From Orlando, you may not get quite the same effect, but from SFO and being 8 hours behind after a 10hr flight, the last thing I wanted to do was treck across to T1 and catch another plane.

Having said that, I had an hour long journey into Dublin City Centre to look forward to the other side, which didn't help.

I'd say from Orlando would be easier, but do try and get some sleep (or take a couple knock-out pills) on the way into London...



(Ah - I see Honey Lamb responded to her calling in record time...!)

Originally posted by honey lamb
...........except for the time coming back from LAX when we flew over the house and then took a further 8 hours before we saw it again! [ii]

LOL - that's a bummer

Do you fly from Dublin and who do Virgin use to get you over to the UK. Also if we want to go to Orlando would you recommend we go to Gatwick or Manchester to get our Orlando flight?? Also how do you find the prices (Sorry for all the questions)

[honey lamb]

Originally posted by Irish-Tink

Originally posted by honey lamb
...........except for the time coming back from LAX when we flew over the house and then took a further 8 hours before we saw it again! [ii]

LOL - that's a bummer

Do you fly from Dublin and who do Virgin use to get you over to the UK. Also if we want to go to Orlando would you recommend we go to Gatwick or Manchester to get our Orlando flight?? Also how do you find the prices (Sorry for all the questions)

No I don't fly from Dublin but from Cork and therefore if I am using LHR then the only choice is Aer Lingus. Earlier this year we flew to Orlando and our only route to Gatwick was with Easyjet (although Ryanair now do it also) On that occasion we flew over the night before and stayed in the Hilton at LGW as the connection would have been too tight and barely legal and in fact would not have connected to any of the other LGW flights. That actually was bliss as, like preiffer, I have sweated bricks when the EI flight was anyway delayed and it was great just to be able to walk into the airport and not worry about connections

On our return from Orlando we had no option but to take the bus from Gatwick to Heathrow as the Easyjet flight wasn't until late evening. That has been remedied by Ryanair having an early afternoon flight.

Finally I always make my bookings from Ireland independently of Virgin but then notify them of the reservation so that it is in the system in case of any delays etc.

Hope all this helps

Originally posted by honey lamb

Finally I always make my bookings from Ireland independently of Virgin but then notify them of the reservation so that it is in the system in case of any delays etc.

out of interest, what do virgin do if the flight is delayed, do they let the connecting airline know of the delay/arrange to put you on later flight?

I am connecting on to a Qantas flight from VS soon (booked separately), should I let VS know about this connection, will it help?

Rich.

Last time I flew on the 17, the aircraft was delayed as we had to wait a while for the connecting pax from the inbound Dehli flight. I don't know if this was delayed or what but it sure delayed us![:(]

Cheers,
VS045

[honey lamb]

Originally posted by Richard28

Originally posted by honey lamb

Finally I always make my bookings from Ireland independently of Virgin but then notify them of the reservation so that it is in the system in case of any delays etc.

out of interest, what do virgin do if the flight is delayed, do they let the connecting airline know of the delay/arrange to put you on later flight?

I am connecting on to a Qantas flight from VS soon (booked separately), should I let VS know about this connection, will it help?

Rich.

To be honest with you I have never been delayed so I can't answer the question but I do remember that a member of the Premier Team advised it when I was making a booking to SFO earlier this year. I was flying UC and when we looked at a consolidated ticket it was adding an extra £300 to the fare [:0] We both agreed that was ridiculous (and probably now not available as EI have since got rid of their Premier class on the ORK-LHR run) and she advised me to book independently and advise of them of my EI flights so that if it were horrendously delayed they would be aware of it and would then seek to book me on the LAX flight. Since then I have always done so.

On an earlier occasion - I think my first time to the USA - I had booked my EI leg independently but had not advised VS. The flight was horrendously late leaving IAD because of storms. However I had checked my luggage all the way through and the cabin crew came to reassure me that my connection would be fine. It was! Because of storms on the east coast of America all flights into LHR had been severely delayed. As a result all the short haul flights into LHR the following morning had been delayed at their point of departure so ther was plenty of time for me to connect.

The major advantage of being "in the system" was last October when leaving IAD. The guy at check-in refused to check our bags all the way through [:(!] We argued with him and eventually it was allowed because we were "in the system" I sent an email to Customer Service two months ago querying this. I am still waiting a response!! [:0]

[preiffer]

Hmm. Be careful with offers to "move you onto the LAX flight" by VS. Last time they did that for me, I had to pay for the UA flight from LAX-SFO myself.

Not complaining that it wasn't fair, but the apparently generous offer of "moving me, for free, onto the VS23" was rather clouded by nature of the fact the internal one way to SFO was $450 [:0]

[honey lamb]

Originally posted by preiffer
Hmm. Be careful with offers to "move you onto the LAX flight" by VS. Last time they did that for me, I had to pay for the UA flight from LAX-SFO myself.

Actually if it had happened I think I would have held out for the following day especially as my final destination was RNO

Originally posted by preiffer
Hmm. Be careful with offers to "move you onto the LAX flight" by VS. Last time they did that for me, I had to pay for the UA flight from LAX-SFO myself.

Not complaining that it wasn't fair, but the apparently generous offer of "moving me, for free, onto the VS23" was rather clouded by nature of the fact the internal one way to SFO was $450 [:0]

This happened to me when I was on a Y upgraded to G, and they booked me a UA F ticket! But then again I was originating LHR to SFO.

Cheers
sky