Direct going, indirect coming back

[Goldcoast]

Originally Posted by Hopefulholiday

We had our first experience of indirect on our return in July, MCO-Boston- Heathrow, it was booked as a return with Virgin although the domestic flight was Delta. Practically, it was really easy and fortunately there were no delays so from that point of view I’d be happy to do again. However what I didn’t really consider is that you have the waiting around in airports twice and because we had 3 hours between flights that was between 5-6 hours at airport plus the time on 2 flights it did feel far longer than the one flight, particularly as the last flight was a night flight departing at 10:30 and none of us slept. So I think from my point of view I’d rather connect on the way out and fly home direct.

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We will be doing this route on the way home but have a 5 hour layover. I was thinking is it plausible to pop out of the airport for an hour or two?

[JoJo88]

Indirect out, direct home for us given the choice, and what we have done this year. Just try and get on an early flight out of the UK so that should you have any delays, there are options to get you from your connecting airport to your final destination should you miss your original connection. Also, going home, depending on the time of year there can be weather related delays on the internal flight meaning you could miss your connection, which doesn’t leave a lot of scope for an alternative flight back to the UK. All quite unlikely, but I feel more comfortable knowing that if our flight home from Miami this Wednesday is delayed, it only delays us into Heathrow

[Welshjim22]

Originally Posted by scottsman

Personally I would do indirect going and direct back as allows you to sleep easier on the plane, it’s always cheaper if you book as one ticket and much easier

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I'd do the opposite to yourself as if bags get delayed on connection at least your home.

[sky13]

Almost always works out cheaper booking tickets as a return rather than 2 singles.

For me it comes down at least partly to price, so I don't mind indirect both ways or one way (either outbound or inbound) depending on what the price differential is between indirect and direct! (I can't fly direct from where I live now but similar rules still apply - whether to fly with one stop or two stops!)

Some airlines will show both direct and indirect options, so you can book for example an outbound direct and inbound indirect (or vice versa), on the same ticket.

[SpottyTiger]

Agree direct out. Why make the journey longer? We fly indirect home. Late afternoon/early evening flight Tampa to Miami (1 hour flight time) and then the overnight flight back.
I’ll pay up to £600pp inc 7 seater hire car for August school hols with ba.

[loves2plan]

We've done this once (all others have been direct both ways) as it was much cheaper and we just booked it as a return ticket, not 2 singles. The last thing I want is to be delayed on the way out and maybe have to start my holiday late, so I was only happy to do this as it was direct out and indirect back. Not too worried about being delayed coming home. The indirect flight was changing at a US airport, so a short internal flight, then the long hop home, making it feel more like flying home direct. I wouldn't personally do an indirect flight home where the change is at a European airport as I think it would be really tiring, but that's just personal preference

[sammykitten]

Originally Posted by JudyC

We are planning on this for next April. Hoping for a price of around £350 booked through Delta but operated by Virgin.

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thats what we paid for October half term 2018 - booked through Netflights, Virgin direct out, Delta indirect (via Atlanta) back. Because the MCO-Atlanta leg is only 90 minutes, it meant we had all of our main night flight on the Atlanta-Heathrow leg, so got a good long rest on that flight. It was great, and I much preferred it to our previous indirect out to MCO through Chicago.

[Buttercup1982]

Thank you for everyone's advice. I agree I don't want to be stressed going out there and dont want to risk losing time in orlando that's why I was looking at direct on the outbound journey. Wanting to keep costs down though so that's why I suggested indirect on the way home. Were going in the middle of August so myself, DH,DD and DS will all have time to recuperate before school starts 👍

[cornishfrogboy]

If the prices were identical, I actually prefer indirects to direct on the Florida route, ideally with a 3 hour layover going out and 1 hour coming home (many are). My reasoning...

1. I save money, generally.
2. Indirects for me tend to be LHR instead of LGW, meaning an easy 5 hour drive, rather than a stressful 6 and a half, hitting the M25 at a busy time as, with distances involved we always stay over the night before a flight.
3. Clearing customs has always been unpleasant for me at MCO, taking several hours. Having arrived as a domestic internal having cleared at, say Atlanta means straight off a relatively small, easily unloaded small aircraft to baggage reclaim.. or in my case with hand baggage only, straight out the door.
4. I tend to tie in a bit of somewhere else, either Beaches, Keys, Another City etc. Indirects cut my driving time by opening up Pensacola, Daytona Beach, Fort Lauderdale and even Key West whilst costing the same as any other indirect. I then drive a ‘ribbon’ rather than several return journeys, keeping road mileage down whirl st. Saving both time and more money.
5. Door to door from my home to my initial accommodation, for all of the above reasons actually works out quicker for me than an indirect LGW to MCO. (I live in W Cornwall and pretty much inevitably have to look at London).

The London-MCO route must be the most overpriced, rip off fare into the USA and I give these examples.
1. In 2017 Easter School hols I flew LHR-Pensacola via ATL with a 3 hr and the Daytona Beach to LHR via ATL on a 1 hour... For £435pp
2. In 2018 Easter hols I flew LHR -SFO direct and then LAX-LHR direct for £575pp (and that is just average.
3. This year at peak School hols I flew LGW-Boston, LaGuardia to Dayton OH, Cincinatti-MCO and finally (in a couple of days, Miami to LGW. This was for a total outlay of £735pp. (We caught a train from Boston to NY). The biggest clue to all this was my Cincinatti to MCO leg. It cost me £88pp in late July. At one time it dropped to £37pp! Flying in to MCO only seems to cost extortionate amount for us Brits. Flying from anywhere else seems as cheap as chips. ( we investigated Indianapolis, Dayton and Columbus for a flight into MCO and they all cost pretty much the same.. Cheap).

It really is a question of how much you are prepared to pay and how much flexibility you have. Getting to Orlando need not cost so much. You can make all of the above work to your advantage, if you choose to.

[Clarkd3]

I’m planning on booking direct out, indirect home for Aug 2020, missed a great price last holiday through indecision!
We want to arrive in MCO as early as possible, indirect last time meant it was nearly 2am UK time by the time the DD got to bed and they were beside themselves despite a 0730 departure from Heathrow! Also came to the conclusion that in doing the indirect route home the domestic leg is still in Florida day time so everyone was still fresh leaving the connecting flight back to Heathrow for some shut eye!
That’s my game plan for now but we’ll see especially when the glitch thread gets going!