Advice please... 2 stop indirect flights

[jools1302]

Hi 👋,
We did this last year flew from Aberdeen to Amsterdam, Amsterdam to Detroit and then on to Orlando. Flights with KLM/Delta, we had a really positive experience this was first time indirect, we saved £££’s for 4 adults and 3 kids and wouldn’t hesitate to book similar again. My friend who was in charge of flight booking did a great job at finding a route where all the timings worked well. Detroit airport was great to transfer through. 😁

[Gilly120]

Not done 2 stops but 1 stop in Detroit. Great airport very easy to navigate. We had 70 mins between flights and done it easily but this was in November.

I would do it again as we were in and out of Orlando airport in under 15 mins due to doing immigration at Detroit.

[Donnalou36]

Originally Posted by Bozza

I haven't, but I thought i'd chip in as there seems to be two slightly different things being discussed here...

1. Two stops, where the first is within the UK (ie Glasgow -> Heathrow and then Heathrow -> US stop -> Orlando)

2. Two stops within the US (eg, I saw this recently: LGW -> Fort Lauderdale -> Charlotte -> Orlando)

There's less risk with the first of these than the second where it might not take much of a delay on your first flight to put the chances of you making your third flight in jeopardy. And, of course, even if you make the third flight, your luggage may not.

A 2-stopper I would be more comfortable with is where you overnight after flight 1 or 2, so you'd just pick up a cheap hotel airport, and then you jump on an early-ish flight the next day, hopefully feeling quite refreshed, to arrive in Orlando the next morning.

See more...

The flight I’ve seen is Manchester > Amsterdam > Detroit > Orlando

[Donnalou36]

Originally Posted by jools1302

Hi 👋,
We did this last year flew from Aberdeen to Amsterdam, Amsterdam to Detroit and then on to Orlando. Flights with KLM/Delta, we had a really positive experience this was first time indirect, we saved £££’s for 4 adults and 3 kids and wouldn’t hesitate to book similar again. My friend who was in charge of flight booking did a great job at finding a route where all the timings worked well. Detroit airport was great to transfer through. 😁

See more...

Thank you. Exactly the route I’m looking at. 😀

[chmurf]

Originally Posted by Donnalou36

Thank you. Exactly the route I’m looking at. 😀

See more...

Be advised that the AMS-DTW flight is operated by Delta

Delta may sell that low fare under economy basic.
that fare does not include checked luggage and will not allow you to choose seats (not even at check in)

so be sure to pay double attention to what the price includes

[BevS97]

We would as living in Newcastle it’s either a long drive or a short flight to a major airport. I prefer a short flight.

[sotagals]

If I were doing the first "stop" from a really local airport like Durham, Humberside or Norwich etc then the first leg is way easier than driving to Manchester.

Amsterdam airport is easy and quick to navigate compared to the nightmare that is Heathrow and as previous posters have said when you return you can be putting your key in the door of your house before 10am.

Yes sometimes they go wrong but that's the chance you take whichever route or airline you choose.

[lossieglen]

As we live in the far north and Inverness being our local airport we have done the three flight scenario often and we don't have a problem with it. It can be a bit of a pain at times but the money saved can be huge. Go for it; once your there you forget about the flights and when coming back it just means you leave a little bit earlier in the day.

[Dewdropdazzle]

We’ve done this last few years now to enable us to fly from our local airport. We’ve travelled with 2 kids and also my dad in a wheelchair with no issues. We’ve always found it’s nice to be able to get a break between flights. We’ve always said travel day is exhausting regardless. As someone else said I wouldn’t drive miles to get to the first airport.
I always look at total travel time. For us two stopping from Newcastle usually works out as 15/16hrs.

For us to get to Manchester is difficult unless we travel day before, otherwise we would be adding around 4hrs to our travel day. So it works out around the same but benefit in coming home is I’m home soon after landing.
We have flown with KLM/Delta previously, booked fully through KLM so we’ve never paid extra for baggage or seat selection etc.
We’ve flown from Newcastle to Amsterdam with KLM then onwards with Delta via Detroit, Boston, Minneapolis all with no problems, delays or lost baggage.
We’ve also two stopped with BA/AA through Heathrow and then Atlanta and Charlotte again no problems. We did transfer through Chicago once and didn’t like it but no problems as such.

If the price is right I would never hesitate to two stop but I understand it’s not very persons cup of tea.

Just to mention when people talk about delays, in all the years we’ve travelled to Orlando we’ve experienced two huge delays (8-12hrs) and both were with direct flights

[KarenG]

Originally Posted by Bozza

I haven't, but I thought i'd chip in as there seems to be two slightly different things being discussed here...

1. Two stops, where the first is within the UK (ie Glasgow -> Heathrow and then Heathrow -> US stop -> Orlando)

2. Two stops within the US (eg, I saw this recently: LGW -> Fort Lauderdale -> Charlotte -> Orlando)

There's less risk with the first of these than the second where it might not take much of a delay on your first flight to put the chances of you making your third flight in jeopardy. And, of course, even if you make the third flight, your luggage may not.

A 2-stopper I would be more comfortable with is where you overnight after flight 1 or 2, so you'd just pick up a cheap hotel airport, and then you jump on an early-ish flight the next day, hopefully feeling quite refreshed, to arrive in Orlando the next morning.

See more...

Mine were all UK, EU, US, Orlando. From Devon if we are lucky Gatwick is just over three hours - the last few times it was six. I was a good way over the Atlantic six hours after leaving Exeter airport when I did the two stop approach...

Entirely agree on your suggestion of breaking it up with an overnight flight