Flying UK to Orlando back in the day

[Hurricane86]

Over the past couple of years, most of us flying from the UK to Orlando have probably used one of very few airline/route/aircraft combinations:

- Virgin Atlantic to MCO/MIA, Boeing 747-400/Airbus A330/Boeing 787
- British Airways to MCO/TPA/MIA - Boeing 777
- Thomas Cook to MCO/SFB - Airbus A330
- TUI to SFB - Boeing 787

For those of you who have been travelling to the Sunshine State direct from the UK for a while, what's the most exotic airline/aircraft you've travelled on? Do we have any posters seasoned enough to have flown on the original iteration of Laker? How about Caledonian (on the Tri-Star) or Monarch (via Bangor, Maine?!)

Bonus points if anyone has any photos of any of these flights, I'd love to see them.

[ROBBOTOO]

None exotic but from those no longer around...

Britannia direct - 767 to MCO.

XL coming home from SFB via Bangor, Maine. No head rests. Worst flight ever.

Travel City Direct to MCO from memory, ended up on an awful Air Atlanta 747, cabin stuck together with brown tape!

There's a theme to how great my flights are.

[Hurricane86]

Originally Posted by ROBBOTOO

None exotic but from those no longer around...

Britannia direct - 767 to MCO.

XL coming home from SFB via Bangor, Maine. No head rests. Worst flight ever.

Travel City Direct to MCO from memory, ended up on an awful Air Atlanta 747, cabin stuck together with brown tape!

There's a theme to how great my flights are.

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Had many flights on Britannia as a kid, none to MCO but quite a few to the Med. I think they flew to MCO initially then switched to SFB some years before they became Thomson (then TUI). I have a feeling Virgin leased an Air Atlanta 747 at some point in the 2000s too...

[llamala]

1989 Continental from Gatwick to Miami
1991 Thomson flight direct to Sanford from Manchester I think
1993 Airtours via Bangor Maine in June there was still snow on the ground
Numerous other flights with Virgin US airways, American airlines.
Due to snow in Philidelphia when we were due to fly with A A we were moved onto Icelandic air, Via Rekyavik and Toronto where we stayed overnight and then an early flight to Orlando this was in March 2018.

[disney1st timer]

Ah I have no idea about planes but when I was a child we used to land to put more fuel in! That seems unreal now.

[greekgranny]

Flew Caledonian into Orlando and Monarch into Bangor, Maine. I don't think Monarch were the only ones that flew via Maine but can't remember if it was Airtours?

ETA
DH remembers we also flew via Gander, Newfoundland, thinks it was very early TCD?

[Hurricane86]

Originally Posted by greekgranny

Flew Caledonian into Orlando and Monarch into Bangor, Maine. I don't think Monarch were the only ones that flew via Maine but can't remember if it was Airtours?

ETA
DH remembers we also flew via Gander, Newfoundland, thinks it was very early TCD?

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Others that flew via Bangor I think included Air 2000, Airtours and possibly Britannia in the early days? Any charter airline using the 757 would probably have had to stop in Bangor to refuel. Never heard of anyone routing via Gander, amazing!

[quartergill]

Remember first journey being told by travel agent that the flight was stopping in Bangor for refuel. I thought that just getting across the Irish Sea and needing to refuel was not very encouraging.

[tfmay]

My first flight to Florida was with Caledonian via bangor in Maine, must have been around 1992? And as it was January they had to defrost the wings whilst we sat in the plane... my idiot sisters boyfriend was more fascinated because we convinced him we were on a military base and all top secret -bless him, it was his first flight and rather gullible, well he still is now!

Sorry no photos but it did lead to many years of Florida holidays since, on Laker, Delta, air tours, Thomson and of course XL, BA and Virgin - I tend to fly with whoever is cheapest on my dates!

[quartergill]

Originally Posted by Hurricane86

Others that flew via Bangor I think included Air 2000, Airtours and possibly Britannia in the early days? Any charter airline using the 757 would probably have had to stop in Bangor to refuel. Never heard of anyone routing via Gander, amazing!

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Had an unscheduled refuel stop in Gander in late 80s. Had to leave plane and walk across the tarmac to the terminal building. Newfoundland is cold in February when you are wearing your Florida bound attire of shorts and tee shirt.