virgin changing at mco????

[martin1]

i have read elsewhere but cant for the life of me remember where i saw it. that virgin atlantic are changing where they operate from at mco . once you have got your baggage do you still have to leave it again to get on that train thingy to the main terminal or can you take it with you on the train thingy? apologies if this has been asked before but was wondering.

[loobylou]

You can take it on the train thingy with you. We didn't but wish we had as we were waiting ages for our friends car seat! I would advise you to keep your luggage and take it on the monorail.
I think I read about Virgin changing terminals on another forum. ;)
Try this link http://www.orlandoairports.net/main.htm

[martin1]

that will be much easier loobylou it will cut down the time we have to hang around in the airport off the train and straight out to find our transfer which we we have pre booked with virgin holidays not sure where to go though how do we find our transfer??

[Simon Veness]

We're been waiting for official confirmation of Virgin's move within OIA and have a call out to the airport's PR. It would be quite a significant move in airport operation terms, but it shouldn't mean any real differences for Virgin passengers. We await their response with interest!

[loobylou]

that will be much easier loobylou it will cut down the time we have to hang around in the airport off the train and straight out to find our transfer which we we have pre booked with virgin holidays not sure where to go though how do we find our transfer??

There is plenty of Virgin reps 'hanging' about to ask about your tranfer. We flew with them but hired our own car, much cheaper! The Virgin info desk is opposite the budget car hire desk. This is on the ground transportation level (level 1.)

http://www.orlandoairports.net/ops/term.htm#AorB According to the map Virgin is in terminal A

[martin1]

thats good to know as when i went to miami with vh they said there would be reps to meet the plane and help passengers find their way. when i arrived there was no virgin reps in sight anywhere and i had to fend for myself and find my own way

[Simon Veness]

OK, here was the response from OIA. Yes, Virgin's check-in desk and baggage handling is now on the A side of the main terminal, the opposite to where they have always operated in the past. They actually have more check-in space here, so it should be a better situation for those waiting in line at the Virgin desks. However, this does mean there is a change in the arrival process. Virgin will STILL use the arrival gates at Airside 3 (Gates 60-99), which goes against established OIA practice (airlines using Landside A are supposed to operate from Airside 1 or 4, Gates 1-29 and 100-129), BUT, because the only international arrivals terminal is Airside 3, Virgin will continue to arrive at their normal gates but then direct people to Airside A (Level 2) to retrieve their baggage, NOT Airside B as in the past.

But, as Loobylou points out, the recent changes in the arrival process for international visitors at Airside 3 mean you can now take your luggage with you on the tram to the main terminal (if you can carry it!) rather than put it on the second baggage carousel and wait for it at Landside A. :)

Hopefully that's not too confusing!! :D

[martin1]

thats mind boggling simon!why all the change this will cause confusion for passengers. but i like the idea of being able to take my luggage on the train it means less time hanging around waiting for the luggage and more park time"!!!!!!!

[Simon Veness]

It will certainly cause confusion for Virgin regulars who will automatically assume they still need to go to baggage retrieval on Airside B when they arrive. Virgin say they will have plenty of staff to direct arriving passengers to the new baggage retrieval on Airside A, but it may catch some people out.

The bottom line is Virgin was getting increasingly cramped for check-in space on Airside B, and, with their extra summer flights likely to kick in soon, they have found this compromise to try to give passengers a better check-in service. It's not ideal, but hopefully it will work better for dpearting passengers.

[LeonieM]

Gawd, how did I miss this thread before??? It'll make a heck of a difference to us - especially with the number of bags we travel with!

It's going to be very confusing, though, and I hope there will be plenty of people there to show us where to go.

So, do we still come in to the same passport hall as before, or has that changed too?

[UK Deb]

I'm so pleased I spotted this thread - I'd have been on my usual charge to airside B. Simon, I take it from your post that this change has already been implemented?

Check-in at MCO has been pretty chaotic for a while, so I understand the need for the change. Regardless of whether you check-in online beforehand, or simply turn up, it's necessary to queue at the desks with your luggage first and then remove it to a collection area (which is back towards the doors where you enter the building). The lack of space, combined with the criss-crossing of those entering/traversing and those relocating luggage guarantees one almighty mel'ee. Goodness knows what it would be like in the absence of the Downtown Disney facility.

We were looking forward to not having to relinquish our luggage on the inbound flight in January this year, but we weren't permitted to do so. We were forced to place it on the conveyors as normal and endure the wait at the second baggage reclaim. :confused: I'm not keen, either, on the procedure for boarding the tram which we've experienced of late. For several trips now we've by-passed the security area which used to be in place at the top of the escalator (after relinquishing luggage), but instead of then making your own way between the two tram lines to await the next arrival, you're now funnelled to the left-hand side of the nearest tram. It's frustrating when you're forced to watch the tram on the far side arrive, take on passengers and leave without you.

Simon, can I have your permission to share the information you've gleaned on another forum?

[UK Deb]

IVirgin say they will have plenty of staff to direct arriving passengers to the new baggage retrieval on Airside A.
Hmmm. May have to rethink my patented "Do you know who I am?" supercilious glare. Perhaps all those Virgin reps do have a purpose. :laughing:

[Simon Veness]

The arrival/immigration/customs procedure for all Virgin flights is exactly the same as before; nothing changes as regards the arrival process. It is only after you have your baggage things will be different in that:

a) you should have the choice of putting your bags back on the conveyor system and collecting them again in the main terminal OR taking them on to the tram to the main terminal via a new escalator direct from the baggage hall

b) if you have put your luggage on the 2nd conveyor, you will need to go to Airside A (Level 2) to collect it again. No Virgin luggage will be on Airside B, even though you come out from the tram on the B side of the terminal. Passengers should now be directed across to Airside A for their luggage.

This change has been implemented as of this week, so it will affect all Virgin flights henceforth. And, for check-in, you need Airside A, not B.

And yes, Deb, please feel free to share this info elsewhere :)

[UK Deb]

Our upcoming trip will be our first since Virgin moved its operations to Landside A. I've recently discovered why we weren't permitted to take our bags onto the tram in January - apparently it's restricted to one item of luggage per person and we each had a case and a set of golf clubs. As we'll be travelling light this time, we won't have to contend with the second baggage reclaim. We've booked car hire with Alamo, so I'm thinking we'll be better off heading to Landside B as normal rather than needlessly crossing the airport. Can anyone see any potential problems I could be missing? Assuming not (heading deep into proverbial string length territory here) is there any benefit of one side over the other? Is one likely to be busier than the other for any reason? I guess it depends on what flights are landing at any given time. Are they literally mirror images of one another right down to the car rental garages?

One more question. Can someone tell me in words of one syllable, precisely where the lift from Customs to the train is located? In my mind's eye, I can see where it should be, but I looked for it in January and didn't spot it (we exited Customs with no-one else around us, otherwise I might have seen others heading for it).

[Simon Veness]

I'm afraid I can't help re the lift, Deb (just didn't notice it, unfortunately), but we managed to get ourselves and 2 bags each up the escalator easily enough. It was very straightforward. And, arriving with BA, we were through immigration, customs, transfer to main terminal AND completed with car hire desk within an HOUR of landing (about 50 mins, in fact). Incredibly efficient (albeit, it was mid-September and pretty quiet).

[Catlady]

Trying to think where it is Deb, maybe to the right where you exit customs? We used to use it in the past when my Mum was with us as she was in a wheelchair. Will ask Hubby as he has a better memory than me!

[UK Deb]

OK, thanks, guys. It sounds as though I may be over-complicating things by worrying about finding a lift (that doesn't sound like me :D).

[loobylou]

Deb why not have a look at this map, http://www.orlandoairports.net/ops/term.htm#AorB

[Tiggers Friend]

This may be a slightly better link http://www.orlandoairports.net/arrive/arrive.htm

As far as the lift goes if I remember correctly, and I agree with catlady, it is to the right of where you place the bags second time.

[Tiggers Friend]

We've booked car hire with Alamo, so I'm thinking we'll be better off heading to Landside B as normal rather than needlessly crossing the airport. Can anyone see any potential problems I could be missing? Assuming not (heading deep into proverbial string length territory here) is there any benefit of one side over the other? Is one likely to be busier than the other for any reason? I guess it depends on what flights are landing at any given time. Are they literally mirror images of one another right down to the car rental garages?


We did this earlier this year, albeit collected our luggage on A side and then back tracked to B (you have to go up from bagage collect to go across and then down again). My reasoning was that the car hire on A would be busy as the Virgin plane decanted and secondly (and more important to me) was I wanted to leave the airport via the South exit to the 417. The B side garage (which is essentially the same as the A side) exits on the west side of the terminal and is an easy drive to the sout exit road. The A side garage exits on the east side of the terminal and therefore to get to the south exit you have to go north and then round the airport link road which I felt was likely to cause a problem??

If you are carrying your luggage I'd go for the B side. :)