Heathrow to Miami

[kilimaspitz]

Hi, we have booked on the Golden April 2011. Can any-one please confirm that the flights from the UK to Miami usually go from Heathrow and not Gatwick? We wanted to fly from Manchester but we were told that there is no direct flight form Manchester just a regional flight that takes you to Heahtrow and then onward on a different plane. We don't mind going from Heathrow but I am a bit worried in case we have been told wrong, seems strange to me that you cannot fly direct from Manchester, and end up having to go to Gatwick.

For those that helped with the cabin choice, we have gone for Caribe A514 in the end

[JPRLHR]

Originally Posted by kilimaspitz

Hi, we have booked on the Golden April 2011. Can any-one please confirm that the flights from the UK to Miami usually go from Heathrow and not Gatwick? We wanted to fly from Manchester but we were told that there is no direct flight form Manchester just a regional flight that takes you to Heahtrow and then onward on a different plane. We don't mind going from Heathrow but I am a bit worried in case we have been told wrong, seems strange to me that you cannot fly direct from Manchester, and end up having to go to Gatwick.

For those that helped with the cabin choice, we have gone for Caribe A514 in the end

If you have been given flights on either, British Airways, Virgin, American or United then yes your flight will be from Heathrow.

There is of course a chance that Princess could have organised a charter, in which case that would depart from Gatwick. However that is highly unlikely and you can be 99% sure that you will fly from Heathrow.

For your information, there are no direct scheduled flights with any airline between Manchester and Miami.

[Shogun]

Hi Kilmaspitz,

have flown out Birmingham and Manchester but these have been charters.

Last few to Miami have been Virgin, On one trip we we went out from one London airport but flew back into a different one.

Also gone direct to Ft L.


yours Shogun

[joannie22]

We are also flying from Glasgow to Heathrow then Heathrow to Miami on Nov 23rd with British Airways on return we take a different route we fly to Miami to Newark then Newwark to Glasgow this is with Continental.

[kilimaspitz]

Hi, thanks everyone for info. We are, hopefully, flying with BA or Virgin as we want to uprgade so it looks as if we will be out of Heathrow. I didn't know there were no direct flights from Manchester to Miami. We usually do the Carribbean and fly direct from Manchester and I assumed flights from there would go to Miami. We've cruised from Barbados before which went from Manchester and the Panama Canal must have gone from Heathrow too. Heathrow is the "right" side of London for us so that's not too bad at all.

[binzer2604]

Should you not be flying to LA if you are on the Golden Princess

[binzer2604]

Also A514 is not on Caribe deck

[caber]

It`s a pity there are no charter flights. They are so much easier.

We are going Edinburgh-Heathrow-Montreal-Quebec in October, all in the one day. The luggage is supposed to go all the way through We are flying back from Miami to Edinburgh via Newark.

If you find a flight you prefer to the one they offer you get onto Princess UK flight department and ask about it. They can change you if they have an agreement on that flight.

[kilimaspitz]

Hi binzer2604, too much pre-cruise excitement this end, I'm getting my Golden and Grand's mixed up It is the Grand Princess we are sailing on out of Ft L on the Caribbean Collection cruise April 2011.

Caber it sounds like you've got quite a trek from plane to plane. We're not fussed who we fly with as long as we can upgrade, hubby won't fly unless he has plenty of legroom and I enjoy being able to pack more with the extra baggage allowence we usually get

[JPRLHR]

Originally Posted by kilimaspitz

Hi binzer2604, too much pre-cruise excitement this end, I'm getting my Golden and Grand's mixed up It is the Grand Princess we are sailing on out of Ft L on the Caribbean Collection cruise April 2011.

Caber it sounds like you've got quite a trek from plane to plane. We're not fussed who we fly with as long as we can upgrade, hubby won't fly unless he has plenty of legroom and I enjoy being able to pack more with the extra baggage allowence we usually get

Something you need to check on.... If your flights have been booked and arranged by Princess then you'll need to make sure that those tickets are eligible for paid upgrades with the airline. The tickets that many tour operators buy with scheduled carriers are of a fare category that is considerably cheaper than if you were to buy direct from the airline and therefore not eligible.

If that's the case then you wouldn't just be paying the difference between a regular economy fare and a premium economy fare but could be required to pay a much larger premium.

I had exactly that situation last year on a booking I made with Sandals to Antigua with flights on Virgin. Sandals issued economy class tickets at a wholesale rate which were not eligible for paid upgrades (although they initially insisted they were) so Virgin wanted almost the price of a full premium economy fare for the upgrade. After a couple of weeks of arguing with both Sandals and Virgin they relented but it was a lot of hassle.

Hope you get what you want..!! Good luck.

[sidari]

Last November we flew with BA ... Manchester to Miami via LHR .... as this is classed as a through ticket all bags went direct onto the Miami bound plane so there was no need to collect them and then re book them in, we are doing the same this November.

Be aware that BA along with Virgin are changing their baggage rules! ... BA .... New bookings from 7th October will only allow One bag pp in world traveller/Economy and it looks like that includes the USA ..... Virgin change theirs from 23rd September but still allow 2 bags on long haul.

Luckily our flights were booked back in January so at least we can still take 2 each if we had to.

[newport dave]

We're flying with BA from HTW to MIA in November for our Panama Canal cruise on the Coral. Booked it as a package from Princess through a TA, flights provided by Princess are excellent times. Popped into TA last week to query the price to upgrade seats on flight, it worked out cheaper to do it through Princess than going directly to BA!!!!!!!!!!!

[kilimaspitz]

Hi JPRLHR, Princess are quoting approx £370 per person each way to upgrade so I am assuming that the tickets they have purchased/going to purchase are available for upgrades. Not sure how that extra compares to buying direct from the airline.

Cripes sidari I will never get two weeks of holiday clothes into just one bag

newport dave good to know your flights were cheaper with Princess then BA, fingers crossed we are just as lucky

[JPRLHR]

Originally Posted by kilimaspitz

Princess are quoting approx £370 per person each way to upgrade so I am assuming that the tickets they have purchased/going to purchase are available for upgrades. Not sure how that extra compares to buying direct from the airline.

That figure sounds fairly reasonable as I would have expected it to be at least £300 - £325 if done independently...

[kilimaspitz]

Hi JPRLHR our friends cruised with RC from New York this April. They booked their own flights as they thought the complete deal with RC was very expensive. They did save quite a lot of money and met the cruise OK but they disembarked several hours later then they had been told and only just made it in time for their flight home. I would have hated to have bought tickets, missed the flights and then have to buy tickets all over again

[JPRLHR]

Originally Posted by kilimaspitz

Hi JPRLHR our friends cruised with RC from New York this April. They booked their own flights as they thought the complete deal with RC was very expensive. They did save quite a lot of money and met the cruise OK but they disembarked several hours later then they had been told and only just made it in time for their flight home. I would have hated to have bought tickets, missed the flights and then have to buy tickets all over again

Kilimaspitz... I always book my cruise with a US T/A and arrange my own flights too. First off I save plenty of money and secondly I can fly when I want both before the cruise and after.

We also had a very long delay getting off the Crown in NYC a couple of years back (didn't disembark until gone 13.30) but that was still never going to threaten our flights home as flights from the US are generally of an evening.

[kilimaspitz]

Hi JPRLHR, I have heard of others who book via a US TA but I am not quite that brave, yet. I know you can't name TA's on here but did you find yours via the internet?

[Pencruise]

Originally Posted by kilimaspitz

Hi, we have booked on the Golden April 2011. Can any-one please confirm that the flights from the UK to Miami usually go from Heathrow and not Gatwick? We wanted to fly from Manchester but we were told that there is no direct flight form Manchester just a regional flight that takes you to Heahtrow and then onward on a different plane. We don't mind going from Heathrow but I am a bit worried in case we have been told wrong, seems strange to me that you cannot fly direct from Manchester, and end up having to go to Gatwick.

For those that helped with the cabin choice, we have gone for Caribe A514 in the end

As far as I know direct flights to Miami only go from Heathrow - pretty sure none from Gatwick, don't know about Manchester. Why don't you go on a travel website and just try to do a dummy booking and put in Manchester to Miami, direct flights only - choose a date which is way off next year so there would be availability and see what comes up. Good luck.

[kilimaspitz]

Hi Pencruise, I think we are safe, for the moment anyway, as I am now sure no direct flights go from Gatwick. Only hope nothing changes between now an then

[IanB]

Hi,
make sure your return is direct to LHR from Miami as Princess have a nasty habit of using Continental Airlines via Newark.
My wife and I experienced this route last April, it was a nightmare!!
Continental have the worst record for flights on time, they are always delayed.
My advice, insist on direct each way.