Airline Thieves!

[simbrooks]

Im not actually staying in miami - flying to orlando, 2 weeks there, driving to the keys and flying home from miami airport.

Say hi on your way through!! Doesnt it make it more expensive getting the return from a different airport? I know BA runs flights to both Orlando (from Gatwick) and Miami (from Heathrow), can you link them up like that?? Also do Tampa, Sanford, who knows maybe even Ft Lauderdale. I would think checking in your stuff in Miami is just as bad if not worse than picking up. I have had no trouble at Orlando, but i have only flown my dive gear once on a domestic flight. Are you staying in central FL long or heading straight to the keys?

 

[DandyDon]

Say hi on your way through!! Doesnt it make it more expensive getting the return from a different airport? I know BA runs flights to both Orlando (from Gatwick) and Miami (from Heathrow), can you link them up like that?? Also do Tampa, Sanford, who knows maybe even Ft Lauderdale. I would think checking in your stuff in Miami is just as bad if not worse than picking up. I have had no trouble at Orlando, but i have only flown my dive gear once on a domestic flight. Are you staying in central FL long or heading straight to the keys?

Usually not. It's called "Open Jaw," in which the 2 airports are closer together than the either to the original. They fare is the aveage of what a RT to either would be. I did Orlando and Key Largo once on a trip, but I flew a circle route, to avoid driving halfway across Florida. And it was cheaper than driving the car to MIA and paying a drop charge, at the time.

At least, if his gear gets pilfered in Miami, he'll be on the way home. His vacation won't be ruined. But the airport is not that easy to find. Do an MSN Driving map, print it out and take it with you.

When you going to be in Key Largo? I'll be there Nov 11-15. Any earlier, and I'd want trip insurance for the hurricane threat.

 

[cindye]

My husband and I had checked into the Dayton,Oh airport and waited for our luggage to be checked to go under. the lady opened my suitcase to search it, cause the xray machine had red flagged it or she was just board. She dug around and found my snorkle tube (rubber) and then looked at me and smiled and said, "Is this your breathing machine?" I said, "Yes"and off we went to have our carryon's searched.

I had two options at that point, get on the flight on time, (we were headed for vacation) or "learn her" in what a breathing machine would look like. It's nice to know we have this kind of protection.

 

[String]

Say hi on your way through!! Doesnt it make it more expensive getting the return from a different airport? I know BA runs flights to both Orlando (from Gatwick) and Miami (from Heathrow), can you link them up like that?? Also do Tampa, Sanford, who knows maybe even Ft Lauderdale. I would think checking in your stuff in Miami is just as bad if not worse than picking up. I have had no trouble at Orlando, but i have only flown my dive gear once on a domestic flight. Are you staying in central FL long or heading straight to the keys?

Its not more expensive than a normal flight.

Im going out i THINK Gatwick > Orlando then Miami > Heathrow return and it doesnt cost any more than same airport returns, the bonus is it cuts out a 300 mile drive on the last day of the holiday. Ive used Orlando airport many times albeit none of them with dive gear and all pre 11/9.
FWIW im flying Virgin not BA but practically the same result.
Im in Orlando for 2 weeks and the Keys (Largo) for 1 week.
One dive i hope to do if its still offered is the Epcot centre living seas exhibit - just an unusual one for the log book.

Your sig says Disney World but where abouts (i assume you're there for work?) (feel free to PM if its off topic).

Im not going until next june so all of this is a bit premature really

 

[simbrooks]

FWIW im flying Virgin not BA but practically the same result.

Yes they piggy back each other the whole way. I think for flight only BA is usually a touch cheaper, but Virgin do offer better deals with a full holiday from what i understand - i use BA as i only fly, accom in UK is free

Im in Orlando for 2 weeks and the Keys (Largo) for 1 week. One dive i hope to do if its still offered is the Epcot centre living seas exhibit - just an unusual one for the log book.

Epcot is a good fun (but expensive) dive, there are tons of springs around here to dive in - i take it you also have family, so this isnt a diving only holiday, also assuming rivers drop again to let us dive If you need info on various sites just ask in the FL Conch Divers section.

Your sig says Disney World but where abouts (i assume you're there for work?) (feel free to PM if its off topic).

Like being off-topic has ever stopped me or others from posting!! I work about 5 miles from the edge of Disney, not in the park or for any of their corp. Just a nice ref point, everyone knows where it is

 

[String]

Aha fair enough, Virgin flights have more perks than BA, tend to be nicer on board such as menus for food and free drinks (soft and alcoholic etc).

Yes its a family holiday not a diving holiday (or the 2/1 split would probably be reversed) and im not yet sure of itinery to know if i have many/any spare days in central florida for diving- i'll know a bit nearer the time when planning starts. My week on the keys is likely to be nearly entirely diving (ive never seen coral so want to see a reef, a few of the wrecks albeit artificial ones look interesting etc) to make up for lost time.

Im staying near lake davenport fwiw (and no i dont want to dive it !). Ive been to florida several times but this is my first as a qualified diver.

 

[Cudabait]

Folks,

We are always trying to weed out any dis-honest personnel in our ranks.

I have a request for anyone who has discovered missing gear in situations like those reported above.

Please, after your report to our folks to get your gear paid for or replaced, take a moment to find a number for the airline's Corporate Security Department. Report the occurrence to them. It will help them to track down the culprit, and that will help ALL of us.

Thanks!

BJD

Not American Airlines.....They lost my dive bag, sent it to Managua instead of San Pedro Sula. Cost me and wife extra nite in SAP plus meals taxi, etc ect. Bag did not show next. day. We went on to Utila. Bag showed up two days later. Broken into, torn up. Gear stolen. They ried to get to some of the good stuff but did'nt probably due to hurry. I filed all apprpriate reports in SAP. Also checked with them on the way back through. Obtained copies of all documents & reports, including their internal baggage trace printout. Filed another report after returning to US. Guess what?? I have NEVER heard any thing from American Airlines. Had to replace the bag & gear. This story could go onnnnnnnnn. They also would not honor a refund on our return trip (made on mileage) because I had to return early on another airline which DAN paid for because of a diving accident I was involved in on the same trip and had to get back to undergo surgery. A real tip from hell.

Score: DAN- 10 American Airlines- 0

Regards,

 

[lairdb]

One dive i hope to do if its still offered is the Epcot centre living seas exhibit - just an unusual one for the log book.

The Epcot dive is a good fun-once -- you'll quickly find that the most fun is playing with the humans on the other side of the glass.

Make advance reservations now, though.

 

[eandiver]

Lots of opinions (mostly BS) about TSA. Does anyone here actually work for them? Seems to me that I'm the only one who does (or at least who'll admit it) on this board. From what I've seen at TIA and what I've read here most people are FOS about their "experences" with TSA.

 

[RonDawg]

Its not more expensive than a normal flight.

That depends on the airline, and that also depends on your nationality.

I find that foreign nationals, particularly European ones, tend to get really good deals in the US on "open jaws" (enter/leave via different airports) flights as well as one-way car rentals. When I've tried such itineraries in the past I find I (as a US citizen) tend to pay more for them as opposed to "standard" itineraries where I enter and return via the same airport.

That said, I was able to get a good deal for my European trip next month. LA-Zurich via Washington, then Heathrow-LA via San Francisco. It seemed no more expensive than round trip to Heathrow, and even less than round trip to Zurich. I even fly home via a different airport that's closer to my house!

Aha fair enough, Virgin flights have more perks than BA, tend to be nicer on board such as menus for food and free drinks (soft and alcoholic etc).

I've never flown BA so I can't comment on them. However I have flown Virgin twice to London, and they are worse than any US airline I have ever flown. And that includes budget carrier Southwest.

First is the seat pitch (distance between rows). When I first boarded a Virgin 747 I couldn't believe how close together the seats were. I'm not tall (5 foot 6) and yet I found myself doing circus-like contortions just to get in and out of my seat. It makes the average United economy class section look downright luxurious by comparison.

Second is the food. I know airlines aren't particularly known for their meals, but Virgin's food has got to be the worst. On one Heathrow-LAX flight for breakfast I was served something I refer to as "pita surprise." That's because the pita bread was the only thing identifiable without scientific analysis :11:

Third is the ridiculous weight limitation on carry-on bags. Of all the airlines I have used (Northwest, America West, Alaska, United, Southwest, Virgin, Aloha), Virgin is the only one that has ever weighed my carry-ons.

For all these limitations you'd think their prices would be better, but they're not. I often find flights that are as cheap or cheaper on United or American.