View Full Version : manchester or gatwick
We are equidistant from both these airports and hope to fly with Virgin. Can anyone advise if one is better than the other in terms of overnight hotels, service at airport, quality of plane etc. Thank you,
Karen
E. Cosgrove
12-10-2005, 12:30
Something else you may wish to consider karen is your flight home.
There is only one flight back to Manchester which I think leaves mid afternoon. Flying back to Gatwick you can choose a late evening flight and get almost an extra full day on your holiday.:D
Hi Karen,
Sorry I can't help you much the diiferences in the planes as we have only ever flown Virgin from Manchester. We have never had to use a hotel as we live fairly close to the airport so can't help you there either. The one thing I do know is that there are more Virgin flights from Gatwick, at least 2 and sometimes 3 a day, there is only one from Manchester. You will have more availability from Gatwick especially if you are flying during school holidays, the Manchester flight tends to book up very quickly for the peak dates.
Hi Liz,
It seems we were typing at the same time. The flight back to Manchester is 6.15pm but the last Gatwick one is around 9pm I think so it does give you longer in Orlando depending on what time you picked up your hire car.
pieman790
12-10-2005, 13:50
We have done both routes with Virgin and i think it goes down to several considerations.
1 Distance to home from both Airports.
2.Flight cost (Im sure flights from Gatwick are slightly cheaper)
3.Hotel cost ( we use a hotel a Manchester airport that offers parking (15 days) and room for £89, Dont know about Gatwick hotels)
4.Will the later flight out of Orlando and into Gatwick give you more time or will you have to vacate your hotel/villa and have loads of time on your hands with nothing to do.
Just some considerations for you. The service with Virgin is the same on each route.
Aircarft are the same from both as they rotate, flights are slightly more expensive from Manchester, but hotels are cheaper, Manchester Airport is much more user friendly and getting through baggage reclaim on your return will be quicker too[msnwink]
Manchester Flight leaves at 1025 and on the return at 1815[msnwink]
I have flow from both and prefer Gatwick if given the choice. We stayed at the Hilton at Gatwick last time, £75 for a triple room. Also like the twilight check-in at Gatwick.
Sue
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Susan
I have flow from both and prefer Gatwick if given the choice. We stayed at the Hilton at Gatwick last time, £75 for a triple room. Also like the twilight check-in at Gatwick.
Sue
[/quote]
Having worked extensively as cabin crew from both and flown as a passenger from both I much prefer Manchester - I hate Gatwicks South terminal[msnwink][msnwink]
floridadreamvilla.co.uk
12-10-2005, 17:49
The Manchester flight departs at 6:15pm so you can get pretty much a full last day in. We've been at the MK until 3:30pm and had a very leisurely journey to the airport for the flight [msnsmile].
I'd also agree with the others that Manchester is a much more friendly place to use than Gatwick. I know which one I'd choose if I had a choice.
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by E. Cosgrove
There is only one flight back to Manchester which I think leaves mid afternoon.
[/quote]
Paula D-S
12-10-2005, 18:00
There is talk of a second flight for Manchester for next summer which will leave around 9pm. Unfortunatley after speaking to Dawn at CT they can't book seats yet.
Paula
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by caitlin
There is talk of a second flight for Manchester for next summer which will leave around 9pm. Unfortunatley after speaking to Dawn at CT they can't book seats yet.
Paula
[/quote]
There is an extra flight two days week next month Friday and Sats on the web site.[msnwink]
Just found the article and during the summer next year, they maybel be adding VS073 and VS074 on MAN-MCO. Flight times (roughly) are MAN 14.30 and MCO 21.30.
Not too sure how many months they will be running.
[msnwink]
E. Cosgrove
12-10-2005, 20:21
I stand corrected on the flight time[msnwink]
I mostly fly from Gatwick as this is closest to where I live now and although I seem to be in the minority I love Gatwick airport ( hate Heathrow which is even nearer) but, I am a Manchester girl at heart as I was born and bred in the North West and did all my training in Central Manchester so I would have no objections to flying from there!! In fact I will be doing exactly that in Feb when I travel with my sister[msnsmile2]
floridadreamvilla.co.uk
12-10-2005, 20:35
Have to agree with you there - Gatwick is a lot nicer than Heathrow.
Slightly off topic, but we flew from Glasgow airport for the first time last weekend and it's by far the most friendly airport we've flown from. Really nice people - very helpful and nothing was too much trouble.
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by E. Cosgrove
I love Gatwick airport ( hate Heathrow which is even nearer[/quote]
Sorry to shout, but...
<span style="color:red">
<span style="font-family:Georgia">Who cares where you go from, you're on your way to florida, Yeeeehaaaaa!</span id="Georgia"></span id="red">
(ahem.)
Know what I mean?
andrewmckay5
12-10-2005, 21:06
Personally the twi-light check is a big plus if you plan to go the night before anyway; much more important than how nice the airport is etc.We check in the night before at gatwick for the 11-15am flight; stay at the hilton in the terminal; have breakfast and wonder over to the gate about 10 to 10-30am. My method here also allows no shopping time in the terminal
[msnwink]
andrew
I have heard rumours that Twilight Check in will be available at Manchester in the future, BMI already offer it to passengers and to Virgin Holidays passengers going to the Caribean. Once there are more than one flight a day to Orlando and flights operated by Virgin to Barbardos that is when I think they will introduce it[msnwink]
Heathrow is a bit of a nightmare but as I was based there for 18+ years it has a special place in my heart[msnsmile]
Glasgow is friendly John as is Edinburgh and Newcastle[msnwink]
Having taken 4 1/2 hours on the M5/M6 and 5 hours yesterday on M5/M6 to go up to watch the england games in Manchester (which go pastish the airport) I'm not going to Manchester again. We fly from Gatwick soon - if we have another nightmare journey I may have to give up Gatwick too. Last year we flew from Heathrow which is nearer to us than Gatwick and thought it was a better airport than Manchester where we had flown from the year before.
But I think everyone has a different experiences or gets places on a good or bad day. Have a great hols anyway wherever you choose.
Debbie
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Maz
Having taken 4 1/2 hours on the M5/M6 and 5 hours yesterday on M5/M6 to go up to watch the england games in Manchester (which go pastish the airport) I'm not going to Manchester again. We fly from Gatwick soon - if we have another nightmare journey I may have to give up Gatwick too. Last year we flew from Heathrow which is nearer to us than Gatwick and thought it was a better airport than Manchester where we had flown from the year before.
But I think everyone has a different experiences or gets places on a good or bad day. Have a great hols anyway wherever you choose.
Debbie
[/quote]
Debbie half the country was coming to Manchester to watch the England games, my son went last night and he said Manchester City Centre was grid locked which is not normal, so don't let that put you off!!![msnwink][msnwink][msnwink]
I am from the South used to live in between Heathrow and Gatwick, and I have worked from Gatwick, Heathrow and Manchester and Manchester is by far the best managed airport as it in not part of the BAA (British Airports Authority)[msnwink]
You get very little traffic congestion around Manchester Airport compared to the M25 and Gatwick and Heathrow[msnwink][msnwink]