Sorted at last :o)

[phaedra]

And we're off ........... on the 27th of November for 18 days :D

Finally managed to find a combination of flights/seat pitch/travel time etc. only took me about 5 days!.

We've ended up with BA for Newcastle to Gatwick and then US Airways to MCO via Charlotte (North Carolina) which lands about 3 hours later than a BA only trip but only adds about 1 1/2 hours extra to the total journey time. The best bit is that it's with a guaranteed 34' seat pitch and super duper video on demand IFE.

US Airways were VERY helpful when I rang them this morning (take note BA & Virgin!) they will try to arrange either the predesignated disabled seating or bulkhead seats when we check in at Newcastle so I'm almost certain to get oe or the other but if not I can manage with 34' :) and ...... (just in time for the wifes Xmas Walmart trips) it's nearly £200 cheaper than flying BA or Virgin :D

So, only 4 1/2 weeks to go, E-Tickets have been received for the flights (prefer real ones!) and the car hire voucher turned up as well (wonderful thing email!) :) al that's left to do is sort out the hotel and villa and we're all set :) Also stock up on Imodium and painkillers :(

I've even managed to find my driving license this time [msnembarrased] and have firmly secured it with our passports and AP's in my travel bag which is now under lock & key so no one can get at it!.

[orlandobabe]

Sounds good-wish it was me[msnsad]I'm sick of this awful weather already and haven't been home 2 weeks yet.

Perhaps I could come with you as I have space available[msnsmile2]

That Monarch flight we went on a couple of weeks ago from Newcastle was brilliant-sadly it stops from the end of this month!

We'll have to get up a petition to get at least one winter flight per week from our airport-I'm sure they would fill it.

Isn't it stupid what they do. Our flight was full!

[phaedra]

I agree, year round flights from Newcastle NOW!. We've talked loads of people into going in December and unlike me they can do the drive to Manchester to get the cheap charters, going via London seems to put people off as soon as I mention it!. Our flights weren't too bad, £339 for B.A. NCL to LGW and £1321 for US Airways LGW to MCO.

Friends of ours flew the last week in October last year, the plane was over 3/4 full on the way out and 1/2 empty on the way back, they'd also paid for premium seats but there weren't any on either flight!. Can't remember who they flew with but they were each given $150 in real money and a $50 voucher to spend on duty free on the flights.

We've just had more fun with hotel/villa bookings, 4 hotels showing as available all came back with no availability on trying to book, then the villa we'd booked suddenly wanted to charge $40 a week extra for cleaning!.

We finally ended up at the Travelodge Suites about a mile west of Walmart on the 192 (between mile markers 13 & 14) for Thurs & Fri night then 14 nights at a villa in Southern Dunes and then another 2 nights at the Travelodge Suites before flying home on the Monday.

Just ordered some printer ink from InkjetGoodies in Utah and a nice new flash gun for the digital camera ($179 in the US and £199 here!) from Ritz Cameras, they're on there way to our friends in Spring Hill so I can pick them up while we're there :) I love shopping in the USA! :D