would you save £1200 by doing this flight (LGW-detroit-Tampa) in Dec

[knakered]

we are planning to go to Tampa in Dec - we can go BA direct (9hrs out 8hrs back) for £2700 (2adults3children1baby)...or via Detroit 3hr stop over on the way out - think we could cope as we could stretch our legs after long trip - but on return we have a 5hr stop in Detroit before a long trip back. Total time would be 15/16hrs each way vs 9/8 direct...would we go mad with the stop over?..we have 4 children (9,7,6,1)have never done long haul before - and am worried about delays with bad weather in Dec/Jan in detroit -- would we regret doing it?..would save us £1200

Definately the direct flight - most of your 3hr stop over would be spent clearing immigration I should think, and I have been made to collect baggage and then after customs recheck it. No fun even without children!

Have just posted on your other thread but will add, the less time spent in American airports, the better, imho

Hi,

Do the direct flight to Tampa instead - cheaper is not always cheerful!!.

Would certainly agree with LizP - most of your three hours stopover would be taken up by clearing immigration and customs; not to mention rechecking in of the baggage at the domestic terminal and going through security again. Difficult enough with just adults, even more so with children in tow. Its just not worth the extra stress incurred especially on your return to the UK.

Normally when you go to the USA even with stop overs, you would not need to collect your baggage until you reach your final destination. Yes you will have to clear immigration, but that may not be as busy as Tampa and then when you arrive in Tampa you can just go straight through.

My dh regularly goes to the States, Dallas, flies from Bristol to New York, then after a stop over - usually 3-4 hours he goes onto Dallas, never even gets to see his bags until he reaches Dallas.

I would save the 1200, and spend it when there!!!

Good luck X

Used BA to fly to Tampa last April.

Wish all US airports were like this!.
Lovely experience all round, immigration at time of arrival (think it was around 3pm) was both quick and efficient.

As BA is the only UK based carrier to fly directly there this airport does not receive many international flights so the queuing time is far less overall.

What about Miami flights they tend to be cheaper, it is about a 3 hour drive up. Weather should be warmer around Miami if you are looking for sun.

We are flying into Miami at Easter and driving up to Fort Myers the same day.

Or charter flights into Sanford with one of the package companies like Thompson. Sometimes it is cheaper to book accommodation with the flight as you can get a free child place and flights only are expensive.

I disagree about not having to clear bags before making a domestic connection in the US.

We definitely had to go through immigration collect our luggage, go through customs and then recheck the bags onto our internal flight. Was told that it was a new security measure (post 9/11).

All pax arriving into the US have to clear immigration and customs. They all have to collect their luggage as well before going through customs after immigration - there are no exceptions to this rule.

Miami is on the east coast, you will have to cross the state from east to west to get to Tampa. Not worth it, it will add hours to an already long day.

£1200 is a lot of money but the direct flight is certainly a lot easier. We flew to Orlando one year via Cincinatti. The queues at immigration were a complete nightmare. We were late for our connecting flight and would have missed it had they not delayed it because they had so many passengers stuck in immigration.

I think the suggestion of trying to book a charter into Sanford is a good one although it may be the same price as the direct flight into Tampa. I personally would not fly into Miami and then drive up. We did this a couple of years ago. We were exhausted when we arrived at Miami, queued for ages to get through immigration, then had loads of hassle picking up the hire car. It was dark on the drive up to Orlando and that road is just so boring (a bit like the M6 but without the traffic jams). DH was driving and I had no natter irritatingly at him constantly to make sure he wasn't asleep.

I think with four children of that age I would be on the direct flight.

Sanford is at the very least two hours from Tampa in terms of driving. Its another thing to do after a long flight from the UK and it is something you frankly do not need.

Maybe it is because we fly with Continental, but dh has been 3 times in the last 3 months and def not collected his bags at New York.

Where abouts do you live - we fly from Bristol to New York then either Raleigh, Dallas, Mexico or LA and will be going to Orlando in August.