Flying into Miami / Fort Lauderdale

[C4HCG]

How do people do it? We continually struggle and have to do two flights each way which isn’t good

[Thejuggler]

Google flights is an excellent resource which gives you all options, so you can sort by direct or one stop flights and it gives layover times.

[John Bull]

We use https://www.skyscanner.net/ , an excellent resource.

 

Or ask over on Cruise Critic's cruise air forum

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/77-cruise-air/

 

JB 🙂

[Thejuggler]

Skyscanner is just about OK for research, but I wouldn't go near it unless you really know what you are doing, you need to be very careful.

 

Where a connection is required the skyscanner flights won't price these as one flight, but will call it 'self-transfer'.  What this actually means is if your first flight is delayed or cancelled and you miss the connection, tough! The fact they have a full page of information on what their different transfers means is enough for me to think twice.

 

If you click a link to book the actual flights you need to double check what site you are booking through, where it is based, under which regulations you are booking etc.

 

You can be lead to all sorts of sites which remind me of the bucket shops of the 70s and 80s.  

[Billish]

Get the train to Manchester and fly direct to Miami with Virgin.

[C4HCG]

19 hours ago, Billish said:

Get the train to Manchester and fly direct to Miami with Virgin.

I wish there was a direct flight to Miami from Manchester, I know there used to be but no more. I would love to be proved wrong!

[Billish]

4 hours ago, C4HCG said:

I wish there was a direct flight to Miami from Manchester, I know there used to be but no more. I would love to be proved wrong!

My apologies. I saw a routing on Virgin but did not realise it was not direct. 

Living in South Yorkshire,  I share your pain. 

 

[dreadnought101]

I'm guessing you're not close to Heathrow then? You could always stay at Heathrow the night before?

 

Alternatively P&O and Marella do flights from round the UK as part of their package into Barbados/other Caribbean destinations.

 

If you still can't do the above and have to do 2 flights, have you looked at cruises departing from the Caribbean, they are generally much cheaper e.g. those departing from Puerto Rico. So rather than getting the second flight into Miami, you could fly into PR. (Although it's generally smaller/older ships).

[Billish]

6 minutes ago, dreadnought101 said:

I'm guessing you're not close to Heathrow then? You could always stay at Heathrow the night before?

The OP lives in Leeds. Shows on his profile.

 

Edited July 28, 2022 by Billish

[C4HCG]

15 minutes ago, dreadnought101 said:

I'm guessing you're not close to Heathrow then? You could always stay at Heathrow the night before?

 

Alternatively P&O and Marella do flights from round the UK as part of their package into Barbados/other Caribbean destinations.

 

If you still can't do the above and have to do 2 flights, have you looked at cruises departing from the Caribbean, they are generally much cheaper e.g. those departing from Puerto Rico. So rather than getting the second flight into Miami, you could fly into PR. (Although it's generally smaller/older ships).

Thanks for taking time to reply. We are creatures of habit and enjoy the equinox cruises out of Fort Lauderdale so as we’ve done in the past a couple of times we will do Manchester Orlando, a few days there then drive down. The cost of the car is equal to the cost of the flights to and from Heathrow and we share driving on the Turnpike

[dreadnought101]

If you haven't read about it already, the Florida "Brightline" is a new train service currently running from Miami to Palm Beach via Fort Lauderdale but they are in the process of extending it to Orlando which is supposed to launch in 2023. I think it is meant to be a 2.5-3 hour ride from Orlando to Fort Lauderdale when it launches.

 

You'd have thought there'd be enough of a market to run flights to Miami from Manchester even if it was just 2 or 3 flights a week, strange.

[FamilyCruiserUK]

We have BA booked Lon Heathrow to Miami in Feb direct, well if they are not on strike or cancelled lol. 

[RW75]

I often fly out of Manchester and connect at Heathrow with BA which has become a nightmare in the past year due to reduced flights. 
Drive weekly to Heathrow as I’m unable to same day connect on my regular route. 
Parking at LHR has become ridiculously expensive. In March I paid £326 for eleven days parking.  

Could have valet parked at Manchester for a third of that price. 
my parking bookings for November and December this year at Heathrow are over £500.  
Give me Manchester any day when the connection works. 
Miami specific, I quite like connecting through Dublin for ease and Madrid with Iberia is great if you have Avios. Business class is amazing value on Iberia.  Unfortunately the current IB Express flight does not connect with the late Miami. 

[C4HCG]

8 hours ago, RW75 said:

I often fly out of Manchester and connect at Heathrow with BA which has become a nightmare in the past year due to reduced flights. 
Drive weekly to Heathrow as I’m unable to same day connect on my regular route. 
Parking at LHR has become ridiculously expensive. In March I paid £326 for eleven days parking.  

Could have valet parked at Manchester for a third of that price. 
my parking bookings for November and December this year at Heathrow are over £500.  
Give me Manchester any day when the connection works. 
Miami specific, I quite like connecting through Dublin for ease and Madrid with Iberia is great if you have Avios. Business class is amazing value on Iberia.  Unfortunately the current IB Express flight does not connect with the late Miami. 

Thanks, seems there’s no simple way.  For our next two cruises we’ve gone with Manchester to Orlando, few nights there then drive down doing the reverse back.  Having the one flight cuts hours off the journey and we share the drive up and down the Turnpike.

[RW75]

Often considered the same.  I keep hoping EI may announce Manchester Miami. 
surely VS/DL will introduce service next year. It’s a hugely underserved market. Doesn’t help that non stop capacity has been cut from LhR.