BA2039 LGW-MCO




BA 2039 departing 13.00hrs from LGW.
After relaxing for a while in the club lounge, it was time for the short walk to the last gate , skipping the long line of economy passengers (It is half term so a full economy section today) although I had been reliably informed by a very nice lady at check in that club was not full , so it should be a pleasant flight, for the nearly 10 hours flight time.


BA are operating their 777 with the club suite onboard - seat 5K for (window) settling into the nice spacious seat, the stewardess offers a champagne, which I graciously accept.





I am offered a drink for my after take off drink (Brewdog IPA)



The menu for lunch comes around and I choose Beef shin with creamy polenta which very nice.
The cabin is only half full so service is really quick (no one in the cabin behind) the 777 has two business class cabins, contrasting the very full economy cabin- it is half term after all.

The beauty of business class for me is the seats that go into a lay flat bed, so a few hours of shut eye it is - after watching one of the many films.
One more film later and a mid afternoon sandwich we are beginning our descent into the new terminal C at Orlando.




Terminal C is the newest of the terminals at Orlando and a change to the A&B terminals of old, it is bright and expansive, but be warned there are no travellators so you walk what seems like an age to get to the baggage belts and customs. But it does seem quicker as there are less airlines using this terminal.



Considering we were the only flight in, the bags take a long time to come out, but flying club affords you priority bags - so they are first out, and as we were first in the line for security. As we had visited New York a month previous this process was swift as the system remembers you.

So onto the car rental - be warned that not all the rental companies are operating out of terminal C yet, so you may have to get to terminal B by the shuttle with all your luggage. I find an Avis desk and as I had joined their preferred club started my rental, I was told to go down to the parking lot where I would be issued my car (or so i thought !!)

Once in the garage there was a very sorry looking desk and after a short wait Mario introduced himself and asked what car we wanted. I had ordered a small SUV, but Mario had decided a brand new large Ford Expedition was more my style - ( like driving a truck ) he asked for the rental agreement which I showed him my phone confirmation, he informed me we would need a paper rental agreement, but agreed to come back to the desk to get it.

It seems that there was a disconnect in comms (power struggle) between the desk and the garage, with the desk telling me I should go to terminal b as a preferred customer, to which I politely refused and requested they released the car from the terminal I was at, which the desk clerk begrudgingly did, only after writing in big letters that the I was to be issued with a class C car, not the top of the range car Mario had given me. Mario, took no notice of this and issued me the Ford Expedition saying they were his cars and all he needed was the agreement ,which he had. 

Now to get the SAT NAV working - linked to apple play or android, but this uses data and most UK phones wont be able to use their UK data plan without a huge charge - lucky I had downloaded an offline GPS map of Florida - I thoroughly recommend this as a back up wherever you go it saved the day.

The way out is confusing as all the signs contradict each other, and seem to take you against directional arrows - I'm sure this will get better but be warned and just relax - oh and remember to drive on the right 😉.












































































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