Odd DL flight (MCO-LGW DL9856)
 

Last night as I was getting ready for bed, I heard a large airplane fly right over my house (I live right next to MCO) that sounded like a 747 and thought it was strange that a large wide-body was taking off around 1am. I pulled out my phone and looked at FR24 and saw that it was a DL A330 flying MCO-LGW. Does anyone have any idea what the point of this flight was? DL hasn't flown their own metal to LGW since 2012 and I thought that this was very strange.

Looks like VS 28 cancelled and they subbed in the DL plane. That's a new one.

Ah, it makes sense now especially with all of the DL flights subbing in for VS planes recently (probably apart of the JV agreement). It looks like DL had a spare A330 hanging around ATL and sent it down to MCO to help out.

What will they do with the plane from LGW?

Wow -- that's awesome. I will say that's an advantage of the JVs.

I am sure they will fly it somewhere and make $$ :D

It was slated to reposition to ATL empty. Not sure if it did yet or not.

Yep, the aircraft operated as DL9932 and arrived in ATL moments ago.

It's been years since I've seen DL operate LGW-ATL :D

Not if you were booked in PE on the VS flight.

What catering standard would be used and could the caterer at MCO produce enough say DL standard meals, etc. fast enough to accommodate the substitution?

Or would DL essentially act like a wet lease, DL Crww, but Virgin service standard?

If you're booked in PE you have the option of flying in Y on the DL plane or waiting until tomorrow and flying PE.

If there wasn't a JV, you'd only have one of those two options.

MCO PE loads can be pretty heavy, so getting PE the next day is not a certainty.

I'm flying VS28 in a few months in PE and I'll be pretty ticked off if they sub a DL 330 with C+ for it for 8+ hours. I won't have an extra day to mess around, unless they got me to NYC and put me on the daytime VS26, or if it was early enough then MCO-ATL-CDG-LON on DL/AF.

Well the VS 747 that's normally scheduled on the MCO-LGW run only has 14 Upper Class seats and 66 Premium economy seats. The A330 has 34 J seats, so at least a good number of PE passengers could be accommodated in J. The real problem comes if Y is sold out, since the VS 747 has 375 Y seats and the 333 only has 219 and the 332 only has 168 economy seats. Could be a IDB field day at MCO for economy.