Informational Guide to Orlando Airport (MCO) - NON OFFICIAL

Our Review of Orlando Airport

Our Review of Orlando Airport

At Plan Your Trips, we have analyzed hundreds of airports around the world, gaining a clear understanding of what users expect when visiting an airport. With this know-how, we have created this guide, placing passengers at the forefront of everything, aiming to simplify and enhance the airport experience.

In this guide, our goal is to present information in a manner that is both quick and reliable. Recognizing that passengers often have limited time and may be in a hurry, we strive to ensure that they do not waste time unnecessarily.

Another key focus of our guide is to highlight the strengths of the airport and also the weaknesses, and in some cases, offer recommendations to travelers. In alignment with this approach, we provide users with aggregated information on delays and on-time performance, analyzing both airlines and individual flights.

Pros and Cons of Orlando Airport

PROS

Location: Orlando Airport is the biggest and busiest airport in the state of Florida, United States, and is located 6 miles (10 kilometers) southeast of Orlando, making it conveniently accessible for passengers to and from the city. It’s well located for people visiting Central Florida.

Airline Hub & Focus City: Orlando Airport is a hub for Silver Airways and a focus city for Avelo Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines and JetBlue Airways.

Modern Facilities: The airport’s amenities are modern and well-maintained, with a choice of food stalls, shopping stores, and lounges. It provides excellent amenities for both domestic and international tourists.

Transportation Options: MCO provides a variety of transportation alternatives, including rentals, taxis, shuttles, and ride-sharing services. The recent opening of the Brightline rail service enhances access to other sections of Florida.

Family-Friendly amenities: The airport is well-equipped for families, with features like as play areas and family toilets to make traveling with children simpler.

 

CONS

Crowding During Peak Times: During peak travel seasons, the airport can get quite busy, resulting in higher wait times at security and check-in desks.

Construction and Renovations: Ongoing work and renovations may disrupt passenger flow and provide temporary difficulties, such as diversions or restricted access to specific locations.

Distance Between Gates:  Depending on your gate assignment, the distance between terminals and other gates may be large, necessitating additional time to navigate within the airport.

Security Checkpoints: During busy travel periods, security lines can become lengthy and slow-moving, causing delays.

Baggage Claim Delays: There have been occasional instances of baggage claim delays, particularly during peak travel seasons, which can result in lengthier wait times for bags.

 

Mini-Guide of the Airport (2' Guide)

There are three terminals:  Orlando Airport now has three terminals: Terminal A, Terminal B, and Terminal C (the South Terminal Complex). It consists of a Main Terminal called the North Terminal Complex split into two terminals, Terminal A and Terminal B. Since September 2022, there is also the South Terminal Complex, formed by Terminal C. Be aware of which terminal your flight departs from.

Transport to and from Orlando: MCO has several transportation alternatives, including rental vehicles, taxis, ride-sharing services, shuttles, and public buses. Brightline trains link to various sections of Florida.

Check-in Areas: Check-in counters are located in the main terminal buildings.

  • Terminal A & B: Check-in level of terminal A & B are located at third level of the respective terminals.
  • Terminal C: Check-in area of terminal C is located in level 2.

Amenities and Facilities: MCO has a variety of food points, shopping locations, and lounges. Terminal A has a variety of eateries and businesses in both the pre- and post-security sections. Terminal B has comparable amenities. Terminal C, the new South Terminal, has modern amenities for dining, shopping, and it has new lounges.

Family-Friendly Features: MCO is meant to be family-friendly, with family restrooms, play spaces, and nursing rooms available in all terminals.

Lounges: Several lounges are located throughout the airport. These lounges provide comfy seats, beverages, and a calm atmosphere while you wait for your aircraft.

Navigating tips in Airport: The airport’s layout is wide, with excellent signs to help you navigate. However, to avoid confusion, use the airport’s interactive maps and information displays for help.

How we calculate On Time Performance

On various pages of our website, you will encounter a metric widely utilized in aviation and other forms of transportation known as OTP (On Time Performance). We believe that providing this metric assists passengers in planning their trips and exploring alternatives before purchasing their flight tickets.

We calculate the On Time Performance for all flights and airlines, when we have enough data to do so. In certain instances, it may not be feasible to accurately compute the On-Time Performance for a specific flight or airline due to inadequate or non-representative data, which could result in misleading conclusions.

Our calculation of On Time Performance and delay information solely relies on arrival times. This approach is chosen over calculating departure delays, as we consider arrival punctuality to be of primary concern to passengers.

The On Time Performance displayed on our website is calculated as follows:

  • On Time: Flights that arrive within 15 minutes of their scheduled arrival time, or earlier. In the absence of data for a specific flight, we assume the flight arrives on time, to avoid penalizing airlines for data unavailability.
  • Moderate Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay of 15 to 30 minutes.
  • Significant Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay of 30 to 60 minutes.
  • Major Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay exceeding 60 minutes.
  • Average Delay: The average delay is calculated by considering flights that arrive early as having a delay of 0 minutes. Early arrivals do not contribute to reducing the average delay calculation

Some Stats

Annual Passengers Evolution

Airlines with more flight operations (last 3 months)

Southwest Airlines

24% (Total flights analyzed: 11022)

Delta Air Lines

11% (Total flights analyzed: 5245)

Spirit

11% (Total flights analyzed: 5243)

JetBlue

10% (Total flights analyzed: 4773)

American Airlines

9% (Total flights analyzed: 4249)

Airlines with best on-time performance at Orlando Airport (last 3 months)

Considering all airlines:

LATAM Airlines Colombia

97% (Total flights analyzed: 33)

Caribbean Airlines

95% (Total flights analyzed: 39)

Viva Aerobus

94% (Total flights analyzed: 65)

Gol

93% (Total flights analyzed: 107)

LATAM Airlines

92% (Total flights analyzed: 179)

Aer Lingus UK

92% (Total flights analyzed: 64)

LATAM Airlines Brasil

91% (Total flights analyzed: 77)

Copa Airlines

87% (Total flights analyzed: 460)

Avianca

87% (Total flights analyzed: 192)

Spirit

86% (Total flights analyzed: 5243)

Considering only airlines with more than 10 flights/week:

LATAM Airlines

92% (Total flights analyzed: 179)

Copa Airlines

87% (Total flights analyzed: 460)

Avianca

87% (Total flights analyzed: 192)

Spirit

86% (Total flights analyzed: 5243)

Southwest Airlines

85% (Total flights analyzed: 11022)

Porter Airlines

85% (Total flights analyzed: 185)

Avelo Airlines

85% (Total flights analyzed: 219)

United Airlines

84% (Total flights analyzed: 3353)

Delta Air Lines

83% (Total flights analyzed: 5245)

JetBlue

83% (Total flights analyzed: 4773)

Routes with more flights from Orlando Airport (last month)

Atlanta - ATL (United States of America): 724
Newark - EWR (United States of America): 593
San Juan - SJU (Puerto Rico): 569
New York - LGA (United States of America): 475
Philadelphia - PHL (United States of America): 469
Boston - BOS (United States of America): 444
Dallas - DFW (United States of America): 419
New York - JFK (United States of America): 417
Charlotte - CLT (United States of America): 415
Baltimore - BWI (United States of America): 412