exbayern

Last year I moved my travels out of JAX when possible and will continue to use JAX or TPA as alternatives in future.

On the UA forum the MCO RCC gets high marks, but I have no idea why. It smells like old socks and looks little better. There is little about MCO to make it attractive to me as a deparuture airport.

TTBHG

I must have gotten lucky because I flew out of MCO about a month ago and security was less than 5 minutes total.

Global_Hi_Flyer

MCO is horrid. All the way around. Security is the worst, but car rental (National) is awful, the Delta Skyclub isn't great, and some of the gates aren't tied in to DL's computer systems so paper boarding passes are required.

It's right up there with EWR and BWI as being one of the worst in the country.

MCO alone justifies having CLEAR.

chugger1

Theres' an alternative, if only they could pick up more carriers and routes. Interestingly enough, was pondering a trip to Iceland in 2012 and came across this Orlando airport. Don't know their level of TSA infestation though:

http://www.orlandosanfordairport.com/airlines.asp

FriendlySkies

I had a very long call with the Customer Service Director at MCO, late last year. From what I could tell, it sounds like the airport does not want priority lines to be there, so the best solution was to add CLEAR


I know, pretty stupid, eh? I wonder if MCO wanted too much from the airlines

Except CLEAR on the 40-99 side goes directly to the nude-o-scope line

FaustsAccountant

I fly in and out of MCO about once every 6 weeks, at peak times the line can go all the way back near the moving walkways. Other times, I blow through. But when the line gets that far back, it ceases becoming a line and it's just groups of people clustered.

Two trips ago, it was my 5th time using the paperless boarding pass (on my cellphone) every other airport -MSP, ATL, LGA, ORD, the ID checker had no problem.
MCO, the ID checker got huffy with me "What is this?!" "You need a boarding pass... Nonsense! I've never heard of a 'digital boarding pass' ...Ma'am your going to have to get a real boarding pass..."

Oy.


Also, don't 'Ma'am' me and I won't 'smurf' you.

essxjay

Where's a smirk emoticon when you need it?

NotaCriminal

Oh, Dear Dog.

I am going to MCO for a large department meeting in June. I don't get a choice if I want to remain employed. I couldn't drive because air travel was less expensive than a mileage reimbursement.

And I chose Southwest and fought to make the company pay for it even though it was little more expensive, because it was non-stop from CMH.

Thanks for horror warning, folks!

FLgrr

AHHHHHHHHHH Six Foot Rat!!!! Call an Exterminator!!!

Epod

The other airport in town, SFB, is run by a different airport authority. In November, they started the process to replace TSA with private screeners. The head of the airport authority said,

“Well, what this does is gives another avenue for private security companies who have experience now to come on do a better job, better customer satisfaction, particular to our airport and they've got to concentrate on one thing -- our airport,"

...I think he "gets" us.

http://www.cfnews13.com/article/news...port-drops-TSA

They've got service to a reasonable set of cities...

http://www.orlandosanfordairport.com/destinations.asp

...unfortunately, most of it is provided by Alligiant (shudder).

Also, Orlando has Amtrak service up the Atlantic Coast.

Seminole_Kev

? - I fly out of the Delta side (gates 70's and 80's) very often and never had anything but the normal metal detector screening when using Clear. Last flight through was on Wednesday and still "regular" screening.

NY-FLA

Maybe OT, but I've experienced this TPA priority line a couple of times. It's unsigned, at least in the "E" (DL/UA) terminal, and I was pleasantly surprised by my admission the first time because my DL BP had sky-priority printed on it, I was ushered into this "secret", but effective bypass.
Second time I had a UA FC BP, and had to argue with the line dragon that First Class was sufficient to enter this "special" line. Then myself and some guy who claimed he got entrance to this line because he showed military ID got to wait as several "mothers with children" got an even higher level bypass. The TSA ID checker responded to my sarcasm re: ability to procreate giving ultimate line jump privileges with some platitude about either waiting for them now or while they were waiting for the security process.
Upshot, priority line slower than regular line, probably just the way the TSA clerks like it.



And as I've written on here many times, a shuttle bus from a non-sterile, post INS/Customs arrivals area to the great outside would resolve and remove this silliness, where TSA clerks stare down the monorail cars looking for planted shampoo from the unwashed international arrivals. (The only way they can look sillier is wanding bald heads and bare feet.)

Yep, see above; Procreation ability trumps all at TPA. IME, however, TPA is the only airport other than LGA that does ID checks 2x, so these must be way safer than any other US airports.

Global_Hi_Flyer

It's pretty routine these days for TSA to funnel the CLEAR/Expert/Premium/Elite passengers directly into the strip-search.

prushing

Jax finally put in an elite line and it great, although you still have to wait with everyone else after getting your id checked, but it usually is fast.


Atl is still horrible because they got rid of the elite lines and put in the "expert" lanes. They still say elite once in the line, but the TSA doesn't care and the airlines do nothing to enforce it. Hoping Clear comes back soon, but I don't think it will happen since Atl fought it so much the last time.

outwrdbound

MCO is about the worst I have seen anywhere. I try to avoid it as often as possible. MCO should by my home airport but I make the drive to TPA instead, it is well worth it, even when I get in near midnight on Fridays. The medallion check-in lines are not too bad, usually, but again....TPA is much better in every way...plus the Sky Club there has a self-service bar.