Why is Delta's terminal in Orlando so bad?
May 7, 2019 | 6:24 pm
#31
Join Date: Mar 2011
Programs: Delta Skymiles
Posts: 2,009
I think MCO is a perfectly fine airport for what it is, a major leisure convention airport. LAS and MCO are both incredibly “inefficient” with the trains, and are both dated airports, but realistically what do you expect.
I think Delta could exploit their partnership with Disney and the rise in people moving to Florida to make a bit of a larger operation at MCO, but I think it would likely be just building out some routes, and maybe some slight refurbishment, and re-expanding the sky club to the former footprint. Beyond that I don’t see much happening. And frankly, i don’t even see that happening unless Governor Desantis and others were to make expanding MCO operations a major goal of the state.
I think Delta could exploit their partnership with Disney and the rise in people moving to Florida to make a bit of a larger operation at MCO, but I think it would likely be just building out some routes, and maybe some slight refurbishment, and re-expanding the sky club to the former footprint. Beyond that I don’t see much happening. And frankly, i don’t even see that happening unless Governor Desantis and others were to make expanding MCO operations a major goal of the state.
May 7, 2019 | 8:15 pm
#32
Suspended
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Location: Orlando, FL Area
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I think MCO is a perfectly fine airport for what it is, a major leisure convention airport. LAS and MCO are both incredibly inefficient with the trains, and are both dated airports, but realistically what do you expect.
I think Delta could exploit their partnership with Disney and the rise in people moving to Florida to make a bit of a larger operation at MCO, but I think it would likely be just building out some routes, and maybe some slight refurbishment, and re-expanding the sky club to the former footprint. Beyond that I dont see much happening. And frankly, i dont even see that happening unless Governor Desantis and others were to make expanding MCO operations a major goal of the state.
I think Delta could exploit their partnership with Disney and the rise in people moving to Florida to make a bit of a larger operation at MCO, but I think it would likely be just building out some routes, and maybe some slight refurbishment, and re-expanding the sky club to the former footprint. Beyond that I dont see much happening. And frankly, i dont even see that happening unless Governor Desantis and others were to make expanding MCO operations a major goal of the state.
May 7, 2019 | 9:25 pm
#33
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: MCO
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I’ve flown out of TPA a few times and I must say the opposite. TPA is much better than MCO. TPA is way less crowded, TSA is always a breeze (not really a need for Clear there), smaller terminal, and has way less tourist than MCO. However as I recently moved into a new home south of Orlando in St. Cloud (still work in Orlando), I’ve been finding myself flying out of MLB more often. There is hardly ever any traffic going down 192 and MLB is such a breeze compared to MCO even if it’s 20-25 mins further from my house.
May 7, 2019 | 11:03 pm
#34
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May 8, 2019 | 12:57 am
#35
Join Date: Jan 2014
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I'm kind of surprised that Disney is willing to partner with Spirit. I mean, they don't tend to be as "thin" as Allegiant can be, but they're regularly the most loathed airline in the US...so I'm surprised that Disney would be willing to risk any association with them.
Back to the MCO situation, I think security lines for the WN terminal and the DL terminal are the same lines (the WN terminal having also hosted VX when it was still VX)...they're in the same bank, at least. From what I can tell, however, MCO is now able to let folks switch terminals on that side without re-clearing security (IIRC it used to be that you would have to re-clear security on the way out of the DL terminal because of the international flights...that's less of a thing now due to them shuffling how they handle the trains). With all of that being said, I agree...it's a lousy terminal, but MCO is also far from my favorite airport, at least airside.
Back to the MCO situation, I think security lines for the WN terminal and the DL terminal are the same lines (the WN terminal having also hosted VX when it was still VX)...they're in the same bank, at least. From what I can tell, however, MCO is now able to let folks switch terminals on that side without re-clearing security (IIRC it used to be that you would have to re-clear security on the way out of the DL terminal because of the international flights...that's less of a thing now due to them shuffling how they handle the trains). With all of that being said, I agree...it's a lousy terminal, but MCO is also far from my favorite airport, at least airside.
May 8, 2019 | 1:16 am
#36
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: LAS HNL
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Eastern had the partnership with Disney and then DL. Official Airline of Walt Disney World
May 8, 2019 | 5:21 am
#37
Join Date: Dec 2017
Programs: Delta, United
Posts: 38
May 8, 2019 | 6:59 am
#38
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 3,798
I'm kind of surprised that Disney is willing to partner with Spirit. I mean, they don't tend to be as "thin" as Allegiant can be, but they're regularly the most loathed airline in the US...so I'm surprised that Disney would be willing to risk any association with them.
Back to the MCO situation, I think security lines for the WN terminal and the DL terminal are the same lines (the WN terminal having also hosted VX when it was still VX)...they're in the same bank, at least. From what I can tell, however, MCO is now able to let folks switch terminals on that side without re-clearing security (IIRC it used to be that you would have to re-clear security on the way out of the DL terminal because of the international flights...that's less of a thing now due to them shuffling how they handle the trains). With all of that being said, I agree...it's a lousy terminal, but MCO is also far from my favorite airport, at least airside.
Back to the MCO situation, I think security lines for the WN terminal and the DL terminal are the same lines (the WN terminal having also hosted VX when it was still VX)...they're in the same bank, at least. From what I can tell, however, MCO is now able to let folks switch terminals on that side without re-clearing security (IIRC it used to be that you would have to re-clear security on the way out of the DL terminal because of the international flights...that's less of a thing now due to them shuffling how they handle the trains). With all of that being said, I agree...it's a lousy terminal, but MCO is also far from my favorite airport, at least airside.
You apparently remember the Disney of old, one that actually cared about Customer Service. Now it's "give us cash and we could care less" . Spirit actually fits the model Disney is using now if I think about it.
May 8, 2019 | 7:18 am
#39
Join Date: Feb 2017
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Posts: 3,360
Spirit also has more nonstop destinations to MCO than Delta does (by about 20 cities).
May 8, 2019 | 7:33 am
#40
Join Date: Aug 2012
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Spirit has also been outperforming carriers like American in many hard and soft metrics in the past year or two and part of that is improvement on Spirits part.
May 8, 2019 | 8:11 am
#41
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Alternatively, they know their market.. Disney World has 50 million visitors a year - a lot of them are intentional, and some are local, but most are domestic guests. To get that volume, they have to squarely target a middle class family. Middle class families don't have infinite pockets - every dollar spent on airfare is a dollar less willing-to-pay for tickets, hotels, and food in the park.
Spirit also has more nonstop destinations to MCO than Delta does (by about 20 cities).
Spirit also has more nonstop destinations to MCO than Delta does (by about 20 cities).
That opened the door for Spirit. They are now the perfect partner for Disney as all a theme park would want is one high density nonstop a day to many markets, hopefully well-timed for travelers with kids.
Jun 7, 2019 | 9:15 pm
#42
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MCO is really awful. Last year I had the misfortune of being on a MCO-RDU flight that had a rolling delay which eventually turned into just over six hours. The SC is old and often crowded and is not fun to spend an entire afternoon in. As the OP mentions the food options are really limited and the restaurants all close really early too as I learned when I tried to go down for dinner at 7:30. Also as the OP mentions the gate areas are too small. When you're at one of the last gates it's chaos.
My last trip there I had a room at the in terminal Hyatt Regency and after my hearing ended early I hung out in my room instead of at the SC. It was so much more pleasant.
My last trip there I had a room at the in terminal Hyatt Regency and after my hearing ended early I hung out in my room instead of at the SC. It was so much more pleasant.
Jun 7, 2019 | 9:58 pm
#43
Join Date: Mar 2011
Programs: Delta Skymiles
Posts: 2,009
I’m skeptical of all the hate towards this airport.
I’d love to see DL move back into those gates, and serve as MCO being a foil to AA’s Miami airport. Florida is a rapidly growing state.
That said, of course your hotel room is nicer than the sky club.
I’d love to see DL move back into those gates, and serve as MCO being a foil to AA’s Miami airport. Florida is a rapidly growing state.
That said, of course your hotel room is nicer than the sky club.
Jun 8, 2019 | 5:16 am
#44
Join Date: Sep 2016
Programs: DL PM, Marriott, IHG
Posts: 193
Plus, depending on the approach you can get a cool view of Kennedy Space Center and CCAFS.
Jun 8, 2019 | 5:55 am
#45
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 258
Was good today. Got the 757 out of gate 80. Skipped the sky club because of it. The 80s gates only had two flights going this morning. The 70s though are pretty bad and crowded. Cant complain about people standing around no way there is enough seats at the end of the 70 gates when it is rolling.