MCO airport observations

zoo2tycoon

DIS Veteran
Joined
Mar 7, 2012
We flew out of MCO yesterday. Our departure was originally 330pm. Returned rental to Dollar at 1pm. Walked to SW counter and printed boarding passes and luggage tags . Had bags weighed and went to security. It was crazy!!!

On Sunday when we left to go at IND from the time we got out of car to gate was 15 minutes.

They tell people to have ID and boarding pass available so the TSA agent can check. Of course many people don't do this starts slow down. Lines in Disney queues. Once agent checked we waited in line to go through screening. Once again they announce over and over the procedure of what you need to do. Of course about half the people don't listen. It took almost 30 minutes to get through line. Understanding many are people who don't travel often BUT if you listen to how to do things it would help.

From dropping off car to gate at 1pm on Friday it was almost 50 minutes.

Sitting at gate we saw SW board a flight to Philadelphia. The preboards went and I believe I counted 8. Then the As went. Next was family boarding where they announce 6 and UNDER with 2 parents. There were 22 lined up in this line! A few were definitely well over 6 but they got on. So many people with 2-3 carryons too.

On our flight to IND we were A group so I didn't see family boarding. Did see the SW miracles of needing the preboard BUT leaping up and being first off plane.

Advice plan on plenty of time through security! If on SW do EBCI because lots of families.
 
In all my experience at MCO, the later the day gets, the worse off things are. Even first thing in the morning, it's not exactly smooth sailing.

You just have to realize that MCO is a very heavily traveled airport for both arrivals and departures and plan accordingly.
 
We spent 60 minutes in security at mco in June. The line was insane and no one listened to the tsa agents shouting instructions. The tsa agents then resorted to SCREAMING and belittling passengers that weren't listening. It was awful. Just because of mco we did tsa precheck. Worth every penny if we get to skip the general line even just at mco.
 
This is another reason why we also have PreCheck and DH actively seeks out quick business travel so he can keep his A list status on SWA. MCO can be very hectic all times of the day!
 


OP - interesting take on things. Surprised mid afternoon flight so busy for you -yuck.

The SWA line can take longer than TSA at MCO. We always try to pull into garage 2 hrs pre departure. Even then a few times didn't have much time to spare before boarding process began.

since preboards (by definition of the term) board first, why would they not be the first off if they situated themselves in the front of the plane ?

Thought it interesting on Spirit flight to MCO in July an announcement made on PA requesting those who required WC assistance to remain in their seats until other passengers had disembarked There was some marked grumbling but the FAs were firm

I have a very petite GD who is 7. She could easily be mistaken for a 4 - 5 year old unless you spoke to her. Assume more than a few kids look older than their actual age too.

Have seen SWA suspend the child preboard out of MCO when it's a full flight. When there are so many kids it just seems fair to those who did pay for EBIC and would be boarding behind them

EBIC, purchased early, is a good idea for many, especially families with kids who want to sit together. However, it's not uncommon to land in B boarding group
 
On our flight to IND we were A group so I didn't see family boarding. Did see the SW miracles of needing the preboard BUT leaping up and being first off plane.
There are many possible disabilities which you might not recognize at a glance that might require preboarding BUT would not prevent one from "leaping up." You are being very insensitive to the disabled.
 
The day we left WD was for a scheduled late flight.
Long lines we expected and received.

A TSA agent was telling topical jokes about our co-joined experience via a loudspeaker. He made me smile and lessened the tension of removing your shoes, raising your hands, etc.

One of the kiddos I traveled with forgot to empty the water out of his water fan.
We were given a choice: empty the bottle and re-start the line or throw it in the bin.
The young man received a valuable lesson in paying attention to instructions and lost 20 bucks of his allowance in the bargain.

Have learned that the roll call to get on the plane is very arbitrary and dependent on the arcane regulations of individual airlines. I refuse to allow it to make me crazy since I'm still going to wind up in the same seat. No reason for me to discuss the quality of that seat since sardines don't speak.
 


since preboards (by definition of the term) board first, why would they not be the first off if they situated themselves in the front of the plane ?
Because preboard isn't designed to let you get off faster. Generally speaking preboards have a buffer time inbetween normal boarding to allow them to have that assistance they need. The same would be said for getting off the plane only it's generally in reverse where preboards wait until the rest of the passengers have already left.

Here's SWA's definition of preboard
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Nowhere does that state first on first off...otherwise can you imagine how many people would use that!? Not only that but can you imagine a person in a wheelchair being wheeled up the jetway with a long line of passengers trying to get to where they need to be or imagine a person with a cognitive disorder that required preboard who now is bombarded with a bunch of passengers behind them trying to get where they need to be.
 
A few were definitely well over 6 but they got on.

My son at 1.5 had 4 year olds thinking he was their peer. At 2.5 it was older kids. He's going to hit 5'10" soon and is a new 13 with an impending moustache and a nearly done voice-change.

Care to back off on the "that kid is that age" assumptions?

So many people with 2-3 carryons too.

One carryon sized bag per person. One personal item. And medical items. And you don't have to carry your own stuff. Every ticketed passenger gets those things.

Did see the SW miracles of needing the preboard BUT leaping up and being first off plane.

Because there's zero difference between going through an entire airport to the gate vs having had a rest and going off to the next mode of transportation?

It took almost 30 minutes to get through line. Understanding many are people who don't travel often BUT if you listen to how to do things it would help.

Not everyone can hear or understand the tsa agents screaming.

And at mco the agents screaming are saying vastly different things than the agents actually working with you once you get to the screening area.


since preboards (by definition of the term) board first, why would they not be the first off if they situated themselves in the front of the plane ?

Assuming they don't need a wheelchair assist *from* the plane itself I agree.

We were given a choice: empty the bottle and re-start the line or throw it in the bin.

Bet he could have emptied the bottle into the bin and kept the fan with him... Since that's how it tends to work...
 
Not only that but can you imagine a person in a wheelchair being wheeled up the jetway with a long line of passengers trying to get to where they need to be or imagine a person with a cognitive disorder that required preboard who now is bombarded with a bunch of passengers behind them trying to get where they need to be.

I can imagine and I'm fine with it. No difference between a kid getting situated in a stroller in front of me. And would reduce the lineup of wheelchairs in the jetway.

As for cognitive disorders, seems it would be easier on them than being surrounded by butts waiting to get off the plane in front of him/her!
 
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Bet he could have emptied the bottle into the bin and kept the fan with him... Since that's how it tends to work...
We were given a choice - and took one of the options given.

Sometimes it's not all about us and truth be known when I had to throw my expensive hair unguent away on the trip down it wasn't that pleasant:).
 
I can imagine and I'm fine with it. No difference between a kid getting situated in a stroller in front of me. And would reduce the lineup of wheelchairs in the jetway.

As for cognitive disorders, seems it wound be easier on them than being surrounded by butts waiting to get off the plane in front of him/her!
Eh..if it wasn't an issue then airlines wouldn't have the normal practice of waiting to help preboards.

I've never seen, at least in my experience, an individual stopping in the jetway to get their child situated in a stroller. They have always moved off to the side (usually in that curve part of the jetway not too far after the plane doors that you see a lot where the strollers are put). Or they have carried their child and the stoller up the jetway and then gotten the child in the stroller where there is ample room to do so.

I do get the wheelchair part but again it takes time to get people up the jetway. On the cognitive it depends on how you look at it.

But again preboards are for those who need assistance. Assistance takes time. Airlines need the bulk of passengers off the airplane the quickest and on their way. Once the rush of people are gone from the plane it is a lot easier to help those get into wheelchairs, get assistance up the jetway, etc. In order for preboards as a policy to be first on first off they would need to allow quite a buffer of time once the plane has landed and that buffer time is a lot easier to give when the plane is boarding not deboarding.

And FWIW I was just explaining that the logic of first on first off isn't the point of a preboard.
 
Eh..if it wasn't an issue then airlines wouldn't have the normal practice of waiting to help preboards.
Most likely a crowdin issue. Pointless to have wheelchair passengers exit the plane only to have them clog up the rounded area of the beltway.
do get the wheelchair part but again it takes time to get people up the jetway. On the cognitive it depends on how you look at it.
How about compassionately? Or understandably? Someone with crowd-related anxiety, or panic attacks, or autism, may need to board ahead of the bulk of passengers but then exit the plane as quickly as possible.
But again preboards are for those who need assistance
Having specific seating needs (quoting the section of SW's preboard policy you highlighted) does not mean the person needed special assistance. No reason these preboarders should have to wait to exit the plane.

Passengers needing wheelchairs are asked/advised/ordered to wait to exit because the wheelchairs aren't there yet. Period.
 
MCO has a horrible security set up. Period. I can't believe they haven't re-designed this yet.

I've been to many larger, busier airports - and MCO still ranks as the worse I've been to.
 
In all my experience at MCO, the later the day gets, the worse off things are. Even first thing in the morning, it's not exactly smooth sailing.

You just have to realize that MCO is a very heavily traveled airport for both arrivals and departures and plan accordingly.


You also need to realize it's a poorly managed airport and adjust accordingly

there are lots of bigger airports that run their security lines effectively. (Note line management is an airport function not a TSA function. )
 
How about compassionately? Or understandably? Someone with crowd-related anxiety, or panic attacks, or autism, may need to board ahead of the bulk of passengers but then exit the plane as quickly as possible.
For real step off your soap box here..I said nothing about compassionability or understandability-you're really delving into my comments here and it's very DIS-like to infer anytime someone talks about something you've got to bring up the whole "have compassion" aspect when you've decided to dissect their comments wayyyyy more than needed. I was explaining really why you don't see preboards get off the plane prior to others in generality and explaining what preboards generally mean. It's why you have comments about people such as the OP who mentioned the "miracle" people.

Having specific seating needs (quoting the section of SW's preboard policy you highlighted) does not mean the person needed special assistance. No reason these preboarders should have to wait to exit the plane.
If you believe in that then take it up with the airline not with me and have them put in their policy that preboards will always be first on the plane and first off the plane.

Passengers needing wheelchairs are asked/advised/ordered to wait to exit because the wheelchairs aren't there yet. Period.
Well I'll be darned because the other poster said wheelchairs were lined up in the jetway and having those who need them off the plane first would help that issue...so which is it??
 
For real step off your soap box here..I said nothing about compassionability or understandability-you're really delving into my comments here and it's very DIS-like to infer anytime someone talks about something you've got to bring up the whole "have compassion" aspect when you've decided to dissect their comments wayyyyy more than needed. I was explaining really why you don't see preboards get off the plane prior to others in generality and explaining what preboards generally mean. It's why you have comments about people such as the OP who mentioned the "miracle" people.
But your understanding of the reason for preboarding is wrong. As stated in the quote from the SWA policy, one of the reasons for preboarding is to allow persons with specific seating requirements to choose their seats first. This is in fact mandated by the FAA for airlines that do not have preassigned seating. There is no reason for those passengers to wait for the entire plane to deboard; in fact, that could be construed as discriminatory.
 
But your understanding of the reason for preboarding is wrong. As stated in the quote from the SWA policy, one of the reasons for preboarding is to allow persons with specific seating requirements to choose their seats first. This is in fact mandated by the FAA for airlines that do not have preassigned seating. There is no reason for those passengers to wait for the entire plane to deboard; in fact, that could be construed as discriminatory.
I do understanding the reason for preboard. But I do also understand how airlines choose to handle preboards when landing. I've never been on a plane where they advised all passengers to wait until preboards get off. However, preboards are allowed the extra time to board. Honestly all I was doing was responding to the original person who said "preboard means first on first off"...because that isn't how the policy is handled. If that was how it was handled then the FAs would make announcements that all preboards (because then you wouldn't want to single out able-bodied and not able-bodied) should now exit the plane and the rest of the passengers should remain in their seats so those with preboards are able to get off. Now the FAs don't prohibit people from leaving even if they are preboards but they don't prevent other passengers from deboarding until ALL the preboards have gotten off the plane and when they are boarding the plane they prohibit passengers without preboard authorization from boarding the plane (unless of course you already have passengers on the plane if you're doing a connecting flight). The original poster I was conversing with said: "since preboards (by definition of the term) board first, why would they not be the first off if they situated themselves in the front of the plane ?" And I was responding accordingly. Just by definition of preboard doesn't mean first on first off otherwise the policy would be that all other passengers are required to wait to deplane until all other preboards are allowed to get off and have had ample time to get up the jetway. In a nutshell that's what I was saying.
 
I suspect a big part of the security wait time problem at MCO is the very high percentage of infrequent flyers.
I suspect you are right. Mco is the worst airport I've traveled through and I have been all over the world. The agents yelling at passengers in line is something unique to mco. That clump one finds oneself in prior to the X-ray check point is beyond ridiculous. Once beyond that mess, security lines are poorly marked, airport staff is yelling, but they fail to direct people specifically to appropriate lines. Every other airport I've been through, calmly directs passengers into available lines. There is no mass of humanity at the passport check. Closest I've seen to mco was Heathrow, but even they moved us through efficiently. The mass of humanity was handled quickly and in an orderly manner. Maybe it is infrequent flyers causing bottlenecks, but the staff sure don't help the situation at all.
 

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