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Guide to Airlines and Destinations at Orlando Airport (MCO)

Quick Questions about Flying from MCO

  • Which airlines have the most problems at MCO? According to reviews, low-cost airlines like Frontier and Allegiant accumulate the most complaints for long check-in lines, poor customer service, and baggage issues.
  • How is baggage service in general? It's one of the airport's weakest points. Travelers consistently report long waits for luggage delivery, damaged or lost baggage, and little help from some airlines.
  • Are delays frequent? Yes. In addition to weather-related delays, tarmac delays due to a lack of ground staff to guide planes to the gate are common.
  • Are airline staff friendly? The experience is very mixed. While some travelers have found exceptional employees who saved their day, others describe staff as rude, apathetic, and unhelpful.
  • Is Spirit Airlines still operating at MCO? No. Spirit Airlines ceased all operations on May 2, 2026, after filing for bankruptcy, and no longer operates at any airport, including MCO. Other airlines like Southwest, JetBlue, and Breeze have expanded routes to cover part of the demand left vacant.

Critical Points: Smart Traveler's Manual

  • Check-in at low-cost airlines: Frontier and Allegiant concentrate most complaints about understaffing and long lines. Strategy: if the budget allows, a traditional airline can save hours of frustration compared to an ultra-low-cost one.
  • Poor baggage handling: a cross-cutting problem across multiple airlines, with waits exceeding one hour and frequent reports of damaged or lost luggage. Strategy: traveling only with carry-on luggage avoids this friction point entirely.
  • Inconsistent assistance for reduced mobility: quality depends heavily on the airline and the moment. Strategy: confirm the assistance request both when booking and at check-in.
  • Poor communication during delays: during delays or cancellations, information at the gate is often scarce. It's worth actively checking the airline's app rather than waiting for the overhead announcement.

Flying at MCO: Strengths and Weaknesses

  • Strengths (The Good)
    • Great Connectivity: The airport offers a huge variety of domestic and international destinations with over 35 airlines.
    • Modern Terminals (in part): Terminal C, used by JetBlue and international airlines, offers a superior check-in and waiting experience.
    • Unsung Heroes: There are airline employees who go above and beyond to help passengers in stressful situations.
  • Weaknesses (The Bad)
    • Inconsistent Service: The quality of service varies drastically between airlines and even between employees of the same company.
    • Poor Baggage Handling: This is a chronic problem affecting multiple airlines, generating frustration and long waits.
    • Long Check-in Lines: Especially at low-cost airlines, understaffing creates significant bottlenecks.
    • Poor Communication: During delays or cancellations, airline communication at the gate is often rated as non-existent or deficient.

Orlando International Airport serves over 170 domestic and international destinations, with more than 1,000 daily flights operated by over 35 airlines. However, behind these impressive numbers, the passenger experience can vary dramatically depending on the chosen airline.

Inside a plane with all passengers seated

Image by Oxana Melis - Unsplash

The Real Experience with Airlines at MCO

Beyond destinations, what really defines the trip is the service. From check-in to baggage handling, these are the key points travelers highlight about airlines operating in Orlando.

Check-In and Security Process

User experience: Here the difference between airlines is abysmal. While companies like JetBlue (in Terminal C) or traditional airlines receive praise for their efficiency, low-cost ones like Frontier and Allegiant are a constant source of complaints due to understaffing, endless lines, and poor customer service. Regarding security, the long TSA lines are a general airport problem, making services like TSA Pre-Check almost indispensable.

Baggage Handling

User experience: It's one of the worst-rated aspects of the airport in general, but some airlines bear the brunt. Waits for checked baggage are notoriously long, often exceeding an hour. Reports of damaged or lost luggage are frequent, and the lack of assistance from certain airlines aggravates passenger frustration.

Assistance and Special Needs

User experience: The quality of assistance for passengers with reduced mobility is inconsistent. There are reports of very kind and helpful staff, but also of long waits for a wheelchair and employees who don't know how to properly handle passenger needs. Conversely, family facilities, such as nursing rooms, are a consistently praised positive point.

Tips from Expert Travelers

  • Choose your airline wisely: Often, paying a bit more on a traditional airline can save you hours of frustration compared to ultra-low-cost ones.
  • Arrive with plenty of time: The recommendation is to arrive at least 3 hours before your flight, regardless of the airline, to absorb possible check-in and security delays.
  • Travel light if possible: Avoiding checked luggage will save you one of the biggest headaches at the airport.

List of Airlines and Destinations

Below are the airlines operating at MCO and the destinations with direct flights to and from Orlando International Airport.

Terminal A

Air Transat

Montreal/Dorval, Quebec / Toronto, Ontario

Avelo Airlines

New Haven, CT / Wilmington, DE / Wilmington, NC

Frontier Airlines

Aguadilla, PR / Atlanta, GA / Austin, TX / Baltimore, MD / Boston, MA / Buffalo, NY / Burlington, VT / Cancún, Mexico / Charlotte, NC / Chicago/Midway, IL / Chicago/O'Hare, IL / Cincinnati, OH / Cleveland, OH / Columbus, OH / Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX / Denver, CO / Detroit, MI / Grand Rapids, MI / Guatemala City / Harrisburg, PA / Hartford, CT / Houston/Intercontinental, TX / Indianapolis, IN / Las Vegas, NV / Long Island/Islip, NY / Los Angeles, CA / Memphis, TN / Milwaukee, WI / Nashville, TN / New Orleans, LA / New York/Kennedy, NY / New York/LaGuardia, NY / Norfolk, VA / Oklahoma City, OK / Omaha, NE / Pensacola, FL / Philadelphia, PA / Phoenix, AZ / Pittsburgh, PA / Ponce, PR / Portland, ME / Punta Cana, Dominican Republic / Raleigh/Durham, NC / Richmond, VA / San Antonio, TX / San Francisco, CA / San Jose, Costa Rica / San Juan, PR / San Pedro Sula, Honduras / Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic / St. Louis, MO / St. Maarten, Antilles / Trenton, NJ / Washington/Dulles, VA

Southwest Airlines

Albany, NY / Albuquerque, NM / Aruba, Antilles / Atlanta, GA / Austin, TX / Baltimore, MD / Birmingham, AL / Buffalo, NY / Cancun, Mexico / Chicago/Midway, IL / Chicago/O'Hare, IL / Cincinnati, OH / Cleveland, OH / Columbus, OH / Dallas/Love Field, TX / Denver, CO / Detroit, MI / El Paso, TX / Ft. Lauderdale, FL / Ft. Myers, FL / Grand Cayman, West Indies / Grand Rapids, MI / Hartford, CT / Houston/Hobby, TX / Indianapolis, IN / Jackson, MS / Kansas City, MO / Knoxville, TN / Las Vegas, NV / Little Rock, AR / Long Beach, CA / Long Island/Islip, NY / Los Angeles, CA / Louisville, KY / Manchester, NH / Memphis, TN / Miami, FL / Milwaukee, WI / Montego Bay, Jamaica / Nashville, TN / Nassau, Bahamas / New Orleans, LA / Norfolk, VA / Oklahoma City, OK / Omaha, NE / Philadelphia, PA / Phoenix, AZ / Pittsburgh, PA / Providence, RI / Providenciales, Turks/Caicos / Punta Cana, Dominican Republic / Raleigh/Durham, NC / Richmond, VA / Rochester, NY / Sacramento, CA / Salt Lake City, UT / San Antonio, TX / San Diego, CA / San Jose, Costa Rica / San Juan, PR / Sarasota/Bradenton, FL / St. Louis, MO / St. Maarten, Antilles / St. Thomas, Virgin Islands / Tulsa, OK / Washington/National, VA / West Palm Beach, FL / Wichita, KS

Virgin Atlantic

Edinburgh, Scotland / London/Heathrow, England / Manchester, England

Terminal B

Air Canada / Air Canada Rouge

Montreal/Dorval, Quebec / Toronto, Ontario

Alaska Airlines

Portland, OR / San Diego, CA / San Francisco, CA / Seattle, WA

Allegiant Air

Allentown/Lehigh, PA / Appleton, WI / Asheville, NC / Knoxville, TN

American Airlines

Boston, MA / Charlotte, NC / Chicago/O'Hare, IL / Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX / Los Angeles, CA / Miami, FL / New York/LaGuardia, NY / Philadelphia, PA / Phoenix, AZ / Washington/National, VA

Bahamasair

Freeport, Bahamas / Nassau, Bahamas

BermudAir

Bermuda

Breeze Airways

Akron/Canton, OH / Atlantic City, NJ / Bangor, ME / Brownsville, TX / Burlington, VT / Charleston, SC / Charleston, WV / Erie, PA / Evansville, IN / Fayetteville, AR / Greensboro, NC / Greenville/Spartanburg, SC / Gulfport/Biloxi, MS / Hartford, CT / Huntsville/Decatur, AL / Key West, FL / Lancaster, PA / Lansing, MI / Lincoln, NE / Madison, WI / Manchester, NH / Myrtle Beach, SC / New Bern, NC / New Haven, CT / New Orleans, LA / New York/Stewart, NY / Norfolk, VA / Orange County, CA / Pensacola, FL / Portland, ME / Portsmouth AFB, NH / Providence, RI / Provo, UT / Raleigh/Durham, NC / Salisbury, MD / South Bend, IN / Springfield, IL / Tri-Cities, TN / Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, PA / Wilmington, NC

Delta Air Lines

Atlanta, GA / Austin, TX / Boston, MA / Cincinnati, OH / Detroit, MI / Los Angeles, CA / Miami, FL / Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN / New York/Kennedy, NY / New York/LaGuardia, NY / Raleigh/Durham, NC / Salt Lake City, UT / Seattle, WA / Washington/National, VA

Flair Airlines

Toronto/Pearson, Ontario

LATAM Airlines

Bogotá, Colombia / Santiago, Chile / Sao Paulo/Guarulhos, Brazil

Sun Country Airlines

Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN

United Airlines

Chicago/O'Hare, IL / Cleveland, OH / Denver, CO / Houston/Intercontinental, TX / Los Angeles, CA / Newark, NJ / San Francisco, CA / Washington/Dulles, VA

Viva

Mérida, Mexico / Monterrey, Mexico

Volaris

Guadalajara, Mexico / Mexico City, Mexico / Querétaro, Mexico

WestJet

Calgary, Alberta / Halifax, Nova Scotia / St. Johns, Newfoundland / Toronto, Ontario / Vancouver, British Columbia / Winnipeg, Manitoba

Terminal C

Aer Lingus

Dublin, Ireland / Manchester, England

Aeroméxico

Mexico City, Mexico

Air France

Paris/de Gaulle, France

Avianca

Bogotá, Colombia / Medellín, Colombia / San Salvador, El Salvador

Azul Linhas Aéreas

Belo Horizonte/Confins, Brazil / Campinas/Viracopos, Brazil / Recife, Brazil

British Airways

London/Gatwick, England / London/Heathrow, England

Caribbean Airlines

Port of Spain, Trinidad

Copa Airlines

Panama City, Panama

Discover Airlines

Frankfurt, Germany / Munich, Germany

Emirates

Dubai, UAE

Gol Linhas Aéreas

Brasilia, Brazil / Fortaleza, Brazil

Iberia

Madrid, Spain

Icelandair

Reykjavik, Iceland

JetBlue

Aguadilla, PR / Albany, NY / Boston, MA / Buffalo, NY / Cancún, Mexico / Ft. Lauderdale, FL / Hartford, CT / Las Vegas, NV / Long Island/Islip, NY / Manchester, NH / Montego Bay, Jamaica / Nassau, Bahamas / New York/Kennedy, NY / New York/LaGuardia, NY / Newark, NJ / Ponce, PR / Providence, RI / Punta Cana, Dominican Republic / Richmond, VA / Rochester, NY / San José, Costa Rica / San Juan, PR / Santiago, Dominican Republic / Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic / Syracuse, NY / Washington/National, VA / Westchester County, NY / Worcester, MA

Norse Atlantic Airways

London/Gatwick, England

Porter Airlines

Ottawa, Ontario / Toronto, Ontario

Zipair Tokyo

Tokyo-Narita, Japan

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Official sources and resources

This site combines informative data with opinions and analysis of the real passenger experience at Orlando International Airport. Factual information is based on the airport's official website  Orlando International Airport (MCO), traveler data and other institutional and business resources providing services at the airport.

Opinions on the airport experience and service quality are based on more than 500 recent reviews on Google Maps, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Skytrax, Sleeping in Airports, Reddit, and first-hand visits by Orlandomco.com contributors.

These reviews underwent a rigorous selection process, prioritizing the most useful and relevant ones for passengers and avoiding duplicate, irrelevant, or offensive content.

These analyses and filters are performed periodically, incorporating new reviews to update both objective data and experience analysis. Orlandomco.com is an independent and unofficial site.