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Guide to Airlines and Destinations at Orlando Airport (MCO)

Quick Questions about Flying from MCO

Which terminal does my airline use?

Southwest, Frontier and Avelo fly from Terminal A; American, Delta, United, Alaska, Breeze, Allegiant and most Canadian and Latin American carriers from Terminal B; JetBlue and most long-haul international airlines, including Virgin Atlantic since June 30, 2026 (new gates 250–254), from Terminal C. The full list is below.

Is Spirit Airlines still flying?

No. Spirit Airlines ceased all operations on May 2, 2026. Southwest added or reinforced 23 routes from Orlando and Breeze took over the Atlantic City route, among other airlines that covered part of the demand.

Which airlines get the most complaints?

Low-cost carriers, especially Frontier, for crowded gate areas and uneven counter service. Baggage delays are a problem across airlines and terminals.

Are delays frequent?

Yes, especially on summer afternoons with thunderstorms. Travelers stranded by evening cancellations report little information at the gate and few services open at night.

Critical Points: Smart Traveler's Manual

Slow and lost baggage

It is the most cross-cutting complaint: waits of over an hour at baggage claim and reports of lost bags after cancellations.

💡 Suggestion: travel carry-on only when you can, and photograph your bag tag before handing it over.

Counter lines

Bag drop lines can exceed 40 minutes at peak times, with reports at Southwest and Frontier counters.

💡 Suggestion: check in on the app and arrive with margin if you have to check bags.

Crowded gate areas in A and B

Passengers at Frontier, Delta and United gates describe too few seats and outlets, and very limited food after security.

💡 Suggestion: eat before security and charge your devices before reaching the gate.

Storm delays

Afternoon storms cause delays and cancellations, and travelers report poor communication and no vouchers when the cause is the weather.

💡 Suggestion: follow your flight in the airline's app and, if it is cancelled, rebook from the app before joining the counter line.

Pros and Cons of Flying from MCO

  • Pros:
  • Great connectivity: over 35 airlines and more than 170 nonstop destinations.
  • Terminal C: modern and spacious, with fast check-in for JetBlue and international airlines.
  • Helpful staff: many reviews praise counter and gate agents who solve problems.
  • Cons:
  • Slow baggage: long waits at claim in all terminals.
  • Crowded gates in A and B: few seats, outlets and food options.
  • Poor communication during delays: little information at the gate.
  • Long walks in Terminal C: from the gates to baggage claim.

MCO in Numbers

Orlando International Airport handled 57.7 million passengers in 2025 and offers more than 170 nonstop destinations with over 35 airlines. The passenger experience, however, varies a lot depending on the airline and the terminal.

Inside a plane with all passengers seated

Image by Oxana Melis - Unsplash

The Real Experience with Airlines at MCO

Check-in and Bag Drop

User experience:

  • JetBlue in Terminal C and Breeze get the best comments for fast, easy check-in.
  • Frontier and Southwest counters accumulate complaints about long lines to drop bags at peak times.
  • Staff treatment varies a lot: there is praise for agents who went out of their way and complaints about rude counter staff at several airlines.

Strategy: check in online, print or download the bag tag if your airline allows it, and arrive earlier if you fly a low-cost carrier with checked bags. If your domestic flight is with Alaska, American, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest or United, you can also check in at the remote facility in Garage C (6:00 am to 2:00 pm).

Baggage Handling

User experience:

  • Waits of over an hour at baggage claim are reported in all terminals, including Terminal C.
  • After cancellations and long delays, several travelers lost bags or got them back days later.

Strategy: put an AirTag or tracker in your checked bag and file the claim at the airline's office before leaving the airport.

Assistance and Special Needs

User experience:

  • Wheelchair assistance gets praise for kind staff, but also complaints about long waits at the counter and at the gate.
  • Family facilities, such as nursing rooms, are consistently praised.

Strategy: request assistance from your airline in advance and confirm it again at check-in.

Tips from Expert Travelers

  • Choose your airline wisely: paying a little more for a traditional airline can save you hours compared to ultra-low-cost carriers.
  • Arrive with plenty of time: the airport recommends being at security 2 hours before departure; with checked bags at peak times, add more.
  • Travel light if possible: avoiding checked luggage saves 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

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

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 / 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

Iberojet

Check current routes on the airline's website.

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

Virgin Atlantic

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

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.