Allegiant Airlines is moving to MCO

[tx2tn]

I was just on Allegiants website, checking their rates for our trip home in September. The website stated that effective 2-1-2010 flights into Orlando would arrive at Orlando International, not Sanford.

I wonder how long it will take Disney to add Allegiant on the Magical Express list????

 

[Allison]

Yes, they announced this awhile ago. Note-it's not for all locations at this time. Some areas will still be flying into Sanford.

I'll be able to fly directly to MCO now which will be nice.

 

[Edd]

Only 10 of the 0ver 35 cities that Allegiant flies from will land at MCO. Allegiant will be able to add more cities to the flights arriving in Sanford.

 

[DebbieB]

I was just on Allegiants website, checking their rates for our trip home in September. The website stated that effective 2-1-2010 flights into Orlando would arrive at Orlando International, not Sanford.

I wonder how long it will take Disney to add Allegiant on the Magical Express list????

Not from all cities and not all 2-1-10:

http://www.allegiantair.com/aaNews/aaNews20091201a.php

To kick off the new service, Allegiant is offering introductory fares as low as $45.99* each way to/from MCO (listed chronologically).

1. Knoxville, Tenn. — flights begin Feb. 1, 2010 with fares as low as $49.99* each way
2. Lexington, Ky. — flights begin Feb. 1, 2010 with fares as low as $57.99* each way
3. Allentown, Penn. — flights begin Feb. 8, 2010 with fares as low as $59.99* each way
4. Greenville/Spartanburg, S.C. — flights begin Feb. 8, 2010 with fares as low as $45.99* each way
5. Grand Rapids, Mich. — flights begin Feb. 12, 2010 with fares as low as $79.99* each way
6. Springfield, Mo. — flights begin Feb. 15, 2010 with fares as low as $79.99* each way
7. Tri-Cities, Tenn. — flights begin Feb. 15, 2010 with fares as low as $47.99* each way
8. Huntington, W.V. — flights begin Feb. 16, 2010 with fares as low as $59.99* each way
9. Youngstown, Ohio — flights begin March 4, 2010 with fares as low as $59.99* each way
10. Des Moines, Iowa — flights begin March 5, 2010 with fares as low as $79.99* each way

Other cities will still be flying into Sanford.

 

[tx2tn]

Not from all cities and not all 2-1-10:

http://www.allegiantair.com/aaNews/aaNews20091201a.php

To kick off the new service, Allegiant is offering introductory fares as low as $45.99* each way to/from MCO (listed chronologically).

1. Knoxville, Tenn. — flights begin Feb. 1, 2010 with fares as low as $49.99* each way
2. Lexington, Ky. — flights begin Feb. 1, 2010 with fares as low as $57.99* each way
3. Allentown, Penn. — flights begin Feb. 8, 2010 with fares as low as $59.99* each way
4. Greenville/Spartanburg, S.C. — flights begin Feb. 8, 2010 with fares as low as $45.99* each way
5. Grand Rapids, Mich. — flights begin Feb. 12, 2010 with fares as low as $79.99* each way
6. Springfield, Mo. — flights begin Feb. 15, 2010 with fares as low as $79.99* each way
7. Tri-Cities, Tenn. — flights begin Feb. 15, 2010 with fares as low as $47.99* each way
8. Huntington, W.V. — flights begin Feb. 16, 2010 with fares as low as $59.99* each way
9. Youngstown, Ohio — flights begin March 4, 2010 with fares as low as $59.99* each way
10. Des Moines, Iowa — flights begin March 5, 2010 with fares as low as $79.99* each way

Other cities will still be flying into Sanford.

I'm curious of the reason for the move. Do you think they will eventually move all operations to MCO or are they just needing space at Sanford? Also, I wonder if Magical Express will pick them up at MCO?

 

[DebbieB]

I'm curious of the reason for the move. Do you think they will eventually move all operations to MCO or are they just needing space at Sanford? Also, I wonder if Magical Express will pick them up at MCO?

Not sure if they will move all. Gate space and landing fees are probably more expensive at MCO. With 10 cities, they may have only bought 1 gate at MCO.

Magical Express will pickup any airline at MCO. The question is if they will have resort check-in for luggage. Kind of doubt it, especially at first.

 

[Edd]

One of the reasons for the move is that the Sanford airport does not have the gates to handle expansion by Allegiant to other cities. The reasons the particular cities were picked was because most of the cities going into MCO have competing airlines and Allegiant would be able to raise the prices or be competitive with the airline at that airport. There is a little bit of speculation on the second reason but I feel pretty sure that was a factor because the gates at MCO are higher priced.

There is no indication that Allegiant will move all their operations to MCO because there is also a repair facility at Sanford. Talking with the airport officials they didn't seem worried that Allegiant woulod leave the Sanford airport totally.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

I wonder how long it will take Disney to add Allegiant on the Magical Express list????

All flights into MCO on any airline that flies there are part of "the Magical Express list" (because there is no list). So, yes, Allegiant passengers with flights into MCO will be able to use Magical Express inbound coach transportation and luggage delivery. And, if flying out of MCO, Allegiant passengers will be able to use Magical Express outbound coach transportation to MCO.

The Resort Airline Check-in (RAC) remote skycap service at Disney-operated WDW resorts is another story. That's where the "participating airlines" list comes into play.

It could be quite confusing if Allegiant were to become a RAC participant, but only for their Orlando International Airport (MCO) flights, not their Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB) flights.

Disney's current contract with MCO prevents them from offering the RAC service for other Orlando-area airports.

 

[Edd]

Horace,

I think RAC is a separate company from Disney. The RAC service extends to the cruise lines also including RCCL and Carnival who offer luggage return to the same airlines that are listed on the Disney RAC return list.

Disney's contract with MCO prevents them from offering DME service from any other airports within 100 miles of MCO. That inckudes Tampa and Sanford. The Disney contract with the airport does not cover anything mentioning RAC return luggage. Only the luggage delivery from the airport to WDW.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Horace,

I think RAC is a separate company from Disney. The RAC service extends to the cruise lines also including RCCL and Carnival who offer luggage return to the same airlines that are listed on the Disney RAC return list.

Disney's contract with MCO prevents them from offering DME service from any other airports within 100 miles of MCO. That inckudes Tampa and Sanford. The Disney contract with the airport does not cover anything mentioning RAC return luggage. Only the luggage delivery from the airport to WDW.

Resort Airline Check-in is what Disney calls the remote skycap service at Disney-operated WDW resorts, provided by a contractor, Bags Services, a part of Plus (formerly called BAGS, Inc.). On this board, we abbreviate it as RAC.

I agree with you about the contract. I'm not aware of any contact issues with MCO that would legally prevent Disney from extending RAC to include Allegiant flights out of Sanford. But I don't expect this to happen. RAC will soon be 5 years old. United and American are two of the airlines that have been part of RAC since day 1, but RAC has never been available for Disney guests flying out of Tampa on United or American.

I worded my sentence about the contract poorly.

I should have written, "Disney's current contract with MCO prevents them from offering the DME service for other Orlando-area airports. RAC is related closely to DME, even though it's a separate service. RAC has also been limited to MCO, and it's likely to stay that way."