BYE BYE MCO Security Lines

[Lewisc]

Actually there's not. Let me explain. This is simplistic, but it's the general situation. Let's say that they have the budget hours allocated for two lanes to be opened at 2:00pm on Wednesday afternoon, which is generally a pretty slow travel time. Due to increased hours because of FlyClear, they now have the budgetary hours to open a third line. The caveat is that the FlyClear patrons who ahve paid for that thrid line will of course be able to have priority use of it--but the airport will be able to use it for other passengers as well as they aren't expecting many FlyClear pax at that point in time. In that respect, FlyClear is benefitting everyone.

It's win win if that's what happens. Many (most?) of us cynically think MCO will just pocket the extra money from FlyClear. Will there really be enough revenue from FlyClear passengers to fund an extra line?

I suspect the groups who are holding up security contribute more to the finances of MCO per trip than local residents like yourself. They're more likely to indirectly pay franchise fees to MCO in the form of rental car fees, towncar fees or even the small amount Disney pays for DME. They're also more likely to shop in the airport and patronize the food court.

I'm not sure what you mean by secondary screening. Does that mean you can't be selected for a random SSS screening or does it mean even if you set off the metal detector you won't be subjected to additional wanding?

The TSA and MCO have a responsibility to have reasonable wait times for all passengers.

 

[ducklite]

It's win win if that's what happens. Many (most?) of us cynically think MCO will just pocket the extra money from FlyClear. Will there really be enough revenue from FlyClear passengers to fund an extra line?

That's the expectation. There's actually evidence that over time, enough people will be signed up that the FlyClear lines could be longer than the regular passenger screening lines.

I suspect the groups who are holding up security contribute more to the finances of MCO per trip than local residents like yourself. They're more likely to indirectly pay franchise fees to MCO in the form of rental car fees, towncar fees or even the small amount Disney pays for DME. They're also more likely to shop in the airport and patronize the food court.

I totally disagree. We (the frequent travelers) use the airport a lot more often than any given tourist. Keep in mind that there are close to three million residnets in the extended greater Orlando region who would use that airport. The parking fees paid by locals using the airport are higher than the various concession fees paid to car rental agencies and shuttle services. For those who choose to park offsite, the shuttles that transport them back and forth pay a fee as well. I often grab a bite to eat, a bottle of water, or a newspaper at the airport. There's no way you can tell me that I contribute less in an average month to airport revenue than the entire Bumblewad family does in a year. It just doesn't fly.

I'm not sure what you mean by secondary screening. Does that mean you can't be selected for a random SSS screening or does it mean even if you set off the metal detector you won't be subjected to additional wanding?

The TSA and MCO have a responsibility to have reasonable wait times for all passengers.

I have not gotten information about secondary screening if you set off an alarm. But the ssss code will be ignored on your ticket otherwise, as you've already proven yourself to be a "trusted flier" by submitting to a background check.

Anne

 

[Lewisc]

My point, was not what you contribute to the airport revenue per year but what a passenger contributes per trip. Every trip you have to go through TSA screening so your annual expenditures is irrelevant. You're right I don't know how many locals park in the airport vs getting dropped off by relative who doesn't park.

I do know MCO and the Orlando area pays the bills from the money spent by the Bumblewad families. I have no problem with a system that has an "express line" for fliers who pre-qualify. I just don't want to see that as an excuse to avoid solving the real problem. Disney and Orlando welcomes the Bublewad family. It shouldn't take rocket science to help them get through security.

Most of us saw the link to the Orlando Sentinel article regarding how much revenue, particularly rental car concession fees, MCO is losing as a result of DME. I wonder if the loss of that revenue is contributing to the longer lines. I thought our 9-11 security fees was paying for it.

I totally disagree. We (the frequent travelers) use the airport a lot more often than any given tourist. Keep in mind that there are close to three million residnets in the extended greater Orlando region who would use that airport. The parking fees paid by locals using the airport are higher than the various concession fees paid to car rental agencies and shuttle services. For those who choose to park offsite, the shuttles that transport them back and forth pay a fee as well. I often grab a bite to eat, a bottle of water, or a newspaper at the airport. There's no way you can tell me that I contribute less in an average month to airport revenue than the entire Bumblewad family does in a year. It just doesn't fly.



I have not gotten information about secondary screening if you set off an alarm. But the ssss code will be ignored on your ticket otherwise, as you've already proven yourself to be a "trusted flier" by submitting to a background check.

Anne

 

[ducklite]

My point, was not what you contribute to the airport revenue per year but what a passenger contributes per trip. Every trip you have to go through TSA screening so your annual expenditures is irrelevant. You're right I don't know how many locals park in the airport vs getting dropped off by relative who doesn't park.

Even on a per trip basis we are all still paying a TSA fee on our ticket. I think that realiztically we must assume that the greater majority of regular travelers are driving themselves to the airport, as most a business travelers who's expenses are reimbursable.

I do know MCO and the Orlando area pays the bills from the money spent by the Bumblewad families. I have no problem with a system that has an "express line" for fliers who pre-qualify. I just don't want to see that as an excuse to avoid solving the real problem. Disney and Orlando welcomes the Bublewad family. It shouldn't take rocket science to help them get through security.

The point is that they made it through security to get there, they can make it through to get back. And they are making it through, just taking too long to do so. Unfortunately you can't teach common sense. Like I said earlier in this thread, they come out of WDW with Mickey-Brain--they are used to not having to think for themselves, Disney does it for you. It takes awhile to snap back into reality. I think DME has made the lines worse--again, it's just made it too easy.

And BTW--We have a lot of industry that is not tourist related. And it's looking more and more like our governments are realizing that we need to stop being a tourism based economy, and we need to do whatever it takes to bring high paying, non-tourism jobs to the area. After careful consideration I accepted a job offer that didn't revolve around tourism, but rather retail--and not any type of tourism based retail. In fact we are about as likely to see to a tourist as a car dealer would be. In other words, not at all.

Most of us saw the link to the Orlando Sentinel article regarding how much revenue, particularly rental car concession fees, MCO is losing as a result of DME. I wonder if the loss of that revenue is contributing to the longer lines. I thought our 9-11 security fees was paying for it.

That's possible. In that case don't blame the locals. We don't rent cars, and if we do, it's generally not from an airport location. If I needed a rental while my car was in the shop, I'd use Enterprise a couple miles up the road.

Anne

 

[salmoneous]

Anne,

I'm confused. Are you saying there are extra lines at MCO that have been opened up to do Clear money, or were you just giving an example of something that should happen in the future?

Again, if you really want to do this as a free market thing, why not do it right. There's a lot of money going into background checks and whatnot that server very little purpose (it sounds like you are less likely to get secondary screening with Clear, so maybe there is a security time savings every thousand trips or so, while there is a line cutting advantage every trip.)

Just open up security lines as a private business. Anyone who wants can pay for scanners and TSA employees and charge whatever the want for their own line. I bet they could do it a check of a lot cheaper for most folks than what Clear is charging, without all the security paperwork hassle.

 

[CarolA]

WOW! I never dreamed that discovering that I was NOT a threat to your national security would open this can of worms.

IMHO, MCO has NO EXCUSE for the current state. However, having dealt with the Nashville airport authority I daresay that if MCO is like Nashville or Atlanta the folks that run the airport could care less what the actual passengers think or want regardless of if they are local or visitors. (Airport authorities seem to think their ONLY customer is the airline!)

 

[ducklite]

Anne,

I'm confused. Are you saying there are extra lines at MCO that have been opened up to do Clear money, or were you just giving an example of something that should happen in the future?

With everything I'm reading about the project, they have been able to allocate extra screener budget hours (thus additional lane staffing) due to increased funding by CLEAR revenue. When not being used by CLEAR customers, those additional staffed lanes are being utilized for all travelers. A win-win situation for everyone.

if you really want to do this as a free market thing, why not do it right. There's a lot of money going into background checks and whatnot that server very little purpose (it sounds like you are less likely to get secondary screening with Clear, so maybe there is a security time savings every thousand trips or so, while there is a line cutting advantage every trip.)

Just open up security lines as a private business. Anyone who wants can pay for scanners and TSA employees and charge whatever the want for their own line. I bet they could do it a check of a lot cheaper for most folks than what Clear is charging, without all the security paperwork hassle.

Very possibly--although that concept is problematic. Some families might get back to the airport with no money to pay for the screening being one. (A couple months ago I was eating in teh food court and I couldn't help but listen to some big mouth woman from Brooklyn--yes, that's where she was from, trust me, she stated so several times on her cell phone yelling at her credit card company because she was over her limit, had no cash, and a cancelled flight and couldn't feed her kids. Duh.)

Clear originally started for a way to reconcile the issues people were having when their names matched or were similar to those on the Do Not Fly List. In other words, by submitting to the background check and biometrics, they could indeed be cleared to fly or to fly with a lot less hassle. The concept expanded to the general public where travelers were willing to pay a fee and submit to additional screening to have a "Fast Pass" at the airport.

I expect that if the Clear program gets very popular, they will raise the cost to continue to staff lanes for "Fast Pass."

Anne

 

[CarolA]

While I am hesitant to post again..

For those who are wondering. I applied on 3/17. My Clear card was in my mailbox today....

 

[NotUrsula]

I'm going to agree with Carol on this one; something is up with TSA at MCO.

It can't be that the tourist passengers have suddenly gotten more clueless than they always have been; there is more to this sudden processing time difference than that. I don't fly through MCO all that often, but DH does, and the change definitely became noticeable late last fall. Did MCO lose some screeners in the latest round of cuts, or did they perhaps reassign more of them into the bag rooms to improve the luggage loss rate?

BTW, some firms have it as policy that one is not to check luggage when traveling on business. My former company had that rule, and DH's current firm does, too. They don't want any luggage mishaps to possibly compromise your professional appearance at meetings. If you have to buy clothes because a bag went astray, they will not reimburse for it, and if a client complains about your appearing inappropriately dressed, ugly stuff will hit the fan. (No airline is going to give you enough to buy a business suit, shirt, tie and dress shoes as compensation for a delayed bag. Lost, maybe, but not delayed.)

Oh, and I agree about men and all the pocket stuff. I seeded all of our carryons with gallon ziplocs for just that reason. DH has finally wised up at least on the outbounds, and now puts his belt, wallet, and change into the bag before he leaves the house or the office, then puts the things on his person after he clears security.

 

[safetymom]

See you Carol and Ann in the Fly Clear lane.

 

[safetymom]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-tsa3006mar30,0,3602051.story?coll=orl-home-headlines

TSA program could ease lines at OIA

Here is an article from the Orlando Sentinel today. It looks like they are going to try and do something about the crowds.

 

[NotUrsula]

The more I think about this, the more I'm convinced that the longer lines are all directly resulting from TSA's last screener shuffle back in August 2005. My airport lost a huge number of screeners at that time, and I remembered that Orlando did, too. Checking back, I found that the number of screeners MCO lost was 99. The thing is, they didn't lose them immediately; the cut was to be accomplished through attrition. That would explain perfectly why it has been gradually been getting so much worse since last fall. (Pittsburgh also lot a lot of screeners then, and this article is a really good one considering what the effects would be: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05219/548885.stm)

I am also betting that the airlines are pressuring TSA to put more screeners on baggage, which of course would leave fewer of them to screen passengers. I was in New Orleans just before Mardi Gras, and was the only person checking a bag at the time, so the ticket agent was chatty. He went off on TSA big-time, complaining about how the airline got blamed if a bag didn't make it onto the plane in time, when more than half the time the delay was caused by the backup at TSA inspections. (MSY has the same setup as MCO, where you walk the bags over to TSA.) The airlines' baggage-handling costs go way up if the airline has to deliver delayed bags, so it stands to reason that they would lean on TSA to get the baggage through faster.

 

[safetymom]

They are working on moving the baggage screening behind the scenes. They have beein adding to the buildings to move the equipment there. Hopefully that will speed things up too.

 

[bavaria]

I haven't read every post here, but yesterday was a hot and sweaty 45 minutes!

Has anyone commented on the lost business at the shops and restaurants at MCO as a result? I was planning to shop at several stores but instead went into the security line (which was past the food court) along with everyone else. I did stop at one store briefly and they said that their business has been down significantly since December, or when the lines started. And I noticed that the Macaroni Grill was almost empty....