DME drop off point at OIA

[Lewisc]

Mears, not Mears doing a DME run, has two stops on each side of the airport. I've never heard of a DME bus stopping twice on each side.

There should be an easy way for a passenger who needs assistance to get a sky cap. Maybe a few dedicated slots will facilitate that. Alternatively have a way for the driver, via his radio, to have a skycap paged.

 

[Edd]

It looks like we may be well on our way to getting designated drop off spots for the ME, along with possible assistance in the form of ME employees meeting the bus, directing passengers to the airlines, to give out other information and skycaps for those who have luggage. There will be wheelchairs down there and the new vendor for the luggage carts will be instructed to have carts available at the drop off spaces. The spots will be halfway down the terminal about A and B 16-20 or in that area. A meeting is being called next week to set up and compare plans to get this going.
Your comments were presented the the Deputy Airport Director, Chris Schmidt, and he expresses his thank you's for making your comments. I am sure he will read your comments intently during this day and shortly you will see some things happening. I know I will report them as they come up on this thread.

 

[MulanMom]

It's good to hear they were receptive to your comments. Thanks again for presenting our opinions.

 

[goofy4tink]

Perhaps if some of these things can be changed, DME will continue to provide "magic" even for those leaving Orlando, rather then leave some us with a not so good taste in their mouths. Having some luggage carts, wheelchairs and even more skycaps available, in the general vicinity of the DME drop-offs, would be terrific. As I have said before, for me it is the one un-magical thing about the service...the fact that I am dropped off so far from where I need to be, with nothing to help me with all my stuff. Sure, it's no biggie if you have already checked your luggage through at the resorts, but even my carryon gets cumbersome after carrying it from the far reaches of level one to level 3 and then to the gates.
Thanks Edd....we'll be looking forward to what they can come up with.

 

[goldilocks_63]

Drop off for SW was very far each time... Had to get a cart (hard to find) to check-in.

If they could add Southwest (SW) to the list off approved airlines, then we could do check in at the resort, and drop off bags there, which would make it easier.


Goldi

 

[Edd]

There has been a meeting scheduled next Wednesday 1000 hrs. It is the planning board and they will be discussing realignment of the ground transportation commercial area. I was invited and of course will have plenty to offer.

 

[Edd]

There has been some serious discussion behind scenes on the dedicated drop off point. Another meeting will be held in January to continue the discussion. I just found out that SW baggage is approximately 19% of the total of baggage through the airport. I believe everyone agrees the drop off points should be closer to the middle of the commercial lane on each side of the airport.

Now all that has to be done is to push the administrators involved into some positive action.

 

[Edd]

This committee met again yesterday on restructuring the commercial lanes to provide better access to all airlines for DME and all bus passengers returning to the airport for departure. The decision was to completely redo the A side on a temporary and test basis. Although it is still in the advanced discussion stage I feel this will be taken care of shortly. The bus drop off will be in the center of the commercial lanes which will benefit Southwest airline passengers. Actually moving the bus lanes to the middle of the terminal will benefit all passengers. A side was chosen because Southwest has become one of the biggest carriers in the Orlando Airport.

Once done the airport will request Disney to provide information and assistance to all passengers arriving to depart for home. There will be skycaps stationed there, also luggage carts will be set close by for the passengers convenience. Wheeel chairs will also be readily available.

 

[sue1013]

Thanks for the update Edd! Sounds like all the issues raised in this thread have been addressed. Thanks again.

 

[Edd]

The airport is interested in Feedback. As I was writing the last post I realized I didn't discuss yesterday, with Chris, how the airport would receive feedback. I just wrote an e-mail to Chris suggesting a way to set up a feedback mail box. Hopefully I will get an answer today and I can put up an e-mail address where passengers can forward their comments directly to the airport

 

[seashoreCM]

OT: Southwest gets a boost! After Southwest has not yet signed up for resort airline baggage check in, the vast number of Southwest passengers (>>> A side was chosen because Southwest...) unloading luggage from the DME buses has resulted in the airport's stepping up to the plate and reconfiguring the drop off areas and providing carts and skycaps and amenities.

OT: Feedback? After the airport had shooed away the white gloved CM's who were on someone else's (Disney's) payroll and gave out information, it is finally doing an about face and soliciting opinions from passengers as to what services the passengers want.

 

[Edd]

Southwest airlines is in the process of becoming an RAC. The starting date is in January or February because of the software loading that has to be done. Actually this is what I was told by the airport officials who are in charge of the job.

The CM's and their little white gloves were chased off the 3rd floor by the airport because they were illegally soliciting customers to take the DME right after it started its trial period. Anyone out there who says that is not true can speak directly to me on this. I spent hours sitting right beside the CM's watching them selling the passengers on the DME without anyone knowing who I was. I observed many times the CM's convincing passengers to take the DME, despite the fact that Disney regulations required that the passenger sign up for the transportation before arriving Orlando. In fact many companies lost passengers because of the illegal activity, when the CM would suggest the DME was free. I was the main objectioner against this procedure and I had all kinds of verification that those minimum wage workers were taking advantage and breaking the airport regulations.

When the facts were presented to the airport Board of Directors, they had no choice but to see Disney at fault for not training the CMs in the correct procedures and removed them from the 3rd floor requiring them to work only in the area Disney rented for their Welcome Center. When it came time to discuss the new contract the airport would not give into Disney letting the workers wear the white gloves, except in the area of the Welcome Center.

In the same light I am also the person who has come before the right administrators and asked modifications be done to better equip the commercial areas to provide enhancements for the passengers arriving by bus and more specifically the DME, on the ground floor.

Now in regards to feedback. I have taken your feedback on these threads to the administrators and have used it as motivation to get the work done that I hope will be done in the near future. It is also my idea to set up a feedback e-mail address, off the airport web site, which will get looked at by the right officials at the airport. I made that suggestion yesterday and it was received very well by the officials involved. So far I haven't received any word on that suggestion, but I will gladly let Disboarders know if it is set up.

I read your comments, but in my opinion they are very misleading and without proper knowledge of the way things happened.

 

[Lewisc]

I have no reason to doubt your information but I don't agree with your conclusion. Those passengers could have legally paid Mears or taken a cab. Many of the people complaining were car service companies that lost the opportunity for a "gypsy" run. I don't have much sympathy when the many of the people complaining were basically saying Disney was illegally transporting passengers that they otherwise would be illegally transporting.

Disney thought a hotel reservation, not a specific DME reservation, was enough to meet the requirements of their contract. Same policy that applies to the shuttle bus to the airport hotels. Disney and MCO disagreed as to the contractual requirments.

I spent hours sitting right beside the CM's watching them selling the passengers on the DME without anyone knowing who I was. I observed many times the CM's convincing passengers to take the DME, despite the fact that Disney regulations required that the passenger sign up for the transportation before arriving Orlando. In fact many companies lost passengers because of the illegal activity, when the CM would suggest the DME was free.

 

[seashoreCM]

>>> your [my] feedback
I mean the feedback the airport is soliciting. Not mine or for me.

 

[Edd]

Lewis,

Many rides were pre-arranged with companies and when solicited by Disney on the 3rd floor opted to take the free ride because the ME was so new that they had not heard of the free ride and also because many companies that were pre-arranged in Orlando didn't take deposits for the upcoming trip.

The gypsys who may have lost the opportunity because of the DME never had the opportunity because they were not pre-arranged. Gypsy drivers used to go to the 2nd floor to acquire rides. By the time a passenger reached the second floor they had already been talked to and sold on the DME, so in retrospect the gypsy never got a chance on anything the CM's talked to.

Actually there were many companies complaining they were were losing rides that had been pre-arranged including the discount transfer companies.

When was the last time Disney thought and didn't know. Disney does not make mistakes.

 

[sluggo]

The CM's and their little white gloves were chased off the 3rd floor by the airport because they were illegally soliciting customers to take the DME right after it started its trial period. Anyone out there who says that is not true can speak directly to me on this..

I think where we have a disagreement is in the definition of soliciting. When you say "soliciting" I think of the CMs stopping people and trying to talk them into taking DME. I do not think that any CM was stopping people from going down the escalotor and giving them the hard sell about DME. The only thing that I ever saw them do ( and I am in the airport as least as much as you) was answer questions that people stopped and asked them about transportation to WDW. I do not call this soliciting. I know that GOAA may have said that it was, but no reasonable person would call it that.


Sluggo

 

[Edd]

Most reasonable people do not know the definition of soliciting from the Orlando Airport Regulations so I agree they would not consider it soliciting. However many people who work in the airport ground transportation system know the definition of soliciting, including airport ground transportation officials. To even speak about the DME and it being free to a passenger looking for transportation is defined as solicitation.

The airport has information desks all over that give out the appropriate information. Disney was not the appropriate agency to do this. The airport did not give the authority for the CM's to talk about ground transportation. If that was the case than to be equal the airport should have allowed ground transportation companies to get up along side the CM's and point out the advantages in taking a car service or a van.

You stated "the only thing I ever saw them do was answer questions that people stopped and asked them about transportation to WDW." When they answered that question it was probably biased and the Disney CM's were in violation of the airports definition of solicitation. A ground transportation company or driver would get written and fined for answering that question and it goes the same for Disney.

 

[CPT Tripss]

I don't mind the walk at all. My concern is finding luggage help down at that level. A permanant luggage assistance station or curbside checkin down there would be most helpful.

Me too
We got dropped off at the "beginning of the terminal and needed to go all the way down to SW. The first skycap we saw was right by SW!

 

[Edd]

Plans are to move the bus drop off points to the middle of the terminal. On the last discussion the new luggage cart vendor would be putting a machine in that area. Also I believe that there will be a Disney employee at the drop off point to assist in finding wheelchairs and answer questions should there be any. Busses will only be able to drop off at the bus drop off points and so passengers will be closer to most of the airlines.

 

[Edd]

Great News!! GOAA announcement. Received in the mail 3/22/07.

The Aviation Authority will reconfigure the "A" side Commercial Lane space assignments for a test period during which ground transportation operators will have an opportunity to offer their comments on the effectiveness of the test configuration.

1. The goal is to improve efficiency by relocating the "Unassigned" Commercial Lane spaces commonly used by charter buses to the center of the lane.
3. If beneficial, similiar changes may also be applied to the "B" commercial lane.
5. The six spaces in the center of the lane will be designated for "class III BUS" and are intended to be used by large charter buses for either loading or unloading.
6. Class III buses may also use "unassigned" spaces A18, A26 and A27. (The center spaces are A19 - A21 and A23 - A25 are the Class III lanes.)
7. The reconfiguration will become effective on April 6, 2007.

Thank you Disboarders! Your comments got to the proper authorities and the airport acted. Once the commercial lanes are set up I hope those who experience the shorter trips to your airlines from the 1st floor will go to the GOAA website and express your appreciation for the change. I will give you the link for the comments, later.

I have noticed Disney employees hanging around the bus drop off areas and hope that Disney has also decided to provide one of their employees for any information you might need returning to MCO to head for home. At our last meeting we had some other improvements in store. I will find out if they are in place.

The above was taken from the official announcement received by me through the mail.