Flying out of MCO on New year's Day - how soon to get to airport

[peacefrogdog]

Looking to depart from MCO to BUF New Year's Day. Flights earlier in the morning are a lot cheaper.

Any guesses re: crowds at MCO that time of day? The flight I'm looking at leaves at 730 AM so seeing if we'd need to be there as early as 530 or 6 AM.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Looking to depart from MCO to BUF New Year's Day. Flights earlier in the morning are a lot cheaper.

Any guesses re: crowds at MCO that time of day? The flight I'm looking at leaves at 730 AM so seeing if we'd need to be there as early as 530 or 6 AM.

Two hours before scheduled departure (90 minutes before boarding) is always a good rule-of-thumb. Usually, that means getting to the gate way too early. However, if there are long lines at the ticket counter or at TSA security -- or both -- it can be important to have the extra time.

It's hard to predict if lines will be better or worse on New Year's Day. The airlines and the TSA try to schedule employees properly in relation to expected passenger volume. But all it takes are some miscalculations, illnesses or no-shows (do you think some employees might overdo it New Years Eve?) to create a serious backup at an understaffed location.

If everything goes smoothly, you'll have time for a leisurely breakfast. If things don't go so smoothly, you still shouldn't miss your flight.