How early to arrive before flight home from MCO

[KAYLI'S DAD]

Unfortunately, not all airlines have curbside check-in at MCO these days. I don't think JetBlue or Southwest have

Southwest does. That’s who we flew home on.

 

[sam_gordon]

I don't pay for TSA-Pre, but for some reason about half the time I fly I get it. Always on Southwest. Just never seen an advantage.

Really? Keeping shoes on isn't an advantage? Not pulling out 3-1-1 bags? Leaving laptops/electronics packed away? TOTALLY disagree with there not being an advantage to pre-check. Now, whether the COST of pre-check is worth it is a different story. I only got it once my CC offered to reimburse me for it.

 

[tvguy]

Really? Keeping shoes on isn't an advantage? Not pulling out 3-1-1 bags? Leaving laptops/electronics packed away? TOTALLY disagree with there not being an advantage to pre-check. Now, whether the COST of pre-check is worth it is a different story. I only got it once my CC offered to reimburse me for it.

Never have had an issue with taking my shoes off or going through regular TSA security. 42 years ago I used to travel for work with 7 huge equipment boxes full of TV equipment. Regular TSA security is a breeze compared to that.

 

[Holly]

3 hours.
In March it took just over two hours to get through security, and that was with an instruction for “everyone not flying within the next two hours, get out of line” on the big display screens. It was a disorganized mob scene.

 

[sam_gordon]

Never have had an issue with taking my shoes off or going through regular TSA security. 42 years ago I used to travel for work with 7 huge equipment boxes full of TV equipment. Regular TSA security is a breeze compared to that.

I never had a problem with TSA either. But to say there's no advantage to precheck I totally disagree with. Whether the advantages are worth the cost is a different story.

 

[tvguy]

I never had a problem with TSA either. But to say there's no advantage to precheck I totally disagree with. Whether the advantages are worth the cost is a different story.

I guess for me it isn't the cost, it's whether not having to take your shoes off or remove liquids rise to the level of being an advantage, LOL.

 

[emmabelle]

we were lucky last Friday 6/3 the line at 10am was 10 minutes but I wouldn't chance it. It could be much longer.

 

[LittleStinkerbelle]

We flew jetblue from mco the Tuesday after Memorial Day and the listed security wait time at around 4:45 am was 45 minutes and the posted wait increased as we moved up the line. We were through a little faster than the wait time posted. I’d say plan on 2.5 hours if not checking bags just to be in the safe side since you never know what could hold you up. We got turned around returning our rental car so that cost us some time.

 

[Sleepyluke]

Mid May the airline lines (almost all we passed) were 2-3x the length of the TSA lines. Precheck was about 5 min, check bags was 1.5 hours.

 

[ZerasPride]

We just returned home on Monday and have pre-check. We waited about 15 minutes in the pre-check security line but I noticed every once in a while they would stop our line and employees would come through or CLEAR passengers would be escorted through so that slowed things down a bit. The sign for the regular line said something like 30 minutes but that could not have been true. I could not believe the number of people in the regular security line and the line did not seem to move hardly at all. That line was at least an hour long.

We witnesses folks literally running through the airport as flight staff called out names looking for missing passengers. They would repeat something like doors will be closing in 2 minutes and not reopen for any reason. We were at our gate with 2 families that missed their flights. The one family said they were in the security line forever and the door to their flight had literally just closed as they came running up and they would not open for them. They were very angry.

We were picked up at 8:15 am for our 11:45 am flight. We were at our gate by 9:20 using a private car service and do not regret for one minute getting there early and not experiencing the stress or worse missing our flight.

 

[Lewisc]

We waited about 15 minutes in the pre-check security line

Important to note. Posters used to Pre being walk throuh don't realize pre lines at MCO can be 20 minutes

 

[keishashadow]

Unfortunately, not all airlines have curbside check-in at MCO these days. I don't think JetBlue or Southwest have it.

Spirit is literally the worst as to long waits out of MCO to check bags…doesn’t matter if it’s am, afternoon or early evening. They just don’t have the counter properly staffed. Add in guests who are over the 40# mark and it’s a real cluster

to their credit, they do often announce flights that are close to boarding and allow those in line to pass go and get processed. However, it’s just a bit annoying at times to see so many folk in that situation. I assume they were the ones that figured if they showed up at the entrance to MCO an hour beforehand, as they do at smaller home airport, all would be well.

before anyone chimes in to suggest I book another airline, I do. It’s about the $ & flight times. Just not that many NS options since last summer and we often want to grab early flight down & last one out of dodge to stretch a quickie flight

I guess for me it isn't the cost, it's whether not having to take your shoes off or remove liquids rise to the level of being an advantage, LOL.

From often flying with others who don’t have TSA pre-check and waiting for them on the other side…

I can surely tell you that ’the advantage’ has nothing to do with removing one’s shoes. It’s one controllable factor you can curry, knowing you will relatively zip thru the pre check line, compared to those in the regular security lines that can be such a hot mess In MCO and elsewhere.

 

[tvguy]

From often flying with others who don’t have TSA pre-check and waiting for them on the other side…

I can surely tell you that ’the advantage’ has nothing to do with removing one’s shoes. It’s one controllable factor you can curry, knowing you will relatively zip thru the pre check line, compared to those in the regular security lines that can be such a hot mess In MCO and elsewhere.

Other than MCO the airports I fly through have pretty speedy regular TSA.

 

[shafke]

Let me preface this by saying I do not fly very often... once ever 2 or 3 years.
The last time we flew out of MCO was after a cruise. I forget what time our flight was but I thing we had 3 hours from the time we arrived at the airport to the flight time. Based on stories I was expecting long lines at security. We get there... NO LINE. We were through security and on the shuttle to the gates in like 5 minutes... I feel we got very lucky on that trip... this was a Saturday around noon.

 

[Disneybuckeye]

I don't pay for TSA-Pre, but for some reason about half the time I fly I get it. Always on Southwest. Just never seen an advantage.

DH is Gold status with Delta and used to get it for free quite often. I would get it too if we were on the same flight. He has not received this perk in about two years.

Last year I "bought" TSA as my AMEX covered the cost. We fly as a couple on at least 8 flights a year. DH has an AMEX and can get free TSA, but has missed, due to work issues, three appointments for the approval process. I have given up that he will ever get it done.

He goes thru the commoner line and I go thru the TSA line. I take all carry on bags as I do not have to take off shoes, belt, or remove laptops or kindles. I am always thru at least 10 minutes or more ahead of him.

I will never fly again without it., but it is a personal preference.

 

[sam_gordon]

DH is Gold status with Delta and used to get it for free quite often. I would get it too if we were on the same flight. He has not received this perk in about two years.

Last year I "bought" TSA as my AMEX covered the cost. We fly as a couple on at least 8 flights a year. DH has an AMEX and can get free TSA, but has missed, due to work issues, three appointments for the approval process. I have given up that he will ever get it done.

He goes thru the commoner line and I go thru the regular line. I take all carry on bags as I do not have to take off shoes, belt, or remove laptops or kindles. I am always thru at least 10 minutes or more ahead of him.

I will never fly again without it., but it is a personal preference.

My first trip with pre was with DS. I sent him to the non-pre line and I went pre. He finished a couple minutes before me. On the way home we split up again and I finished about 10 minutes before him.

 

[tvguy]

DH is Gold status with Delta and used to get it for free quite often. I would get it too if we were on the same flight. He has not received this perk in about two years.

Last year I "bought" TSA as my AMEX covered the cost. We fly as a couple on at least 8 flights a year. DH has an AMEX and can get free TSA, but has missed, due to work issues, three appointments for the approval process. I have given up that he will ever get it done.

He goes thru the commoner line and I go thru the TSA line. I take all carry on bags as I do not have to take off shoes, belt, or remove laptops or kindles. I am always thru at least 10 minutes or more ahead of him.

I will never fly again without it., but it is a personal preference.

Actually, now that I think about it, I can't remember the last time I had to take my shoes off. The airports I use have all upgraded to the air puffer booth security systems where you don't have to take your shoes off anymore.
Money almost always wins over convenience for us, especially now since we have retired. I park in the $10 a day economy parking lot at the airport, instead of the closer $29 a day parking lot, even though it takes me 10 minutes longer each way to get to and from my car.

 

[brockash]

I’ve heard some horror stories lately of missed flights and was wondering how early we should arrive at MCO before flight time to make flight. Rule of thumb is usually 2 hours but google search says 3. We fly home tomorrow at 9am and thought a weekday in middle of week shouldn’t be too busy.

I would do 2. We fly a lot and at least a few times a yr out. of MCO. We have never had an issue arriving 2 hrs. prior and checking bags, going through security and with kids... no precheck here. 99% of the time we also have time to eat/get snacks/sit around etc.

 

[VandVsmama]

In case anybody's interested, you can now reserve a time slot to go through the TSA checkpoint at MCO. And it doesn't cost anything. Can only reserve up to 72 hr ahead of time and only up to 10 people on 1 reservation.

https://www.clearme.com/reserve

 

[Disneybuckeye]

Actually, now that I think about it, I can't remember the last time I had to take my shoes off. The airports I use have all upgraded to the air puffer booth security systems where you don't have to take your shoes off anymore.
Money almost always wins over convenience for us, especially now since we have retired. I park in the $10 a day economy parking lot at the airport, instead of the closer $29 a day parking lot, even though it takes me 10 minutes longer each way to get to and from my car

I get being frugal, but I did not pay for it anyway. I do pay $250 per year for my Amex, but we receive a free companion ticket (plus other perks we use) that we use to go skiing each spring for which we have never paid less than $330. All about best bang for your buck.