Question about DME using Spirit Airlines

[Anal Annie]

OK, so my family has a trip planned in January over our sons college winter break - WE are using SW and we know the drill and how it will work for us. But my DS's college roommate is joining us directly from his home in Detroit and he is using Spirit Airlines. I need to call and add all of our flights to DME and I want to figure out his options for his return trip home since we're leaving at different times and on diff. airlines. I don't know if he will be checking a bag or not yet but Spirit is NOT part of the RAC, right? Does he just need to pick up his luggage at our resorts Bell Services and take his stuff himself on the bus to the airport? And is Spirit in the terminal at MCO with Jet Blue that now has some extra travel time involved because of construction? Do I need to request an earlier pickup time for him for DME to get him there on time? Looking for some experience / advice using Spirit. He hasn't been to WDW and will be traveling alone - he is also hard of hearing and I want to make this experience as easy as possible for him to navigate. TIA.

 

[bianca]

We fly Spirit all the time out of Detroit. There is no problem getting the luggage to your room using ME if he has checked luggage. As far as departure goes, he does not use RAC, but instead boards ME with his luggage and checks it in at the airport. Not sure if Spirit is in same terminal as Jet Blue, but the thing that usually causes a problem with getting to your gate on time is the line for TSA itself. If you are going at a slower time of day, there should be no problem. Your idea of asking for earlier pick up time may be just what's needed if you're not sure about timing. We have certainly had some close calls, though they had nothing to do with Spirit Airlines ...... Magical Express.

 

[Anal Annie]

We fly Spirit all the time out of Detroit. There is no problem getting the luggage to your room using ME if he has checked luggage. As far as departure goes, he does not use RAC, but instead boards ME with his luggage and checks it in at the airport. Not sure if Spirit is in same terminal as Jet Blue, but the thing that usually causes a problem with getting to your gate on time is the line for TSA itself. If you are going at a slower time of day, there should be no problem. Your idea of asking for earlier pick up time may be just what's needed if you're not sure about timing. We have certainly had some close calls, though they had nothing to do with Spirit Airlines ...... Magical Express.

Thanks - I hate to cut his day any shorter than necessary and then have him sitting at the airport twiddling his thumbs for an hour but I also don't want the boy to miss his flight either. He is on the last Spirit flight of the day to DTW departing at 6:39 pm. So if he misses it he is surely screwed. I know we have had some pretty big messes at MCO to wade thru on departure. I would feel bad either way... Wonder if late afternoon on a Monday is one of the busier departure times?

 

[bianca]

Thanks - I hate to cut his day any shorter than necessary and then have him sitting at the airport twiddling his thumbs for an hour but I also don't want the boy to miss his flight either. He is on the last Spirit flight of the day to DTW departing at 6:39 pm. So if he misses it he is surely screwed. I know we have had some pretty big messes at MCO to wade thru on departure. I would feel bad either way... Wonder if late afternoon on a Monday is one of the busier departure times?

We take flight 892 back every trip and have never had a problem that was Spirit's fault. We HAVE been forgotten by Magical Express and the valet team at AK paid for a cab for us to get to the airport. We made it, but it was tight. As a result, we now ask for an earlier pick up time by ME ..... by an hour. I would recommend this for your sons friend and you will have no worries.

 

[Anal Annie]

We take flight 892 back every trip and have never had a problem that was Spirit's fault. We HAVE been forgotten by Magical Express and the valet team at AK paid for a cab for us to get to the airport. We made it, but it was tight. As a result, we now ask for an earlier pick up time by ME ..... by an hour. I would recommend this for your sons friend and you will have no worries.

Where are the Spirit gates located at MCO? I wanted to find out if they are involved in the construction that just started at MCO. I had read that a handful of airlines are being told to allow even more time getting to the airport if you're flying on them. I don't know if Spirit is one of these airlines...Thx

 

[bianca]

Spirit gates are in Terminal B ..... has no bearing on Magical Express, as they drop you off right in front of the door. Get off the bus, enter the airport, take the escalators up, turn left and Spirit counter is at the very end of the row. Check in is easy. If you don't have checked luggage, you don't even have to get in line, as they have plenty of "print your own boarding pass" stations out in front. We LOVE those, as we travel light. After that, you'll head to the TSA check-in, get on the shuttle (which is immediately outside TSA area) and head to your designated gate in Terminal B. If memory serves me correctly, it's always gate 32 for flight 892. I think the construction you are referring to is for the new Terminal C, but I could be wrong. To my knowledge, B is being left alone.

 

[Anal Annie]

Spirit gates are in Terminal B ..... has no bearing on Magical Express, as they drop you off right in front of the door. Get off the bus, enter the airport, take the escalators up, turn left and Spirit counter is at the very end of the row. Check in is easy. If you don't have checked luggage, you don't even have to get in line, as they have plenty of "print your own boarding pass" stations out in front. We LOVE those, as we travel light. After that, you'll head to the TSA check-in, get on the shuttle (which is immediately outside TSA area) and head to your designated gate in Terminal B. If memory serves me correctly, it's always gate 32 for flight 892. I think the construction you are referring to is for the new Terminal C, but I could be wrong. To my knowledge, B is being left alone.

Thank you - I was concerned Spririt might be located in the terminal where the construction is causing delays getting to the gates with an extra long process to get there.

 

[DebbieB]

Thank you - I was concerned Spririt might be located in the terminal where the construction is causing delays getting to the gates with an extra long process to get there.

Spirit is airside 3, gates 30 to 59, which I don't think is affected. Jet Blue is airside 1, gates 1 to 29, which is the one affected.

https://www.orlandoairports.net/flights/

 

[Anal Annie]

Spirit is airside 3, gates 30 to 59, which I don't think is affected. Jet Blue is airside 1, gates 1 to 29, which is the one affected.

https://www.orlandoairports.net/flights/

THANK YOU!!

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Be careful recently folks have been reporting up to an hour wait time to get through security.