What happened with Orlando airport security lines?

[Phrank40]

I have flown into and out of the Orlando Airport probably 10 times since July of 2005. Starting in July and until this February the line for security checks was reasonable and took maybe 10-20 minutes to get through. Imagine my surprise in mid-February on a Tuesday morning when I got to the Orlando airport the usual number of minutes before my flight and the security line went from the start of security across the terminal lobby, up the hallyway where the walkways are and to the food court. I was in line 45 minutes and just made my flight. I thought this was a one shot deal but when my wife flew out a week or so ago it was the same way.

Can anyone with extensive flying experience from the Orlando airport tell me is this a seasonal thing or has something changed at the airport? I thought I had a nice routine but obviously may have to change my timing for future flights.

Phrank

 

[pamjb]

I think it depends on when your flight is leaving. We were "supposed" to fly out on Sunday, March 5 at 8 pm. We got to the airport at 6:15 ish. No line at security at all. Unfortunately, our plane was stuck in Chicago, so we had to rebook for the next day. Our next flight was Monday, March 6 at 8:40 am. And we had the lines that you had described, not quite as long, but as long as I had ever seen them. I thought they moved rather quickly though, considering the amount of people that were going thru. One of the TSA's was yelling instructions to keep things moving: "put small items inside your carryon" "You don't have to remove your shoes if they are sneakers" "Only have to remove your leather belt if it has a large buckle", etc. Maybe there was an inordinate amount of "Newbie" travelers in front of you. Also, there are a lot of families flying thru Orlando and getting thru security with small children, and the paraphanalia that entails, is not easy.

 

[DebbieB]

I fly alot for work and it varies widely. I went through MCO around 6:00pm on Friday Feb 3 and there was hardly any line, I was surprised (AirTran side). I went through PIT on a Monday around 5:45am a couple weeks ago and there was no line, I walked right up. The following Monday around 6:00am, there was a pretty long line.

Weather at other airports can affect security, which may have happened in your case. New York City had a big snow storm around Valentines Day. People's flights were canceled. They all returned to the airport the next morning to get on rescheduled flights, so the lines were probably huge.

 

[Phrank40]

Actually it was around Valentine's Day I had the long line, so maybe that was it. Flying into Orlando Saturday and out Tuesday, I guess I will see what the deal is then.

Phrank

 

[keishashadow]

Everytime I've flown into MCO between 10:30 & Noon, we walk past the lengthy line you describe.

We've had good luck scheduling very early & late flights home (think 8:00 a.m. & p.m.).

 

[Phrank40]

One variable in this I forgot about was until recently I flew out of a different terminal at Orlando airport (can't remembr if A or B), I got some better rates on another airline which leaves from a terminal I had not used in the past and this terminal has the long line. I remember now that when I got at end of this long line a man behind me asked what was the problem, that the other terminal hardly had any line. Maybe this Tuesday if I get to airport early enough I will check out both terminals just to see if there is a difference.

Phrank

 

[RevBob]

One variable in this I forgot about was until recently I flew out of a different terminal at Orlando airport (can't remembr if A or B),

Phrank

From this I take it that there is a seperate Security Line for each Terminal? The reason I ask this, is because when we fly back home in April, our son will be flying out on NWA, since he is going home to IND, and we will be flying home to OHIO on Delta, and as I understand it they are in different terminals. Since his flight leaves an hour and half before ours, we'd like to wait with him at his gate before heading over to ours. Will we have to go through security again in order to get to our gate then. He flies out of terminal 3 and I believe that we would fly out of terminal 4. Thanks.

 

[DebbieB]

From this I take it that there is a seperate Security Line for each Terminal? The reason I ask this, is because when we fly back home in April, our son will be flying out on NWA, since he is going home to IND, and we will be flying home to OHIO on Delta, and as I understand it they are in different terminals. Since his flight leaves an hour and half before ours, we'd like to wait with him at his gate before heading over to ours. Will we have to go through security again in order to get to our gate then. He flies out of terminal 3 and I believe that we would fly out of terminal 4. Thanks.

I don't think you will be able to go with him. 3 (gates 30 to 59) and 4 (gates 60 to 99) are in different security areas, they probably will not let you through to his side because your flight is going out on the other side. You can wait in the main terminal, make sure he has enough time to get through security before his flight.

I've found lines are shorter on the 1 to 59 side.

http://www.orlandoairports.net:/goaa/images/diagrams/terminal_overview.jpg

 

[safetymom]

Lately no matter what time of day you fly it has been very very crowded getting through security.

I fly weekly through MCO and it has been terrible the last several month. Early morning used to not be so bad but it has been very bad lately. I signed up for the Fly Clear program to bypass all that. Best $80 I ever spent.

 

[winniedapooh]

This happened to me too. It took me over an hour in line the beg. of February! I was shocked.

 

[Alexander]

I've found lines are shorter on the 1 to 59 side.

http://www.orlandoairports.net:/goaa/images/diagrams/terminal_overview.jpg

I have to totally agree. We have flown to Orlando into and out of Orlando a billion times and we have always been on the B side. The lines for security are usually quite long (30 to 45 minutes). However, in Feb. we flew American and we were on the A side and we whizzed, I mean whizzed through. Absolutely no line at all on Friday of President's Week at 11:30 in the morning.

 

[Olallamom]

We flew out of the A side last June and Oct. The lines were nuts both times, our flights departed around 8pm each time. I have flown out of many different airports and think that MCO has one of the worst security lines.

 

[DebbieB]

FYI - the security lines do not go by A and B. One security area has gates 1-29 (A) and 30-59 (B). The other security area has gates 60 to 99 (B) and 100-129 (A). They split off into A and B after you go through the checkpoint.

 

[Alexander]

FYI - the security lines do not go by A and B. One security area has gates 1-29 (A) and 30-59 (B). The other security area has gates 60 to 99 (B) and 100-129 (A). They split off into A and B after you go through the checkpoint.

Duh! I'm sorry! I didn't even realize that! We had a lower numbered gate (1-59) with American than we have with any of the others we've flown. Thanks for your diagram in a previous post!

 

[TimNDansMom]

I was very surprised how long the line up was to get through the 100-129 gate security check on Monday, Jan. 30 around 2pm, for a 4:15pm SWA flight.

I'd flown on the same flight, Mondays, a few times last year and was expecting to have plenty of time to go to the food court and look in the shops but we decided we'd better join the line-up instead.

It was a good 45 minutes before we got through. It was hard on DH because he had not been feeling well.

I have been wondering if something had changed too, to warrent the line-ups. I guess it's a good thing that DME picked us up 3 hours before the flight.

DS and I are flying home on a Monday, but a couple of hours earlier, at the beginning of May, and I hope we don't encounter the big line-up again.

 

[magiroux]

FYI - the security lines do not go by A and B. One security area has gates 1-29 (A) and 30-59 (B). The other security area has gates 60 to 99 (B) and 100-129 (A). They split off into A and B after you go through the checkpoint.

I was wondering about this. Are you saying that it doesn't matter what security line, or side, I go through because they merge into the same common area after you pass through the security scan? Or do they stop you in send you to the side that has your gate number?

 

[TDC Nala]

I fly into and out of Orlando at least once a month. I have never seen the lines the way they were on my January and February trips (45 and 30 minutes respectively). I had taken Magical Express and had lots of time to get to the gate, but the airport doesn't seem to be made to accommodate lines like that. Now, I hear from the OP that they're still just as bad. Both flights were on a Monday afternoon. I often fly on Monday afternoon and have never had waits like that before January.

 

[jodifla]

Lately no matter what time of day you fly it has been very very crowded getting through security.

I fly weekly through MCO and it has been terrible the last several month. Early morning used to not be so bad but it has been very bad lately. I signed up for the Fly Clear program to bypass all that. Best $80 I ever spent.

Could you elaborate on the Fly Clear program? Who offers it?

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Could you elaborate on the Fly Clear program? Who offers it?

See http://www.flyclear.com/

 

[DebbieB]

I was wondering about this. Are you saying that it doesn't matter what security line, or side, I go through because they merge into the same common area after you pass through the security scan? Or do they stop you in send you to the side that has your gate number?

There are actually 4 different gate areas. For security, you have to go on the end based on your gate number, not A or B. Gates 1 to 59 are on one end and Gates 60 to 129 are on the other. Then after you go through security, each end then splits into A or B, to create 4 gate areas.

See this airport map:

http://www.orlandoairports.net/goaa/images/diagrams/terminal_overview.jpg