Connection question at MCO

It's been a while since I have had to take a connecting flight so a quick question.

I fly into MCO on the 75 from MAN and am catching a connecting flight with Southwest to Ft Myers. I'm familar with MCO and am pretty sure we arrive at Terminal A, usually at a gate in the 80's. Southwest depart from terminal A but from a different concourse , they use gates 100-129.

And so my question is: Will I have to go right into arrivals at the main site(via the mono rail) and have to check-in from fresh or will I simply get off the Mono rail from my arriving concourse and get straight on the departing mono rail for the other concourse?

I think I already know the answer (I will have to right out to come back through the "system") but I am just seeking clarification from some of the more well travelled V-flyers who might be more familiar with MCO than I am.

Cheers,

NOC

Am not familar with MCO but in general the US does not seem to 'do' transit passengers so yes you will need to clear Immegration, collect your bags and then clear customs.

Though there maybe a luggage drop for Southwest just after customs (but before you leave the sterile area) where you can re-check your bags (remember to put any duty free you may have bought at MAN or on board into your re-checked bags though).

If not you will have to get them to the Southwest Check-in desks yourself.

[Neil]

Yes, you will have to clear immigration/customs then hop on the monorail, re-check in at the WN desks and then clear security and head back on the other monorail to the WN gates.

We did this last year (and will do the same) next year.
The process is described; all went quite smoothly

the question is - do you have checked luggage ?if yes then you will have to take the monorail .
you will have cleared customs and immigration anyway as you do that before you do bag reclaim.
keep your bags and DO NOT send them on the conveyor system .
at the end of the monorail walk out into the concourse and head for the check in area . then you will have to go back through security.

if you dont have checked bags (or only have one each and fancy trying it on with SW) once you clear customs, go up the escalator to the monorail. i think you can simply turn back on yourself and head for the gate.

now heres the trick- ,most Americans try and carry on the kitchen sink. IF you only have one bag each you can have a go at just heading to the gate. at worst they will taek your bags off you and put them in the hold if the plane is full.
How long do you have between flights and how quick will you be off the 75 (what class are you in)?


the good news is RSW is a breeze -you will be straight out.
where you headed for ??

.

if you dont have checked bags (or only have one each and fancy trying it on with SW) once you clear customs, go up the escalator to the monorail. i think you can simply turn back on yourself and head for the gate.

You cannot do this - there is a one way system out of arrivals from the monorail. Each passenger will need to clear US security to get back into the departure area.

.
you will have cleared customs and immigration anyway as you do that before you do bag reclaim.

mmm Have always had to clear customs with my checked bags whenever I have entered the USA.

Customs being able to inspect your bags for banned items is well one of the reasons why customs is where it is i.e. after bag claim !

the good news is RSW is a breeze -you will be straight out.
where you headed for ??

Flabound, we are headed into Cape Coral from RSW for hopefully a little bit of December sunshine.

Thanks to all for your help and advice, much appreciated as always

The 75 is due to arrive at 14.50 and our connecting flight is due to depart at 16.10 so hopefully we should be okay providing it isn't heaving at security which I know from experience it can be. Anyway, there's one more flight to RSW after that one so we can always hop onto that if there's room.

Thanks again

NOC

The 75 is due to arrive at 14.50 and our connecting flight is due to depart at 16.10 so hopefully we should be okay providing it isn't heaving at security which I know from experience it can be. Anyway, there's one more flight to RSW after that one so we can always hop onto that if there's room.

Thanks again

NOC

You only have 80 minutes between your two flights, but your bags must be checked into your WN flight 30 minutes before departure. That really leaves you only 50 minutes to deplane, collect baggage, clear customs, ride the monorail, and wait in line to check in.

I would personally say that is a very tight connection. It might be worthwhile to see about switching to the later WN flight now. Just my 2 cents. I have been through MCO where it has taken 40 minutes just to get bags ...

i worded it wrong. you clear immi,then collect bags ,then clear customs.

at MCO you then can either send the bags over to the main terminal on the conveyor OR take them with you on the monorail.

NOW whilst i bow to tinks knowledge about not being able to turn back into the departure area as you go up the escalator I do think you could ride it to the terminal,stay on and go straight back without all the hassle of the security. i actually did this once when we accidentally caught the wrong shuttle. if you have done OLCI with Southwest this will save you ages. of course you will be gambling a bit with the bags but as I said before if you only have one each at worst they will take them off you at the gate and put them in the hold. i have seen this happen on Jet Blue before if the flight is busy

as Becca says your timetable is VERY tight if you go all the way out and start again

.l

NOW whilst i bow to tinks knowledge about not being able to turn back into the departure area as you go up the escalator I do think you could ride it to the terminal,stay on and go straight back without all the hassle of the security. i actually did this once when we accidentally caught the wrong shuttle. if you have done OLCI with Southwest this will save you ages. of course you will be gambling a bit with the bags but as I said before if you only have one each at worst they will take them off you at the gate and put them in the hold. i have seen this happen on Jet Blue before if the flight is busy

You cannot stay on the monorail. There are TSA agents that search the arriving monorail and are in charge of the opening and closing of the doors before allowing any departing passengers to board from the security area. There is no way around this - you have to clear USA security if you have arrived on an international flight.

You cannot stay on the monorail. There are TSA agents that search the arriving monorail and are in charge of the opening and closing of the doors before allowing any departing passengers to board from the security area. There is no way around this - you have to clear USA security if you have arrived on an international flight.

right,just cos you said that I am gonna try and do it next Friday , go in,back out and back in again...going wheeee all the time

if i get shot it will be all your fault...

I will lie there going 'Tinkerbelle made me'......(made more believable as my first name is Peter ) v(

the good news is RSW is a breeze -you will be straight out.
where you headed for ??

Flabound, we are headed into Cape Coral from RSW for hopefully a little bit of December sunshine.

Thanks to all for your help and advice, much appreciated as always

The 75 is due to arrive at 14.50 and our connecting flight is due to depart at 16.10 so hopefully we should be okay providing it isn't heaving at security which I know from experience it can be. Anyway, there's one more flight to RSW after that one so we can always hop onto that if there's room.

Thanks again

NOC

I think this is tight; we always book the later SW flight and if we are early try to get on the earlier one; this way we know we have a flight for sure (as sure as any plane ticket is of courseO

The 75 is due to arrive at 14.50 and our connecting flight is due to depart at 16.10 so hopefully we should be okay providing it isn't heaving at security which I know from experience it can be. Anyway, there's one more flight to RSW after that one so we can always hop onto that if there's room.

Thanks again

NOC

You only have 80 minutes between your two flights, but your bags must be checked into your WN flight 30 minutes before departure. That really leaves you only 50 minutes to deplane, collect baggage, clear customs, ride the monorail, and wait in line to check in.

I would personally say that is a very tight connection. It might be worthwhile to see about switching to the later WN flight now. Just my 2 cents. I have been through MCO where it has taken 40 minutes just to get bags ...

Yeah I take your point, it is tight but I think its worth a gamble given the fact that the next flight down to RSW is 20:00Hrs so thats almost a four hour wait which I don't really fancy.

And I just know I'm gonna regret saying this but In all the years I have been riding the 075 into MCO we have only been late once and that was by 10 mins. More often than not its half an hour or so early( I may just have been lucky though )

Anyways you pay your money and take your chance I guess, fingers crossed

Thanks to all for the good advice,

NOC