V-Flyer

May have to pop over to MCO for work, I was wondering about Immagration after hearing horror stories of 3 hours.

Is it still horrible outside of School holiday time and is there a "best" time to get there.........

Thanks

FC

IMO its got a whole lot better. unless you are unlucky and end up behind 3 jumbo loads of Mickey Mouse ear wearing tourists, the q's are normally not bad.
i usually fly PE in the bubble and am in the first few off the plane. I have been in my car in less than 20 minutes from stepping off......worse time was when the computers crashed and we stood there for 2 hours !!

are you staying in MCO ? there is always the >NY> regional airport option

I've been to MCO 8 - 10 times in the past 5 years and have never waited longer than 45 minutes

It can really depend on when your flight arrives and how the other flights have landed also.

If you catch either the early MAN or LGW flight you shouldn't have a problem if they are on time. However the later flights from either airport can experience immigration delays if they arrive close to each other (sometimes only 30 mins between the scheduled arrivals) and one or two of the other European carriers has landed a bit early.

Neil

Flabound, we're not in Orlando but staying in Melbourne (which does have an airport ! hmmmmm..............

FC

We travel to MCO 4/5 times a year and have never had to wait more than 10/15 mins have often said I wish UK airports where as good !

I took vs27 in July and the wait was well over an hour. I was about half way in the 747 disembark.

I thought at that time the man flight must have flown through but that said there didn't appear any other flight in front. Only about six desks were open.

Maybe I'm unlucky

Fatcat wrote:Flabound, we're not in Orlando but staying in Melbourne (which does have an airport ! hmmmmm..............

FC

melbourne isnt that big, only has connections from Atlanta or Charlotte. so unless you flew in with Delta (noooo) or US Air (ok) you would have a stopover from NY.

how about Palm Beach via New York ? its only an extra 45 mins drive over Orlando and Jet Blue fly direct. and thats a nice drive up the space coast

just looking, you could do the new late flight into JFK (25) so not losing a day ,stop overnight then get the 8am down with JB and be in Fla by 11 drive up and be in Melbourne early afternoon rested and ready to rock......I quite like that.

3 weeks ago there was no wait at all, walked straight up to the desk.

Landed on VS15 at 16:40 and had got bags and car by 5:15!

Hope the current buffer between the 15 and 73 continues, definitely helps.

In recent years I've not experienced much more than a 10 minute wait but when my daughter came to see us she landed at 6pm and didnt come thru' to us until 8.45pm - that was last October! n(

Cane through Mco on Wednesday this week on the VS27 took about 10 minutes!

Came through MCO yesterday on the VS27 (which landed about 25/30 mins late) we were 4th off the plane and first to the queue, (quick power walk) there were passengers ahead of us from another flight not sure which but there were BA crew in the crew lane so guess it was that flight.

We waited about 20 mins to get through immigration, but once we were through bags were there and we were in the hire car within 15 mins and driving out the airport.

747Rich wrote:I've been to MCO 8 - 10 times in the past 5 years and have never waited longer than 45 minutes

Thats pretty much my experience also. It isnt too bad - nothing like MIA for example.

MCO immigration has improved over recent years.

I remember the times when you walked into the huge immigration hall and had to choose which line of many you joined. Now at least you're filed into one orderly queue around barriers and once you reach the head of the queue you asked to go to a numbered booth. Much more organised system.

Wait was under 5 minutes when I arrived a couple of weeks ago. Wish I could say the same for LGW on the return the queue was a joke v(

-steve

There are some tables on the US Customs and Border Patrol website that give average wait times at a number of airports and even some terminals for the larger airports.

i have to say my experience over the past few years is like others you either wait very little time (max of 10 mins or nothing) or the last time which was march this year took 1 hour 30 minutes to get through as we took off 20 minutes late from LGW and arrived after the MAN VS flight and the LGW BA flight had landed also so had two plane loads full of passengers to compete with and really if we had of arrived on time I believed it might have been a slightly less of a wait as the BA plane was due in 20 mins after our scheduled time

Landed here on Wednesday on the 15. No wait straight through a a desk and in the car within 25 mins of landing. More time waiting for the cases than emigration and customs combined. We arrived about 10 mins early for our flight. Mind you as we went to the Alamo parking garage the heavens opened and made for an interesting drive to the house

LAX must be the new MCO then? lol

Both times I've landed there this year on VS7, there's only been 2 immigration officers working the computers. The baggage handlers had to take bags off the carousel because it caused a backlog xx(