SFB / MCO Connection

[XSBaggage]

Hi. I posted a few weeks ago asking advice re connecting times at ORD. Well now looking for similar advice on the madness or otherwise of getting a flight to SFB from GLA and then heading over to MCO to get a domestic flight from there. Has anyone ever done this? Are transportation options from SFB limited or geared up for this. Being a veteran of the cross London dash I dont mind the actual hassle involved with changing airports, but I am unfamiliar with Orlando, and the cheapest way to get to the West Coast would appear to be with GSM from GLA and then Frontier from MCO.

Is this a silly suggestion or not? Any advice welcome?

Thanks
XSB

[ILOVEMCO]

you'll have to get a taxi, sanford is mainly geared up for charters from the uk and so expect most people to have hired a car. as for immigration, it seems they organise arrival times so that at least 3 large aircraft from the uk have landed within 10 minutes of each other resulting in very large queues in a building that doesn't seem to be air conditioned :hmm: , but hey thats just my experience. i take it you are flying flyglobespan? i think thats scheduled to arrive at 1:30 which i believe is early for a transatlantic flight so i wouldn't think there would be any other charter that early.

the road between them is a tolled highway and to be honest i dont really know who long it would take to get between them. in my experience it takes at most 2 hours get from SFB to Kissimmee but MCO is well before the tourist area.

hope i've helped
if you do try it dont blame me if it goes pear shaped :E

[phreegreens]

Distance is about 30 miles on good clear roads (checked on my GPS mapping). As previous poster said Sanford is geared to the holiday market. I've only been through once a few years ago, immigration and baggage queues were fine, but we were on the first arrival of the day, as we were clearing two other charters from the UK arrived and the folks at the back of that queue would have had a decent delay.

Google could be your friend here.. search on Orlando Sanford Taxi's there are a bunch offering meet and greet, maybe your best option, rather than taking a punt on a taxi being available.

I've used MCO a fair bit more on holiday and business, there can, like at every US airport, be significant delays. I would allow 60 mins for clearing Sanford, if you are on an early in flight, 45 mins for the transfer and at least 2 hours at MCO, rolling those up and throwing in a bit for the inevitable glitches, I would allow a good 4-5 hours from wheels on at Sanford to departure from MCO and try and get a flex ticket ex-MCO, as this has got all the hallmarks of a trip that could go pear shaped, hope it doesn't but I am a air travel realist.. :ok:

[Middle Seat]

Check also Sanford's web site (http://www.orlandosanfordairport.com) for ground transportation options.
If you're concerned about the connection, have you considered getting a flight out first thing the next morning, and overnighting at an airport hotel? It may not be the fastest option, but at least on the way home, you'll be covered in case there are delays as you return back to MCO on your journey home.

[XSBaggage]

Thanks for the advice guys. Was going to have 3 hrs 25 between my GSM flight arriving at SFB and my Frontier one leaving from MCO, and on the return leg 2 hrs 30 to get from MCO to SFB. Starting to chicken out :O and thinking of getting hotels and stuff, but that is eating into the GBP100 that I am saving in the first place by not going AA, CO, DL from GLA or EDI and connecting. Just got excited at finding a cheap price, but I am an air travel realist too and think it might just be too risky.

XSB

[IronWalt]

Here is the cheapest way to get to the west coast from SFB:

http://www.allegiantair.com

[spanishflea]

XSBaggage, I'm not sure if you are aware but you can only book on Frontier flights if you are a resident of the USA, Canada, or Mexico. I had planned to use them this summer and when I came to book was unable to do so and had to use UA instead.

[Globaliser]

... but that is eating into the GBP100 that I am saving in the first place by not going AA, CO, DL from GLA or EDI and connecting. I know that all of us will have different tipping points, but FWIW my firm advice is that the potential hassle from this is not worth trying to save £100. Part of the equation should be that if you are on a through ticket on any of those major airlines, if anything goes wrong in the connection (which could still happen, even with the best of planning, in either of the alternative approaches) then you will get looked after by the airline, including hotels and stuff if necessary because it's an international itinerary.

[Irish Steve]

Have you considered EI GLA-DUB-LAX? It has the big advantage of clearing American immigration at Dublin before departure, which saves a load of time at the other end.

[XSBaggage]

Boy am I glad I asked this question on this forum! Firstly, Irish Steve, thought about EI but once I get the connecting flight to PDX it works out too expensive. Spanishflea, I did not know that about Frontier. I suppose could get the "other half" in the US to buy the ticket and pay her back, but its much more hassle, and finally I agree Globaliser, it is becoming too much trouble for only 100 pounds. Maybe if it were 200 odd but really not worth the bother.

Oh well, suppose at least I can gather my SkyTeam frequent flier points by going DL or CO!

Thanks,
XSB

[WHBM]

If I was going from Glasgow to Portland Or. I would start by looking at connecting through Vancouver (using one of the charters to there) rather than Orlando.

[piston pete]

XSBaggage, I'm not sure if you are aware but you can only book on Frontier flights if you are a resident of the USA, Canada, or Mexico. I had planned to use them this summer and when I came to book was unable to do so and had to use UA instead.

The Frontier site caught me out too but their flights are actually bookable through Opodo, Expedia and Orbitz.

[XSBaggage]

The charters to YVR are counter-productive as the flights with Air Canada Jazz and Horizon from YVR are so extortionate they eat up any saving. As I said previously, looks like this plan is shelved for the time being and will go back to conventional means (but useful to know about Frontier being available on opodo etc).

XSB

[WHBM]

Bus Vancouver to Portland ? It's about 8 hours.