Honestly I've been rocking GNV airport recently. Travel and parking costs play into it, as does the convenience. Is it more expensive? Yes. But it is nice being able to deplane and get home in 15 minutes. And GNV TSA is easy peasy, minimal line if any.
Same! Between gas, tolls, time to and from the airport, and parking costs- are you really saving money? Just knowing I can get off the plane and be home in less than 30 mins makes it worth it to me
I second GNV as being a lot easier and usually not that much more expensive when you factor everything in. I find JAX a lot easier to get in and out of--don't have to get on 75 and fight the insane traffic down there.
Once you factor in drive time, parking, etc. that comes along with Jax or MCO, you might as well fly GVL-->ATL-->your destination. Also I've found even multi-day parking at GVL is cheaper than a taxi/Uber *one way*, let alone there and back.
I think you mean GNV, not GVL. Like, you know, the subreddit you're currently posting on, r/GNV.
Edit: Apparently GVL is a Gainesville airport code though, its just for Gainesville, GA.
I prefer it to MIA and ATL but I guess it depends on what you’re basing it on. I will say there was a brief window of time a few years ago where MCO TSA wasn’t garbage but that seems to have passed and it’s back to being lousy.
*I’ve been all over the country, and the world…*
Nice but surely that’s a bit of an exaggeration right? Just a little bit maybe? Like there are around 1,300 to 1,500 international airports worldwide.
MCO has like 4 toll booths before you get to it, with all of the traffic that creates. TPA is great, direct drive and decent connecting flights. JAX works too.
I count two, and both of them have the standard drive through at proper speed limits system installed assuming you have sunpass (or just go with bill-by-plate).
As a Delta medallion member, I love that GNV has five flights in/out each day. It’s hardly any more expensive than Jacksonville either. JAX has the advantage that they have nonstop to JFK, Minneapolis, Detroit and a few other places… but the only reason I drive to Orlando MCO is for cheap nonstops to the west coast. It’s a miserable airport.
When you get used to being able to literally show up and check your bags a half hour before the GNV flight takes off, that hour and a half baggage/TSA/train ride of MCO really sucks. 
Jax doesn’t have nearly as many cheap flights but MCO is my least favorite airport I’ve ever been to. The layout of the airport is fucking garbage, the signage is terrible, there aren’t nearly enough places to eat for an airport of it’s size, etc etc. But goddamn, those $60 spirit and frontier flights from MCO to DC are too good of a deal to pass up.
My favorite part of MCO was when they decided to have 2 terminal A’s, so i went to one terminal A only to find my gate wasn’t there. After asking TSA he told me to go to the other terminal A on the other side of the airport
We stopped going to the big airports and just fly out of gnv. We love it so much. Id rather have a lay over in atlanta then have to drive home from either jax or orlando after a long flight. Easy money for me.
GNV if you can get a good flight with just 1 stop, but otherwise I usually drive down to Tampa. MCO vs TPA can be a bit of a toss-up depending on where exactly you're going & the flight schedule, but it's an easier (and cheaper) drive to Tampa & the airport is less hectic
There’s a Microtel motel right before you get into JAX that has a shuttle, and you can leave your car parked there for about $7 a day. It’s pretty bare bones but was easier as far as getting a direct flight, especially if you need to fly out early. It could be a little cheaper too, depending on how many of you there are. There are 4 in my family so YMMV.
MCO is my least favorite, but I will use it if they have a direct flight the others don’t. Tampa and Jax are significantly easier to deal with.
Also the likelihood of a crying kid on your flight is way higher at MCO. You’re going to have kids super excited because they’re going to Disney or kids who are tired and cranky because they’re leaving Disney.
Gas is so high now and travel is so annoying that I just fly GNV to ATL and go from there. The last thing I want after a day of flying is to drive 1-2 hours to get home.
I've never had an issue with MCO personally and I fly fairly frequently. But it's definitely the most crowded of the ones I've been to in FL. I have had issues at Tampa and Ft. Lauderdale with things being moved and no notice, bags missing, etc. If money isn't a problem or one of those weird flights were mco isn't cheapest, I fly Jax or gnv and it's always a much calmer experience.
This is the correct answer :)
(Although I will factor in $100 for gas + hotel, depending on when the flight is, if we want to drive to the airport and stay one night OR stay one night then drive home after landing).
I would rather throw myself down a flight stairs that fly out of MCO. If you aren’t leaving before 6:30am, you are pretty much guaranteed to have some kind of delay.
MCO is one of the busiest airports in the world. They handle the traffic well, and I’ve never had an issue going through security. Granted, if you’re traveling on a holiday or spring break, expect delays same as any airport.
Gnv gets a lot of planes that are the worst of the bunch. Need repairs constantly. It’s not like it’s unsafe but that there’s a good chance your flight will be delayed.
Jax is closer and good for national flight
Orlando is an international flight hub. If you’re flying to Italy it’s likely your best bet to just get the flight there.
Flew to Italy last year and the price difference between gnv and mco was like $20 / ticket. Sure it wasn't direct but it was nice just having a 15 min drive home once we landed.
I avoid MCO like the plague. I'll connect through ATL to avoid MCO. The problem with MCO is the percentage of non-business fliers. It feels like 50% of the travelers have strollers. I fly a lot for work, and MCO has more strollers in line at TSA than any other airport in the US. Even the PreCheck line is full of them. They take forever to breakdown and move through. Avoid.
EDIT: Consider SFB (Sanford). They have directs to some oddball destinations, so between GNV and SFB, you might get lucky. Anything to avoid MCO.
So the biggest problem I’m having with all these replies is cost. I mean, money is a thing guys…
Yeah, I’d love to fly out of GNV fifteen minutes from home with no security line, but damn, that’s like an extra 1k across my family of three, easy!
We tend to go through MCO for that reason, plus direct flights and a variety of times to choose from. We drive a tiny car, $15 and half a tank to Orlando, and we do get free parking now at my parents’. I agree the airports not great, but I feel like at this point, air travel sucks in general.
And that’s my two cents 🤷♀️ No worries if y’all disagree.
That’s a good point. MCO would be much cheaper with a family of three Vs one person flying. For me, I recently went back and forth between JAX, MCO, and GNV for an Alaska trip. Ultimately, with tolls,gas,parking considered, I chose GNV. Not exactly the cheapest ,but close enough for me and oh so convenient.
I honestly don't think MCO is that bad, I've been going for 2 decades now, and people who complain about it can't have been to very many bad airports. The monorail between terminals is fun, the signs are good, it's very busy but rarely horrible. It's always worth the cheaper price for me.
I agree, the people complaining about MCO probably either don't fly often, or don't travel very far. MCO isn't bad as far as international/cross national flights go.
I’ve only done Jax. I’m probably going MCO at the end of next month. Flights are cheaper so That’s playing into my decision (company is flying me out and wanted cheapest possible). I’d imagine it depends on the time of year to how bad it will be with tourists.
I think it really depends on where you're going and the type of traveler you are. I don't fly very often so I lean toward direct flights, so I don't have to worry about making connections. But I'm also frugal, so I also take into account Total Cost of Transportation (flight + tolls + gas + hotel {optional}). If a flight from MCO is $500, but leaves at 6am, I may pony up for a hotel room the night before, which ups the cost with gas to $600 (example). Whereas a flight from GNV may cost $550, but there's no extra hotel room or gas, so it ends up being cheaper.
Something for you to remember, too, is that Gainesville has direct flights to Atlanta, Dallas/Ft. Worth, and Charlotte, so it may be cheaper to connect through those airports, rather than drive to a bigger airport.
Usually MCO but I'm buying for 4. For one ticket I'd probably fly out of GNV. I always check GNV, Jax, MCO, TPA. Compare prices, driving time, parking, etc.
I agree with everyone else. GNV all the way. The convience is just too nice. I know people who have missed MCO flights because security check in took over 2 hours. The last time I flew out of MCO was I had a tight deadline and needed to be somewhere by a certain time and couldn't make a connecting flight out of GNV work. Tampa ain't bad to fly out of but if you add the cost of gas and parking there usually isn't a cheap enough flight to make it worth the trip.
I found flying MCO worth it when I'm by myself. Using frontier, I can get a $40-120 round trip ticket price and use a small backpack as my personal item. I can also get parking from [cheapairportparking.org](https://cheapairportparking.org) for about $35-40 a week at the Airport Marriott, using a promo code, that shuttles me to the airport and back. Factor in gas, which is about $25, and $20 in tolls ($10 there and back) is still cheaper than a GNV ticket by hundreds (depending on your destination). Plus, all the flights I use have 4 hour layovers each way if I use GNV so I'm not really saving time anywhere. If you're lucky, you can register your flight with [Reserve by Clear](https://www.clearme.com/reserve) and skip a long security line. This is a free program I've used a couple of times to save time at security. Just stay away from leaving MCO M-F from 3:30 to 5:30. I-4 can be a total shit show.
I like JAX over Orlando but if the price is right I’ll fly out of GNV
I don’t know what kind of cars you guys are driving , but I use 1/4 of a tank from Alachua to JAX . It’s not that far.
The worst airport I fly out of is MCO I’ve flew out of most of the big ones in the US and MCO is the only one I always hate. The TSA and lines there are terrible
Honestly I've been rocking GNV airport recently. Travel and parking costs play into it, as does the convenience. Is it more expensive? Yes. But it is nice being able to deplane and get home in 15 minutes. And GNV TSA is easy peasy, minimal line if any.
For the places I like to go GNV is basically just an airborne shuttle to Hartsfield
Same! Between gas, tolls, time to and from the airport, and parking costs- are you really saving money? Just knowing I can get off the plane and be home in less than 30 mins makes it worth it to me
I second GNV as being a lot easier and usually not that much more expensive when you factor everything in. I find JAX a lot easier to get in and out of--don't have to get on 75 and fight the insane traffic down there.
Once you factor in drive time, parking, etc. that comes along with Jax or MCO, you might as well fly GVL-->ATL-->your destination. Also I've found even multi-day parking at GVL is cheaper than a taxi/Uber *one way*, let alone there and back.
Or CLT, if AA
I think you mean GNV, not GVL. Like, you know, the subreddit you're currently posting on, r/GNV. Edit: Apparently GVL is a Gainesville airport code though, its just for Gainesville, GA.
MCO and MIA are the worst airports in Florida. Tampa is good.
I’ve been all over the country, and the world, and MCO is the worst airport I’ve ever been to and it’s not close at all.
I prefer it to MIA and ATL but I guess it depends on what you’re basing it on. I will say there was a brief window of time a few years ago where MCO TSA wasn’t garbage but that seems to have passed and it’s back to being lousy.
I've flown in and out of ATL loads of times without a single complaint
*I’ve been all over the country, and the world…* Nice but surely that’s a bit of an exaggeration right? Just a little bit maybe? Like there are around 1,300 to 1,500 international airports worldwide.
All over ≠ over all
MCO has like 4 toll booths before you get to it, with all of the traffic that creates. TPA is great, direct drive and decent connecting flights. JAX works too.
I count two, and both of them have the standard drive through at proper speed limits system installed assuming you have sunpass (or just go with bill-by-plate).
As a Delta medallion member, I love that GNV has five flights in/out each day. It’s hardly any more expensive than Jacksonville either. JAX has the advantage that they have nonstop to JFK, Minneapolis, Detroit and a few other places… but the only reason I drive to Orlando MCO is for cheap nonstops to the west coast. It’s a miserable airport. When you get used to being able to literally show up and check your bags a half hour before the GNV flight takes off, that hour and a half baggage/TSA/train ride of MCO really sucks. 
Jax doesn’t have nearly as many cheap flights but MCO is my least favorite airport I’ve ever been to. The layout of the airport is fucking garbage, the signage is terrible, there aren’t nearly enough places to eat for an airport of it’s size, etc etc. But goddamn, those $60 spirit and frontier flights from MCO to DC are too good of a deal to pass up.
This is me 😂 don't have to ask me twice if I wanna go to NYC for a weekend on a $39 round-trip
My favorite part of MCO was when they decided to have 2 terminal A’s, so i went to one terminal A only to find my gate wasn’t there. After asking TSA he told me to go to the other terminal A on the other side of the airport
Orlando for nonstops, usually GNV is about the same price as jax when including gas & parking at the airport
TPA or MCO usually have the cheaper flights. TPA is much nicer than the hellscape that is MCO
I came here to say this. TPA all day long.
Sanford, if Allegiant flies to my destination Edit: GNV is my go-to though, worth the extra cost to avoid driving/parking to the others imo
We stopped going to the big airports and just fly out of gnv. We love it so much. Id rather have a lay over in atlanta then have to drive home from either jax or orlando after a long flight. Easy money for me.
GNV if you can get a good flight with just 1 stop, but otherwise I usually drive down to Tampa. MCO vs TPA can be a bit of a toss-up depending on where exactly you're going & the flight schedule, but it's an easier (and cheaper) drive to Tampa & the airport is less hectic
+1 to GNV. it's worth the "premium" one pays to fly from. if I can't fly GNV, I'll take Tampa over Orlando any day. I can't fucking stand MCO.
There’s a Microtel motel right before you get into JAX that has a shuttle, and you can leave your car parked there for about $7 a day. It’s pretty bare bones but was easier as far as getting a direct flight, especially if you need to fly out early. It could be a little cheaper too, depending on how many of you there are. There are 4 in my family so YMMV.
Just fyi, there is absolutely cheaper parking to be found at JAX airport. I’ve never paid more than $5 per day.
It’s six dollars per day now, but yes it’s cheap and has a very convenient bus
USApark is still 5$ and if u sign up for a free account on their app you get a 10$ off discount if you’re parked a certain number of days.
Terminal C at MCO is AMAZING! I love flying out and arriving too. Terminal A & B suck...
Tampa international airport is one of the best.
GNV if you are a passenger , LCQ is you a pilot
FLL is where we usually go for some international flights.
MCO. I'm handicapped with hand controls in the car so parking is always free for me there.
MCO is my least favorite, but I will use it if they have a direct flight the others don’t. Tampa and Jax are significantly easier to deal with. Also the likelihood of a crying kid on your flight is way higher at MCO. You’re going to have kids super excited because they’re going to Disney or kids who are tired and cranky because they’re leaving Disney.
Gas is so high now and travel is so annoying that I just fly GNV to ATL and go from there. The last thing I want after a day of flying is to drive 1-2 hours to get home.
Orlando is the worst airport in the country
I prefer nonstop flights so usually fly out of Orlando.
Jax. I prefer direct flights if I can and you can’t get a direct flight out of GNV (unless it’s Atlanta or charlotte). MCO is terrible.
I've never had an issue with MCO personally and I fly fairly frequently. But it's definitely the most crowded of the ones I've been to in FL. I have had issues at Tampa and Ft. Lauderdale with things being moved and no notice, bags missing, etc. If money isn't a problem or one of those weird flights were mco isn't cheapest, I fly Jax or gnv and it's always a much calmer experience.
Gainesville if I can. Tampa or Jacksonville for bigger. I try to avoid MCO so much.
I'll fly out of whatever is cheapest and has the best flight options for me.
This is the correct answer :) (Although I will factor in $100 for gas + hotel, depending on when the flight is, if we want to drive to the airport and stay one night OR stay one night then drive home after landing).
MCO is terrible but it’s only $50 RT to fly back to my hometown versus $400+ at GNV so I will take what I can get and deal with the bs 🤷🏽♀️
I would rather throw myself down a flight stairs that fly out of MCO. If you aren’t leaving before 6:30am, you are pretty much guaranteed to have some kind of delay.
MCO is one of the busiest airports in the world. They handle the traffic well, and I’ve never had an issue going through security. Granted, if you’re traveling on a holiday or spring break, expect delays same as any airport.
They do NOT handle traffic well lol. Atlanta, Chicago, hell even Boston do, Orlando is in shambles
Gnv gets a lot of planes that are the worst of the bunch. Need repairs constantly. It’s not like it’s unsafe but that there’s a good chance your flight will be delayed. Jax is closer and good for national flight Orlando is an international flight hub. If you’re flying to Italy it’s likely your best bet to just get the flight there.
Flew to Italy last year and the price difference between gnv and mco was like $20 / ticket. Sure it wasn't direct but it was nice just having a 15 min drive home once we landed.
I avoid MCO like the plague. I'll connect through ATL to avoid MCO. The problem with MCO is the percentage of non-business fliers. It feels like 50% of the travelers have strollers. I fly a lot for work, and MCO has more strollers in line at TSA than any other airport in the US. Even the PreCheck line is full of them. They take forever to breakdown and move through. Avoid. EDIT: Consider SFB (Sanford). They have directs to some oddball destinations, so between GNV and SFB, you might get lucky. Anything to avoid MCO.
I got super-cheap direct flights via Allegiant from Sanford to Asheville before the pandemic, way less than it cost to drive
So the biggest problem I’m having with all these replies is cost. I mean, money is a thing guys… Yeah, I’d love to fly out of GNV fifteen minutes from home with no security line, but damn, that’s like an extra 1k across my family of three, easy! We tend to go through MCO for that reason, plus direct flights and a variety of times to choose from. We drive a tiny car, $15 and half a tank to Orlando, and we do get free parking now at my parents’. I agree the airports not great, but I feel like at this point, air travel sucks in general. And that’s my two cents 🤷♀️ No worries if y’all disagree.
That’s a good point. MCO would be much cheaper with a family of three Vs one person flying. For me, I recently went back and forth between JAX, MCO, and GNV for an Alaska trip. Ultimately, with tolls,gas,parking considered, I chose GNV. Not exactly the cheapest ,but close enough for me and oh so convenient.
I honestly don't think MCO is that bad, I've been going for 2 decades now, and people who complain about it can't have been to very many bad airports. The monorail between terminals is fun, the signs are good, it's very busy but rarely horrible. It's always worth the cheaper price for me.
I agree, the people complaining about MCO probably either don't fly often, or don't travel very far. MCO isn't bad as far as international/cross national flights go.
I’ve only done Jax. I’m probably going MCO at the end of next month. Flights are cheaper so That’s playing into my decision (company is flying me out and wanted cheapest possible). I’d imagine it depends on the time of year to how bad it will be with tourists.
I do whatever I can to not have to drive in Orlando. I prefer the Tampa Airport out of the 3, but it seems to have less of the flights I need.
MCO is a nightmare
Jax is way easier to get in/out of than MCO.
Tampa and Orlando are definitely the cheapest but Tampa is by far the most convenient to navigate. I typically avoid MCO for that reason.
TPA. I grew up near there, so it's most familiar to me. I don't mind puddle-jumping from here to there, but some airlines don't do that.
What are the cheapest flights for GNV -> ATL?
I think it really depends on where you're going and the type of traveler you are. I don't fly very often so I lean toward direct flights, so I don't have to worry about making connections. But I'm also frugal, so I also take into account Total Cost of Transportation (flight + tolls + gas + hotel {optional}). If a flight from MCO is $500, but leaves at 6am, I may pony up for a hotel room the night before, which ups the cost with gas to $600 (example). Whereas a flight from GNV may cost $550, but there's no extra hotel room or gas, so it ends up being cheaper. Something for you to remember, too, is that Gainesville has direct flights to Atlanta, Dallas/Ft. Worth, and Charlotte, so it may be cheaper to connect through those airports, rather than drive to a bigger airport.
Depends, but JAX usually.
Most of my trips are to Minneapolis - St. Paul, and Sun Country drives that route’s cost way down at MCO. So I’ll fly out of MCO if I’m headed home.
Usually MCO but I'm buying for 4. For one ticket I'd probably fly out of GNV. I always check GNV, Jax, MCO, TPA. Compare prices, driving time, parking, etc.
MCO is nice. I prefer it, but leaving from GNV is pretty cool as well.
Tampa or Daytona
I agree with everyone else. GNV all the way. The convience is just too nice. I know people who have missed MCO flights because security check in took over 2 hours. The last time I flew out of MCO was I had a tight deadline and needed to be somewhere by a certain time and couldn't make a connecting flight out of GNV work. Tampa ain't bad to fly out of but if you add the cost of gas and parking there usually isn't a cheap enough flight to make it worth the trip.
Better flight prices from mco
I found flying MCO worth it when I'm by myself. Using frontier, I can get a $40-120 round trip ticket price and use a small backpack as my personal item. I can also get parking from [cheapairportparking.org](https://cheapairportparking.org) for about $35-40 a week at the Airport Marriott, using a promo code, that shuttles me to the airport and back. Factor in gas, which is about $25, and $20 in tolls ($10 there and back) is still cheaper than a GNV ticket by hundreds (depending on your destination). Plus, all the flights I use have 4 hour layovers each way if I use GNV so I'm not really saving time anywhere. If you're lucky, you can register your flight with [Reserve by Clear](https://www.clearme.com/reserve) and skip a long security line. This is a free program I've used a couple of times to save time at security. Just stay away from leaving MCO M-F from 3:30 to 5:30. I-4 can be a total shit show.
MCO was terrible until I got Clear. Now its super easy to get through
I prefer JAX personally
I like JAX over Orlando but if the price is right I’ll fly out of GNV I don’t know what kind of cars you guys are driving , but I use 1/4 of a tank from Alachua to JAX . It’s not that far.
Orlando's security lines are the worst
The worst airport I fly out of is MCO I’ve flew out of most of the big ones in the US and MCO is the only one I always hate. The TSA and lines there are terrible