Orlando Sanford Airport

I booked a Dodge for 3 weeks via Netflights. Price was great £595 Fully fuelled. When I discovered it was with budget, I read several reviews which made me panic!!! But can honestly say, even though I was fully prepared for all the mentioned overcharging and harrassing there was NONE.

The price I prepaid was exactly all I paid. The counter staff were pleasant , helpfull and it was their job to mention extras, but did not push me when I refused. No hidden extras. Nothing added without consent.

I did not buy the Toll pass, would have been a complete waste of my money as SatNav was programmed to avoid. Did not buy roadsafe, was happy to understand that if I got a flat, I would have to change it.

I've been flying to Orlando Sanford airport for many years. I prefer it to the very busy and crowded Orlando International airport. Sanford is small and easy to get around although recently it has been developing and growing. If you are a smoker like me, this is one of the few airports left with an outdoor smoking deck available after passing through security.Queues for rental cars etc. are usually smaller and staff generally bright and friendy.Orlando International airport may be a better bet for those visiting the big theme parks and attractions as it is closer. If you are renting a car, however, I would think this makes little difference.

Lost suitcase on return from Sanford. (Did not even make plane). Atempted to contact international lost baggage at Sanford airport numerous times leaving messege with contact details. Never recieved call back. Suitcase has vanished.

Clean friendly, outside sitting area, bar and shops. Used Sanford twice, never found any bad points. We flew back to the UK when the airport was on amber alert we were delayed for 12 hours, Manchesters fault. What a great day we had sat out side in the sun. If I had to be delayed this would be the airport for me. I love this airport nice and small security was spot on I felt safe and at ease here will be returning in September 08 and looking forward.

NICE SMALL AIRPORT NEAR ORLANDO ATTRACTIONS AND HOTELS

I have just had the pleasure of flying via Orlando Sanford Airport, and as the other reviews suggest, it is small and rather compact, but it is clean and it functions very well. The check-in area seems very cramped for the amount of people who travel throughout this airport, and the security check-in does not match that of the traffic expected in the summer months, so do arrive early.

Once in the lounge there is one duty free shop of standard size, so don't expect too much here, but they do sell UK cigarettes if you are a smoker, and lots of alcohol. They also have the usual over-priced 'food court', which has an American section with hot dogs, fries and onion rings, then they have a world food section which serves pizza, and a bakery/cake shop, as well as a small selection of sandwiches. All of this is self service and very over-priced.

Also in the airport they have a games room where you can pay just one fee of $10 per person, and you can play as many games as you want. There are also two bars, both serving bud on draught. Great tip of you are using this airport is that one of the bars is outside behind the duty free shop, and you can sit and have a drink and top up that tan for those last few minutes before the return journey home.

Overall, this airport is fine. It is pretty small and very expensive. If you do go, it is because you are on some package tour from the UK, as this is the main purpose of this airport. If this is your reason for visiting Sanford, then driving times take around 45 minutes to Orlando, and don't forget to tip the driver if you're on a transfer coach.

We flew into Orlando Sanford July 21 and out on August 4. As in the previous review we were kept waiting on the tarmac on arrival because they don't seem to be able to cope with more than one aircraft at once!

Again a very long wait to clear US customs with no air conditioning and another long wait for the baggage. On departure we had luckily taken advantage of a 'free time' check-in service offered by Travel City Direct, but other passengers waited for three hours to check in. There was a long queue to pass through security, they even X-rayed our shoes and I was pulled out for a body check even though I hadn't set off the alarm, this was done in full view of everyone - a very humiliating experience.

I have no problem with random checks but think they should happen behind screens. The departure lounge was totally inadequate, there wasn't enough seating and the food, drinks, papers etc were way over priced. Again the staff only seemed to be able to cope with boarding one plane at a time resulting in a backlog and delays. To top it all, when we were 15 minutes from departure and all seated on the plane,

US Customs decided they wanted to screen every piece of baggage again! This resulted in a 2 and a half wait seated on the plane while they did this. Overall I think Sanford is inadequate for the flights it receives and hasn't enough staff to cope with the numbers. I also found many of the staff rude and unhelpful, they treated us with contempt and we got the impression they thought we were all likely bombers!

So much for the British and American 'special relationship'. We have travelled to the US four times in the last ten years. This will be the last.

Orlando Sanford Airport - Stay away fromt this airport at all costs!! I was connecting in Sanford from an international location so I got the joys of customs plus going through security again with my next flight scheduled to take off in less than 2 hours. First we land and the gate crew isn't ready, then it takes the better part of an hour to get checked baggage with long periods where there were no bags on the belt, then customs has all our luggage x-rayed when they were just talking to each other, not looking at the screens. Then the fun of dealing with TSA. The security checkpoint was much too small for the crowd. Security was pulling people aside for random checks like all most (or all) airports but with this check it was one step short of a full cavity search. They would wand around every inch of body and ran a metal pole down pants and behind bras and such. While I can't say this from personal experience, I heard that it was worse than flying into or out of airports near New York right after 9/11. Luckily for me my flight had been delayed because it had taken almost 2 hours between stepping off the plane and getting to my gate. It was just a miserable experience.

We flew into Orlando Sanford last June, they kept us on the aircraft for ages as the arrivals hall was full. Then took way over two hours to clear immigration, another thirty minute wait for the luggage. There appears to be no air conditioning at this airport and people had to leave the immigration queue to lie down. This airport is dreadful and simply can't cope with the traffic it receives. The services airside are appalling, hopeless choice of overpriced food and drink and the duty free is a laugh! The only good thing is that the car hire office is close and is relatively queue free. This is the first time in ten years that we have flown into Sanford and it will be our last. Stick to MCO or TPA.

Orlando Sanford Airport is a nice, little airport but what I would say if your flying there is, don't expect too much!!

When your flying out of Sanford try and arrive quite early. The check in area, though large, is always crowded and involves a long wait to check in. My advice would be try and get there as soon as check-in opens and then take a ride down to Sanford and have a look around before returning your rental car and jumping on your flight in the time you have left over.

Once through security there is a nice array of shops and a food court. The departure lounge however is small and can get very crowded. It has a very British feel to it, which is probably because everyone in the departure lounge is British as the airport only really handles flights from the UK!!

Your real problem at Sanford comes when you arrive. If you are unlucky enough to arrive just after another flight has landed they will probably keep you seated on the plane for about an hour because Sanford's very small immigration hall cannot handle more than a few hundred people. If your unlucky enough to be seated at the back of a plane arriving at Sanford and don't have a US passport you can expect to wait up to an hour to get through immigration.

However, once your through all the airlines have welcome desks just outside the terminal and the car rental places are just a short walk away.

Then Sanford's biggest downfall becomes apparent. Your actually no where near Orlando!! Admitedly, thats a bit of an exaggeration, but if your staying somewhere on International Drive expect to have to drive for about an hour to get there from Sanford, and if your in the Disney area expect to have to go an hour and a half to get to your destination. Its one of those things that you say 'oh well we have to have to put up with it' when you make your booking and your really looking forward to going on holiday, but when your actually there after a 9-10 hour flight you begin to wish you had gone into Orlando Intl because you would have just got into your hotel or villa with a cup of tea whilst those people at Sanford are still getting through immigration!!

What I would say in conclusion is if you have no choice and have to fly into Sanford its not all that bad. Its an ok airport. However, if you have some choice go into Orlando International. Its nearer the resorts and has a better infrastructure for us tourists which makes the whole experience more pleasurable.