Terminal A

Gates 1–29 and 70–129 sit off Terminal A’s mall-like atrium

Terminal A at MCO handles JetBlue, Frontier Airlines, Miami Air, Sun Country Airlines and several legacy carriers, split across two airsides with gates 1–29 and 70–129 reached by separate trams from the central atrium. It shares the older landside complex with Terminal B, and the whole setup feels like a shopping mall first, airport second, with a big open food and retail deck wrapped around the Hyatt Regency lobby before you ever touch a gate area.

Two airsides, two trams, and a lot of walking time

From the main Terminal A atrium, you take one tram to the 1–29 airside and another to the 70–129 side, and that step alone can eat 10–15 minutes once you add the walk plus tram wait. A United passenger who went from an early 20s gate to a 120s gate called it a “maze of escalators, a train, and then another long hallway,” and that’s accurate; a 40-minute connection here can feel tight. Build the buffer if you’re moving between the low 20s and anything in the 120s range.

Security on the A side: pick your lane carefully

TSA screening for Terminal A sits on the north half of the main Level 3 check-in floor, and regulars swear the TSA PreCheck lane on the far left side moves faster than the central lanes, especially before 8 a.m. Multiple Google reviews mention almost an hour spent in the standard TSA line mid-morning even when the sign said 25 minutes, so if you don’t have PreCheck and you’re flying JetBlue or Frontier out of A, treat this like a 90-minute pre-flight chore, not a 30-minute errand.

Central atrium food: Chick-fil-A, Chipotle, and Starbucks before the tram

Right after Terminal A security, the shared atrium level has higher-capacity spots like Chick-fil-A, Chipotle Mexican Grill, McDonald’s, Bahama Breeze, Auntie Anne’s, Qdoba Mexican Eats, Nathan’s Famous, and at least one Starbucks within sight of the Hyatt elevators. Delta and United regulars say they buy food here because “options shrink fast once you ride the tram,” and prices run typical airport fast-casual: think $10–$14 for a burrito at Chipotle or Qdoba and similar for a combo at McDonald’s or Chick-fil-A.

Gate 1–10 cluster: quieter pockets and better outlets

The 1–10 cluster in the older Airside 1 is mentioned in several Google reviews as noticeably quieter in the afternoon than the teen and 20s gates, and people actually report open power outlets by the windows there. If your boarding pass shows a single-digit gate, you usually clear the tram, hang a right, and you’re within a 3–5 minute walk, which is short by MCO standards and helps if you want a less chaotic spot to charge a laptop or phone.

70s and 120s gates: packed seats and floor campers

On the 70–129 airside, the 70s and 120s gates get the worst crowding complaints, with a frequent Delta flyer saying there are “way too few seats and outlets near the 70s” and United passengers noting that boarding areas in the 120s spill into the hallway when multiple flights leave together. Expect people sitting on the floor around columns near power strips, so grab a seat earlier around gate 72 or 122 if you see an open one instead of hovering near the boarding line.

The Club MCO: shared lounge option on the A/B complex

The Club MCO sits in the older complex serving both Terminal A and B, and depending on your gate you may see signs pushing you there from the tram exit corridors, with entry via Priority Pass and day passes that typically run around $50. It’s not a Polaris-level setup, so don’t burn a short 35-minute connection on a stop there, but if you’ve got a two-hour wait for a JetBlue or Frontier flight and you’re already airside, it beats hunting for one of the few power outlets at the 120s gates.

Shops: theme parks, surf gear, and last-minute headphones

Retail on the A side leans hard into Orlando tourism with a Universal Studios Store, a Kennedy Space Center Shop, a Ron Jon Surf Shop, a Lego Store, and a Life is Good outlet scattered around the atrium and gate corridors, plus Hudson News and Tech on the Go for snacks and chargers. Prices for basic souvenirs run in the $10–$30 range, and Oakley in the atrium fills the “forgot sunglasses” problem if you’re about to hit a cruise out of Port Canaveral.

Rideshare and arrivals: A vs B confusion and one small shortcut

Arriving on Terminal A, you come into the north side of the massive Level 3 atrium, then drop down via escalators or elevators to baggage claim and out to ground transportation, and this is where “A or B?” confusion hits for Uber and Lyft; reviews call it a scavenger hunt. Several travelers shave a few minutes off the walk by using the hotel-side elevators next to the Hyatt to go down one extra level instead of following the central escalator crowd to baggage claim, then following the A-signed path straight to the rideshare pick-up zone.

Final tip: go straight to your tram, not the food court

Regulars on Reddit say to check your boarding pass for Airside 1 (gates 1–29) or Airside 2 (gates 70–129) and walk directly to that tram from Terminal A security instead of lingering in the central atrium, especially if your gate is in the 20s or 120s. Grab food near security only if you have at least 60 minutes to spare; otherwise ride the tram first, find your gate, then backtrack a few doors to the nearest Starbucks or fast food spot on your specific airside.