Orlando, Florida Airport (MCO) / Embassy Suites, Southwest Airlines

February 2018, weekend, 1 night, king guestroom 730

Diamond perks at Embassy Suites by Hilton Orlando Airport

I had reserved a king bed guestroom for 3 adults because the living room sofa folds out into a bed. I did not receive an upgrade to a premium or executive room, although I received a small bag with bottled water and a couple of snacks. I also received complimentary Internet access, which is a standard perk for Diamond guests.

View from hallway outside guestroom 730

Embassy Suites guestroom 730

This guestroom is on the top floor, and not too far away from the elevator. It had recently been remodeled. It was comfortable and clean. The king-size bed in the bedroom was especially comfy. The suite contained the usual Embassy Suites furnishings: separate bedroom with door, wet bar area with microwave and small fridge, table and chairs, sofa bed, safe, and two flatscreen TVs (in the living area, and in the bedroom).

View toward living room and entrance from in front of bathroom

The coffeemaker and supplies were the 2-cup drip pods, rather than the Keurig machine in the premium rooms. The bathroom is located across from the sink area, outside of the bedroom. It contained a tub/shower combination. Bath amenities and good quality towels were provided.

Food & Beverages at Embassy Suites

The lobby was under construction during our visit, so there were not many seats in the social area.

The evening social included some non-alcoholic beverages, wines, two draft beers, and basic mixed cocktails. Chips, and Gardetto-type snacks were provided. Breakfast included an omelet station, cereals, breads, and a few hot foods.

Embassy Suites airport shuttle, misc,. and overall

We took the shuttle to the airport in the morning around 8:30 AM. The ride took less than 10 minutes.

We were happy at this hotel, and I would choose it again. We chose it because it is within walking distance of the airport Marriott, where Hertz is located, and because Embassy Suites is one of my husband's favorite brands. There are several hotels in the same general area as this hotel, and a few across FL-436, as well. There are dining options within walking distance on both sides of the busy road.

Flying Southwest Airlines from Orlando (MCO)

Checking our luggage at MCO with Southwest Airlines was chaotic. Passengers were all over the place, and the baggage drop area was not easily identifiable. Several passengers were in the wrong lines, or were cutting in lines. After we checked our luggage, finding the TSA checkpoint also took some skill, as the sign was not highly visible (this is the TSA airport sign, and had nothing to do with SWA). We observed people being sent out of this line because they had not seen the TSA sign (we had to search for it).

Our experience flying to Orlando had been good, and before our return flight, I had a positive opinion of traveling with Southwest. Southwest does not assign seats, so unless you pay to check-in and board early, it is best to check-in as soon as possible 24-hours in advance. We checked in 24-hours in advance both times, and were assigned numbers in the first half of boarding group B both times. We were at the beginning for both segments of our outbound flights (B1 - 3), and in the first half on our direct return flight (around B12 - 15). This would have been fine, except for the dishonest people on our return flight, and the gate agents not enforcing the order.

When people were lining up to board our flights to Orlando (from GRR, and a connection in MDW), I was surprised how many people walked along the line of passengers to ask/confirm their numbers when there are numbers overhead where passengers are supposed to line up. After what happened to us on our return flight, I understood why! If I ever fly SW again, which is doubtful after our return experience, I will be asking numbers, too. Because passengers cut in front of us by standing under numbers ahead of us that were not their's, we ended up in the very last row in front of the bathroom, where the seats are super uncomfortable. I realized what had happened, after our tickets had been scanned, and we were standing in the jet bridge. That is when I saw the boarding numbers on the tickets of several people in front of us. Following is why/how this happened, and what you need to watch for, if you ever fly Southwest. This is more of a concern when traveling from a popular kid destination, like Orlando.

Southwest Airlines boards family groups after group A, and before group B. These family groups can have any boarding number on their tickets. So, the dishonest people watched for empty spots at the beginning of B group, and then got in line. Even if the gate agent had been watching the numbers on the tickets, s/he would not have known the passengers had cut in line, until after our tickets were scanned. There is a way Southwest can prevent this when there is such a large number of families that pre-board: Near the end of the family boarding process, a SWA agent needs to go down the B group line, and check passenger tickets. Our first side of boarding group B (1 - 30) only had about 15 passengers, so this would not have taken long. With the current system, I definitely do not want to book a SWA flight again; especially from Orlando.

Let me know if you have any questions!