A Word of WARNING If You're Renting a Car at the Orlando Airport Soon

As if traveling to Orlando wasn’t expensive enough…

Orlando International Airport

Anyone who has ever flown through Orlando International Airport (MCO) knows how packed it can be. The massive airport complex funnels millions of passengers from around the globe, leading to occasionally overwhelmed facilities, including packed parking garages. Now, there’s a new plan to alleviate some of those issues, but it’s going to cost you.

One of the major issues afflicting MCO’s parking garages stems from spaces to rental cars. It should come as no surprise that Orlando is one of the largest rental car markets in the world thanks to the tremendous amount of tourists visiting the area and the comparatively small public transportation infrastructure. However, all of those rental cars need to go somewhere, and currently, they’re taking up parking spots in the airport’s lots and garages.

To alleviate that problem, the airport has revealed plans to build a single-site Consolidated Rental Car Facility (ConRAC) near the airport’s Terminal C. This standalone structure will house all rental cars and in-turn free up parking spaces in all three of the airport’s parking garages.

Orlando Airport

According to Angela Starke, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs and Community Relations for the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA), the facility would “instantly open up about 5,000 parking spaces in the existing A, B and C garages, where rental cars are currently housed. With the opening of a ConRAC, all rental cars would be located there and this would help to reduce any customer confusion. Additionally, the facility would help decrease curb congestion and prevent circling by drivers – ultimately increasing road safety.”

Rental Cars

While the construction of the ConRAC does sound like it’s going to improve the parking experience when it is planned to open in the early 2030s, it’s coming at a literal cost: To fund the construction, the GOAA Board of Directors voted to raise the Customer Facility Charge (CFC) attached to renting a car at the airport from $6 to $9 daily with a maximum collection period of seven days. This rise, which will go into effect on November 1st, will tie MCO with Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) for the highest CFC fee in the country.

According to ClickOrlando, “an airport car rental includes several additional fees like a Concession Recovery Fee, Energy Recovery Fee, Florida Surcharge, Vehicle License Fee and Waste Tire & Battery Fee. Fees alone for a weeklong rental of an SUV from MCO can total more than $150.”

Terminal C

Orlando International Airport is doing something to alleviate space issues in the airport’s garages, however, it’s coming with a massive fee increase for those renting cars. Stay tuned to AllEars for further MCO updates.