Flying from LAX

[Tigger&Stitch]

Those of you who fly from LAX to Orlando: which airline do you fly?

We've already purchased our (nonstop) flight on Delta to Orlando, but am trying to figure out which airline to fly back.

The big three - United, USAir (codeshare w/United) and Delta all fly back nonstop SUPER early in the morning (7am). While we'd rather fly nonstop, we'd rather not leave the World that early.

AA has a nonstop in the afternoon, which is perfect (we have to be in LA by 7:30 to connect to an int'l flight), but I've heard bad things about them losing luggage etc (even on nonstop flights!)

Finally, we could take a connecting flight on either USAir, United or wait until Southwest opens more dates and fly them.

Thoughts? Experiences?

[Mufasa]

I keep a database on my laptop that gets updated with on-time performance/delay information for common routes I fly on since I travel a lot with work.

From the most recent data I have- If you were to rate the non-stops from MCO to LAX in order of historical on-time performance and delays they come out like this:

Delta 1884
Delta 1775
United 277
AA 297
United 273

AA 297 is the afternoon flight and it averages something like 62% on-time performance, with an average delay of 31 minutes with the worse case an over 4 hour delay over the past 2 months (from December 1, 2007 through January 31, 2008)

In comparison, Delta 1884 (morning flight) averages about 83% on-time performance with an average delay of 10 minutes- and the longest delay on record during that same time period was 26 minutes.

And the United morning flight- 273 I'd put an asterisk next to because it's the most likely to be cancelled or subject to delays (in that same roughly 60 day period, 4 flights were cancelled- that's 6% of the flights on that route) or it suffered the longest typical delays (the worst delay in that time period was 5 hours).

Since you mention having to connect to an international flight, I'd think you'd want to go with a non-stop instead of the hassle of a connection but that does really limit your choices to a 7am departure (or you wind up taking a flight out the night before and stay overnight near LAX) unless you want to risk the AA flight.

[TheRustyScupper]

1) I have had international connects more times than I want to remember.
2) I usually take Delta 1884 from MCO to LAX.
3) Yes, it is early, yet I have not missed an Asian connection.
4) As for lost/misdirected luggage, no airline is bad originating from Orlando.

[Tigger&Stitch]

Thanks for the very detailed info Mufasa! I used to travel a bunch for work and am quite glad those days are over!

I may take a change on the AA flight...even if it's 4 hours late, we'd still get to LA in time to connect to our 10:30pm flight.

Just can't get up early enough for a 7 am flight!