Orlando International Airport, often called OIA by locals, handles the vast majority of Orlando's domestic and international air traffic. On the whole, you'll likely find your experience at the airport to be surprisingly pleasant. In fact, the airport has been named one of the best-liked airports in the country by Conde Nast Traveler.

The region's spiraling tourism demand - the magfloridanet that draws most of the 73,000 passengers a day to Orlando International - has created a combination of low fares and direct air service. It is the reason that Orlando International has more non-stop and direct service to domestic destinations than any other Florida airport. The high travel demand and intense competition between carriers also gives Orlando International lower fares than any U.S. airport with comparable service.

Trams

Orlando International Airport's distinctive trams ferry passengers back and forth between the main terminal and the gate area. There's no need to worry about getting lost, as the trams only travel between these two points. Trams leave every few minutes during normal airport operating hours, so you don't have to rush.

Domestic departures

Orlando International Airport is almost always busy, so if you're checking baggage we suggest that you arrive at least an 90 minutes before your flight is scheduled to depart. Check-in lines can be very long during peak periods (especially around the holidays), so you might try using curbside check-in to save yourself some time.

International departures

International passengers should plan to arrive an extra hour earlier than they would for a domestic flight. International check-in takes longer than domestic, and you can't check your bags at the curb if you are flying out of the country. Also, don't forget to have your passport ready for the agent if you're flying to a country where it's required of you.

Children

As you might expect, an unusually large number of children can be found on flights to and from Orlando International Airport. Because of this, some airlines will not allow pre-boarding for parents with small children in Orlando. The Airport is designed to be as kid-friendly as possible. Parents will find diaper-changing facilities in both the men's and women's rest rooms, and there are a number of restaurants with kids meals, as well as theme-park operated stores catering to children.

Duty free shops Duty-free shops are located near departure gates on both sides of the airport. You will need to show a valid boarding pass for a flight that goes directly from Orlando to another country in order to purchase items in a duty-free shop. Depending on your airline, you may also be able to purchase duty-free items while in flight.