Terminal C, the highlight of Orlando International Airport’s multi-billion dollar expansion, is due to open in a few months. While there’s still plenty of work to be done, we keep getting details about what to expect when it opens to the public. In case you missed it, international operations at Terminal C will begin on September 19, 2022, and domestic operations will start on September 26th.
“Although we could open before Labor Day, it is best that we transition airline operations and our customers at a period with less passenger travel than our normal peak summer season,” MCO’s CEO, Kevin Thibault said.
JetBlue, which currently operates from gates 1-29, will be the first domestic airline to operate from Terminal C. In addition to knowing which airline is moving, we’ve learned about many of the food and beverage locations that are set to open in Terminal C. While that’s plenty of space to wait for a flight, I hadn’t seen any information about the new terminal having any lounge locations. With the legacy airlines all operating lounges in the current A and B terminals, and JetBlue not having any branded lounges, there was still an opening for a third-party lounge.
JetBlue passengers can currently access The Club MCO if they have a Priority Pass card or pay for entrance. I thought another outpost of The Club could open in Terminal C, but I was wrong. Another third-party lounge will be operating the space, significantly limiting the number of people who have access.
Plaza Premium will operate the lounge in Terminal C, located on the second floor of the Palm Court area.
For travelers looking to disconnect from it all before boarding their flight, the Plaza Premium Lounge will be the ultimate go-to spot. The lounge, located on the second floor of the Palm Court area, features a dedicated area for families, a restaurant and bar, and quiet spaces where business travelers can be productive.
Plaza Premium operates lounges in airports worldwide but previously focused on Asia and Europe. They’ve recently expanded into North America with several lounges in Toronto and a new location at DFW. The group previously announced plans for locations in Boston, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Newark, and Orlando, but I never saw any confirmation of these locations until now.
I’m assuming that the Plaza Premium lounge will be the contract lounge for international business class passengers on airlines leaving from Terminal C.
An interesting twist is that most Plaza Premium lounges pulled out of the Priority Pass network in July 2021. While this leaves many who get lounge access through the program out in the cold, one group of people will be able to access the lounge – American Express Platinum cardholders.
Plaza Premium is part of AMEX’s Global Lounge Collection.
To enter, present your valid Platinum Card, a boarding pass showing a confirmed reservation for same-day travel and a government-issued ID. You may enter with up to two (2) complimentary guests.
Hopefully, this will prevent the overcrowding found at lounges that accept Priority Pass.
We’re not planning any flights on JetBlue at the moment, but maybe we’ll be willing to travel with them again by the time Terminal C and the Plaza Premium lounge opens this September.
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