Orlando International Airport providing lowest fares, great service

These are good times for Orlando International Airport, with a recent one-two punch of good news that shows the facility is America's most affordable and provides one of the best service experiences, too.

The airport was recently named fourth best in the large category, which was actually a fall from second place in 2008:

Orlando International customers expressed increased satisfaction with the airport's accessibility, appearance, baggage claim and food-and-retail services — but less satisfaction with security and baggage check-in operations.

OIA, the 12th-busiest U.S. airport, could see improved ratings next time: Later this year, it will finish installing in-line baggage-screening systems, making check-in a lot easier for travelers.

On top of solid service comes news that Orlando airfares are the lowest in the country:

Orlando International Airport has the lowest average airfares of any major airport in the country, according to the airport's latest research.

The average price for a one-way, nonstop domestic flight to or from Orlando fell to $107.45 in recent months, the research shows.

[...]

According to quarterly data compiled for the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority by Diio LLC., a California-based aviation-research company, the average price of flights in or out of Orlando in the last quarter of 2009 was $1.50 cheaper than those at the No. 2 major airport, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood.

Comparing OIA to the nation's 40 busiest airports, flights here were $29 lower than the average for those airports, the survey found.

Recent turbulence aside at Tampa International, our region has two great bookend options for air travel. Maybe, someday, we'll even link them by rail or something.