Living near a large metropolitan area airport has both positives and negatives. You’re likely to find a variety of airlines and flight options, making prices more affordable. However, the airport will be busier, and you’ll likely deal with heavier crowds and more expensive and inconvenient parking options.
While, for the most part, I do enjoy flying out of Boston’s Logan International Airport, I was intrigued by Worcester Regional Airport, located in Worcester, Central Massachusetts. Although this airport is significantly smaller with limited destination options, it does offer flights to and from Orlando International Airport.
This May, when flying to Orlando for our sailing on the Utopia of the Seas out of Port Canaveral, I decided to test out flying into the Worcester Regional Airport (airport code ORH) on JetBlue. It was priced similarly to the flight to Boston and had about the same flight time.
Here’s what to expect at the Worcester Regional Airport and an overview of our experience.
Review of Worcester Regional Airport in MA (ORH)
The Worcester Regional Airport was known as the Worcester Municipal Airport until Massport (the organization that operates Boston’s Logan International Airport, among other transportation venues) purchased it in 2010.
Where is Worcester Regional Airport?
The Worcester Regional Airport is located in Central Massachusetts, in the Greater Worcester Airport. It’s three miles from Worcester.
Getting to the airport is easy – it’s located right near major highways on a rural property. Parking is readily available. Since we flew out of BOS and into ORH, we requested a ride share to go home. It arrived within a few minutes.
If you would like to take public transportation, the Worcester Regional Transit Authority buses go between the airport to Union Station in Worcester. Both commuter rail trains (the Worcester/Framingham Line) and Amtrak travel through Union Station.
Airlines Operating From ORH
The airlines operating from ORH have changed in the last few years. While JetBlue originally planned to suspend service from the airport after the pandemic, they have since resumed it. American Airlines has also added service at the airport.
Currently, JetBlue operates flights to Fort Lauderdale and Orlando on a year-round basis, and to Fort Myers on a seasonal basis. American Airlines is introducing service to Philadelphia starting on July 5, 2025, while Delta Airlines operates flights to New York’s LaGuardia International Airport.
I’d love to see one of the airlines offer service to Miami, although Fort Lauderdale is a close alternative.
Services at the Airport
While the Worcester Regional Airport isn’t as large as BOS (or even other nearby airports, like Providence), it does offer some services for travelers in and out of the airport.
The airport does offer TSA PreCheck. While this is pretty standard at most airports these days, I have traveled through some airports that don’t offer it. There is also free Wi-Fi when you are waiting for your flight.
Parking is offered at the airport, and it’s a very short walk from the terminal. If you drive an electric car, several chargers are available.
While there aren’t many concessions, the Mirage Express and Lounge is located past security. There are also some vending machines. I wouldn’t plan to eat a meal at the airport, however, since there really aren’t many options.
Need to rent a car at the airport (or drop one off)? There are several companies operating car rental desks at ORH, including Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz, and Thrifty. These are located near baggage claim, right in the terminal. While I was there, the counters were unattended, but a note instructed guests to use the lockboxes outside. So, if you want to rent a car when you arrive at ORH, be sure to book your car in advance.
Convenience of ORH
Worcester Regional Airport has only a fraction of the flights of the larger nearby airports and limited amenities. However, the convenience of this airport can’t be underestimated, especially if you live in the area.
For me, the most significant convenience is the parking. Not only is the parking directly outside the terminal, but it’s also significantly less expensive. Currently, parking at Worcester Regional Airport is just $7 per day, and anything under 24 hours is free.
Our Experience at Worcester Regional Airport
So, how was our experience? We flew from Orlando International Airport to Worcester Regional Airport on Memorial Day, 2025. Our flight was on time, on the same type of jet as our flight from Boston to Orlando.
Our arrival at the Worcester airport was uneventful – we had a quick taxi to our gate, and the jetbridge was moved to the plane upon arrival. Once we exited the aircraft, it was just a few minutes’ walk until we arrived at baggage claim.
We didn’t check a bag, but it did seem that the bags came out quickly. We called a rideshare, which pulled up to the curb outside within a few minutes. It was all very easy, and I’m looking forward to traveling through Worcester Regional Airport in the future.
Have you ever traveled through Worcester Regional Airport? Do you plan to?
