Departure from PJIA

Things arent very different except you enter the terminal where you would and still do exit in the past.

The parking lot is operational - we typically would park - check are bags and leave for awhile until flight time.

This time, not knowing, we dumped the car and took the shuttle.

Checkin on American was all manual and they give you a paper set of boarding passes. We could not checkin online and could not see a boarding pass on the ap for out of SXM.

After checkin we had a romantic bottle of L&P Champagne on some benches by a planter in front of the terminal.

Security was quick and easy. No issues with our little Toppers Rhum bottles.

There are some food choices before and after security.

Bathrooms on both sides.

In the end you end up at the down stairs gates used by everybody so you have to listen to what airline and city is boarding.

First class boards the bus first which means if you dont position yourself on bus right you might involuntarily put yourself in a lower standing climbing the stairs to the jet.

Plane had plenty of open seats both ways so open seats make it ancomfy flight.

Thanks for the note. What kind of food was available? Had you been through the tents? I just wonder what the food choices are like, versus in the tents. Hopefully more available.

Didnt inventory them all.

Outside security was a place that had local stuff (maybe chicken or beef and vegetables) in different steamers they put on plates. Drinks.

Inside security. Wraps and salads place.

I think a dominos with personal pizzas and afredo penne pasta we saw a guy eating.

A makeshift souvenir stand or two or three. May have been more, we werent looking.

The AC was on in the gate area but the exit doors to the buses were open. Kind of warm as it was a scorcher of a day with little wind.

OK thanks

I’m also curious to know as well Carol, if they used the tents for departure or the main terminal. Very interesting, so if they used the terminal, in which it sounds like, that is some progress!

This time they would definitely have been using the main terminal. My question was whether they had previously been through the tents or not.

Don't listen when they tell you to step to back of the shuttle bus and tell you that you will be the first off because they will be
unloading from the back door, not true.

They've been opening both doors on the bus. Then, they sort you up to the plane to two sets of stairs (front and back) depending upon seat number. At least that has been my experience the past 3 visits post Irma on American.

We've had back door, front door and both. You never know.

Front door in, front door out on our arrival and departure. No real impact other than eager to be firt onto the island coming and first on the bird leaving. Personally, I would rather walk to/from the plane parked on the ramp. But a handicap or foul weather would change my thinking kn that.

They do a good job overall. We did not have any tent in our process.

The tents are gone.

How long does the whole procedure take - if you're just doing carry-on do you really need to be there 3 hours early?

How long does the whole procedure take - if you're just doing carry-on do you really need to be there 3 hours early?

Does American still unload with stairs at the front and back of the plane on arrival?

They did both sets of stairs for us.

We got there two hours early. After checking bags we drank a bottle of champagne outside the terminal for a half hour. Went thru security in a flash and sat at the gate for about an hour.

Alot of flights including the KLM Amsterdam job in our gate house departing before us.

3 hrs sounds excessive
2 hrs sounds safe and generous
1.5 hra sounds like minimum for intl flight

I would check bags as early as you can get away with and visit Sunset or Karakter.

Just my opinion make your own decision after weighing facts on when to arrive.

Sorry, my reference was only for the arrival shuttle yesterday and I've never seen them unload from any other than the front.

WLE--It's been our experience that AA always has unloaded and loaded both front and back, when they use stairs.