Airport experiencing congestion

https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islan...se-causing-serious-congestion-at-airport

Yikes.

Not like embezzlement, fraud, arrests, or incompetency held anything up at all.....lol!

Or the fact that it was the Saturday after Easter and one of the busiest weeks of the year. Many schools on Spring Break!

Correct plus the 50 th Carnival Celebrations.

I'm glad we don't travel to SXM on a Saturday!

We arrive and depart on Saturdays. Last year wasn't to bad. Hoping for the same this year. Will know in less than 2 weeks.

The traffic is way up from last May, so I'm thinking you need to be prepared for some big waits. Everyone who has come in or out on Saturdays lately has had big waits.

We traveled home three weeks ago Saturday.We had our boarding passes pre printed, and carry on luggage only. I parked the rental car somewhere around 11:00 ish and left the keys in the glove box per my agent. We walked in and went through the whole process, sat down in the waiting area and i looked at my phone. It was 11:21. We were very surprised after hearing all the horror stories.

Glad for your sake that it was so quick, but printing boarding passes and checking luggage could take quite some time.

I have heard that pre printed boarding passes still have to be reprinted at check in at airport even with carry on. Did they make you do that too?

No. We printed the boarding passes on the hotel desk printer and they where fine. Yes Carol, it definitely would take longer if we had to go to the counter, but that particular Saturday the line was not bad there either. I would guess maybe another 20 mins. or so. It must have been good timing because the lower departure area was standing room only, with some scattered seating in the upper area.

Thank you. I had read on Facebook that some people that had pre printed ones had to have them reprinted even with carry on even at the gate. Good to know it is still OK to have them pre printed.

Your welcome. And it was AA if that matters.

Glad they seem to be honoring the pre printed boarding passes. We had ours printed yet they said we had to still check-in where they printed another pass and threw away the ones we had printed. That was March 24.

Yes, they have to be re-printed. When we departed the island April 1, we could go through security with the pre-printed boarding pass, but they had to re-print them at the gate.

Good to know. Thanks.

We departed April 13 and went all the way onto the plane and they were never reprinted or questioned. Maybe airline specific?

We flew Delta. Maybe whoever you ask has a different answer. LOL.

My husband and I traveled home last Saturday the 27th. We do not check any luggage which definitely helps. My husband had read a recommendation that you go 3 hrs before flight which seemed crazy but that is what we did. We were through getting our passes, Immigration and security and sitting in the lower level within 30 mins. Within a half hour or so of sitting down the waiting area was packed with people. Many standing or sitting on floor. So we were glad we had gone early even though it was a wait till our flight which thankfully was on time.

The ground services at SXM are provided by 1 or 2 different local contractors. They likely set their own policy and it could easily vary by each contractor, each airline, each day and how the employee interprets the policy. I am not saying the inconsistency is right but you are not dealing with a Delta, AA, etc. employees in most cases. AA used to have 1-2 of their own people there to oversee things but not sure if they still do or not.

Looking forward to seeing you guys soon

We are too. What date do you arrive on? Dave and Cheryl are on the same plane we are on May 11th from CLT. We are there till the 1st staying next door at Logans Rum.

Scuba! We come in 5/26 and leave 6/2. Let's meet up! (and not going to Pinel where we may have to throw people overboard! lol)

I'll try to make it happen.

Our arrival was mid-afternoon Saturday March 2nd - on AA. It was VERY congested getting into the building and finally getting through customs (45 minutes). I would attribute that to it being Saturday and the time of day. The good thing was that our bag was waiting for us and so was Lesley!

Same thing happened to us. We went 3 hours early on Saturday, March 23. Got through security and cheack-in in about 40 minutes. The guy at the ticket counter told us we were smart to come that early because in less than an hour the lines would be three or four times as long. He was right. It was chaos, but we were fine. Next year we're coming on Sunday and leaving on Friday. (Granted, it's easier to make that compromise when you're staying for several weeks.) Saturday is a zoo.