Posted By: barryvabeach
Travel Report - paperwork - 02/26/2021 02:21 PM
So we arrived yesterday , thanks to the positive reviews of other posters here which made us feel it was worth the hurdles to come. I wanted to provide our experience since while it went smoothly due to monitoring this site, others travelers didn't and some had some difficulties. First, when you register for your COVID test, use the exact same name as appears on the passport. At SXM, they were comparing them closely, and told one woman that while they were going to let her through this time, it needed to be exactly the same next time. I know a number of people go by their middle name or a nick name, but when registering for the COVID test, use the exact same name and spelling as your passport , they were looking at it very closely at SXM.
So we took a connecting flight, arrived at Charlotte for the 9:30 flight on American to SXM. They started preboarding nearly an hour early and wanted to see paperwork. At least one couple said what is EHAS ? Apparently they were not aware of having to go through the online portal and so the gate agent started walking them through that process. Fortunately, AA has another flight in an hour or so. Others tried to present just the authorization, and were told they also needed the covid test itself, so there was a lot of frantic checking of emails on phones to locate the results. A few had brought printouts of the email from EHAS saying they were approved and the gate agent refused to accept that, saying they needed the actual authorization - which was a pdf attachment to the email - again, there was some frantic searching of emails on phones.
My suggestion is to print out copies of the covid test, the authorization, and the email, and have them ready.
The flight had about 25 people in coach and the attendants said we were free to sit anywhere we wanted, other than an exit row. So it would not have been a great bargain to have paid for seats with extra leg room.
When we arrived at SXM, the plane parked all the way to the left, so it was a short walk to the terminal. Once inside, they had 4 booths where they checked the Covid paperwork. That went pretty quickly, though they were looking very closely to make sure everything was right and they stamped both the test results and the EHAS. You then went towards the far end of the entrance hall and immigration control also wanted to see that paperwork, as well as passports. Again, that went quickly since there were so few on the plane.
We are staying in Grand Case, and after getting up early to get the first connecting flight, we usually go for casual, and went to the Lolos. Food was good, plentiful, and inexpensive.
So we took a connecting flight, arrived at Charlotte for the 9:30 flight on American to SXM. They started preboarding nearly an hour early and wanted to see paperwork. At least one couple said what is EHAS ? Apparently they were not aware of having to go through the online portal and so the gate agent started walking them through that process. Fortunately, AA has another flight in an hour or so. Others tried to present just the authorization, and were told they also needed the covid test itself, so there was a lot of frantic checking of emails on phones to locate the results. A few had brought printouts of the email from EHAS saying they were approved and the gate agent refused to accept that, saying they needed the actual authorization - which was a pdf attachment to the email - again, there was some frantic searching of emails on phones.
My suggestion is to print out copies of the covid test, the authorization, and the email, and have them ready.
The flight had about 25 people in coach and the attendants said we were free to sit anywhere we wanted, other than an exit row. So it would not have been a great bargain to have paid for seats with extra leg room.
When we arrived at SXM, the plane parked all the way to the left, so it was a short walk to the terminal. Once inside, they had 4 booths where they checked the Covid paperwork. That went pretty quickly, though they were looking very closely to make sure everything was right and they stamped both the test results and the EHAS. You then went towards the far end of the entrance hall and immigration control also wanted to see that paperwork, as well as passports. Again, that went quickly since there were so few on the plane.
We are staying in Grand Case, and after getting up early to get the first connecting flight, we usually go for casual, and went to the Lolos. Food was good, plentiful, and inexpensive.
