TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Today at the airport

Anyone here leaving or arriving today? Juliana posted a PSA on their website today, advising people to arrive 'early' who are leaving SXM today. I assume they mean at least FOUR hours early?? Best wishes, anyone traveling this weekend!

Supposedly Delta emailed a passenger who was departing today (or soon) and indicated 4 hours prior to departure. I saw it mentioned elsewhere that 5 hours prior to departure was suggested.

Honestly, why 5 hours prior to departure, if the check in counters aren't even open yet? Don't you have to go to the counter to check bags, regardless of whether you have checked in online? People were reporting the past couple of days, that check in counters weren't even open until three hours before and sometimes not even then! But of course, it would make too much sense to get the check in counters open earlier.. Anyone going the next couple of weeks should make sure you take food with you, as there appear to be very few food options available as of now.

Back in the day, you could check in early, drop bags and then return. You do have to go to the counter to check a bag and to check in as well. I guess maybe the 4-5 hour arrival thing is to get in line early in hope of moving through the chaos once the counters open.

I’m thinking until this is resolved may be easier to fly to AXA and ferry over!! Or fly into Grand Case!!

And flights to AXA have been priced very reasonably! I tried to talk David into doing that again this year, but couldn't.

Yes, it was so much easier, to be able to drop bags and come back.

If everyone gets there 4-5 hours early, where will they be able to stand ?

That would be a good question to ask on the PJIA facebook page. Good luck on getting a response, especially one that might make sense.

PJIA

Posted just 35 minutes ago :

Here now. Arrived 5 hours in advance per guidance. Airlines won't allow people to check their bags till 3 or 4 hours in advance...so factor that into the fun. And yes the lines for security are massive. Stretching outside the building at times.

Lines for security LEAVING outside the building.?

This is getting insane. Couple this with getting connections next weekend during peak travel times for Thanksgiving weekend will be a nightmare.

There was nowhere to sit Thursday.
It started out okay then everything started breaking down.
Being in the lower section, since our plane was delayed for 2 1/2 hours and lost the opportunity to
use the new bridge for boarding, got very hot, busy and crowded.

Had to go upstairs to the new section for Dominos food and water. If you were in a wheelchair, this was a problem.
They should bring water for the people there.

It was tough on the employees, since it wasn't their fault.

We were in the airport over 5 hours, since JetBlue wanted you to arrive at the same time, even though there wasn't going to be a plane there.
They switched all the seats on the new plane and instead of having the courtesy to put people in their same seats, since the plane was empty, they
were concerned that someone didn't pay enough for that seat, now that it was a different plane!!
Getting on early didn't happen for those in a wheelchair after they exited the Bus.
Calling JetBlue didn't make a difference at all.

I am flying first class on Delta with miles. I know I’ll get priority in the Delta line but does SXM give priority to first class passengers in the security line? I only ask because Paris CDG gave it to us this summer and I don’t remember from last visit to SXM in 2016.

No priority security line at SXM

We arrive one month from today. Is there any reason to be optimistic this will be resolved by then? What has gone so wrong to cause the lines and delays?

Terri--doesn't sound good, but I guess you at least arrived home safely. Hopefully for your next trip, everything will be in order.

Carol, I’m mostly disappointed with JetBlue.
The employees of the airport did their best.

Who knows?

Terri--did you know why your flight was delayed?

You might want to write a concise letter to Jet Blue with specific complaints. Hopefully they will give you a flight voucher or some miles. Better than nothing.

Last Saturday 11/11/2$ our departure was 4:20 pm. We arrived @ JB confer and were refused check in as “ Staff was worn
King over 21 days straight”. No help and “ no available cartage for luggage ahead of NY JFK Flight ahead. Of us “. The facility is a S it Show. Feel the pain if Employees's. Waited 1 hr and checked in. Through all ck points in 45 minutes to arrive to a cattle show humid hot waiting area full of people. We are Assessing next November trip. Go Early to avoid Anxiety IMHO.

jollymon--Hopefully things will be a lot better by next November. I hope.

OHHHYEAH! Those were the days!! We use to do that when ever we could. So convenient!!! Now it sounds like you need a sleeping bag for the day before??? SMH!!

Dropped family off at PJIA today for their flight home. Dropped them off at the front of the airport at 1:58pm SXM time and they were seated at their gate at 2:37pm. They had a checked bag and did online check-in. 39 minutes from drop-off to being at the gate. Their words, "the whole process was a breeze".

Good for them!

Exactly

Arrived yesterday at 130pm on time on United from Newark. Had checked bags and wheel chair assist. We were in our rental car before 2pm. Thank you United and Leslie Bruce. Just lucky no other flights around that time. Temp baggage area is so small..

Good for you, with wheelchair assist. Those folks really do a great job.

Left Grand Case for PJIA today at 12:36, about 30 minutes to the airport, through screening and at the gate at 1:26 so it can work (carry on bags only which obviously helps. Boarded via jet bridge at A3, luckily because it was raining hard. Only a few concessions open so far but work in progress on more by the looks of it.
Staff at PJIA e-gates and screening all seemed a lot more friendly than here at YYZ where I'm writing this.
Didn't see how things were going at arrivals but I fear some pax would have had wet start to their SXM vacation...
Dave.

That's a good point. What happens to the people in group #3 (two aircraft ahead of them for arrival) when it is a long storm going on.? Are they under cover or subject to the weather?

Thanks Folks and do enjoy your vacation.

Dave--That sounds like an improvement as far as time, for sure. So the e-gates were finally working? Good deal.

Yes, both the boarding pass scanners and the passport scanners were working - this despite an email from PJIA earlier in the day advising pax to arrive early due to "technical issues" at the airport.
Dave.

Good news.