TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Carry On Only Arrivals

Just so everyone knows, you may have to ask 4-5 different staff members before you're directed straight to the immigration line if you only have carry on. The first four I asked said I had to wait in the massive line. The fifth said oh right this way. Was out of there in 4 minutes after that.

I assume you mean no checked bags, not no carry on.

Yes
Carry on only.

We”ll try that on Monday.

Don’t know why it should be any different than people with luggage. The line is to get into immigration not the baggage claim.

Because its such a small crowded area past immigration They were lining up people based on what flight they arrived on and holding them in line until their bags were on the belt. Pretty good idea because its s mad house by the baggage area. If you have just carry they were letting those people go straight through. No sure if that's a daily thing.

Ok. I understand. They are holding you back from entering immigration if your airline’s bags aren’t in. But if you just have carry on they will let you in to immigration.

Correct. The baggage area only has one belt and the space is quite limited. The long lines are for those with bags but as I said it took asking a few workers to get straight through with no checked bags.

SOOO??? If you don't have luggage you get to by pass the long immigration line and go to the front???? WHY??? The luggage area is after you show your passport!!!

That what I was wondering. We are all still trying to get through immigration first. Might irritate folks if some are jumping the queue.

To me it sounds like you don't have to wait in holding area but get to get in line in immigration not go to the front of the line in immigration. People are saying once your luggage is loaded on belt your flight is qued to go to immigration line.

I just checked the arriving flight schedules for today (Sunday) and there are 5 major carriers scheduled to arrive within 35 minutes of each other (1:39 - 2:14) so I'm going to give SXM's airport a pass and direct my frustration at the airlines - for all the good that will do - lol

tim--yeah, the problem is that the airlines could care less about how their timing affects passengers after they get off the plane. The airlines schedule things so that it works out best for THEM.

There no queue jumping. You're simply not waiting in a line unnecessarily. The lines are because of checked luggage. Why would people expect others to wait with them because they checked bags???

They do really need to try to explain to the passengers why they are waiting outside the immigration area....for the baggage to arrive and overcrowding. People do get upset when they see what they thing are people jumping in front. But its a logical system as no reason to crowd they bag area until the bags are there. Some chairs for the older folks wound be nice....they did pass out free water which was nice. They are definitely trying to improve it.

Be nice if they had a carry on only line.

Or at least line the waiting area with benches along the wall.

Exactly Carol! Back in the olden days, the flights were spread out more sensibly for all. My brother, who is a retired AA pilot, claims that the current ridiculous scheduling is so that the airlines can turn the planes around and get the crews home that night so the airlines don't have to pay to put them up in a hotel some place. As long as the airline executives get their huge bonuses I guess

Yup, makes sense from the airline's point of view.

We arrived today on American from Miami. We left about 40 minutes late, but actually landed five minutes early. We were still behind a flight from Charlotte and also JFK, though. We stepped off the plane at 2:37, took the bus, and had our bag by 2:55. There was no line at all.

Good to hear.

Glad your wait was so short! Disappointing that the Miami flight apparently is not getting a jetway. I know that there are no jetways on arrival, but if the plane was getting a jetway on departure, you should not have had to take the bus on arrival.

Arrivals don't use the jetways. Been established before on other threads.

Scuba-- if the plane is parked where people use the bus to deplane, they do NOT have a jetway when they leave. They do not move the plane between arrival and departure. If the plane is parked close enough to use the jetway to depart, there is no need for the bus upon arrival. That has been confirmed several times before.

No, you have it wrong.

The four gates at SXM, that have jet bridges, are gates A1, A2, A3 and A4.

Planes that arrive at gate A4 are deplaning by stairs or ramp and walk to the TAF (temporary arrival facility). Planes that arrive at gates A1, A2 and A3 are deplaning by stairs or ramp and are bussed to the TAF. All planes departing from gates A1, A2, A3 and A4 are using the jet bridges for boarding. That is the current situation.
Carry on.

Thanks for the clarification. 👌

You're quite welcome.

I can see that some are still confused how the jetways work
Currently, planes arriving at Gates A1 A2, A3 and A4 will be beside one of the four jetways.

Passengers unload to the ground and taken to the arrival area.The planes do NOT have to move to use the jetways. It is the jetways which are rolled over to the plane. I have included a photo showing the jetway moved to the plane and you can see the wheels.. The plane does not relocate.

Drphilsxm

No, you don't understand my point--I know that the planes are not moved between passengers deplaning and passengers loading. The jetway moves. My point is that if the plane is close enough to use a jetway, why in the world would the passengers have to be bussed to the terminal?? They should be able to walk, and quicker than loading onto a bus. That makes zero sense. Of course expecting anything that the airport does to make sense is a silly idea.

maybe because the temporary arrival area is further than the permanent one that is being built? Not sure...

Carol - The jetways attached to the terminal on the 2nd floor. We went through these doors and turned right and down the jetway. I suspect that when the 1st floor arrival area is completed you will come into the terminal behind the doors in this picture and go down an escalator to arrivals on the first floor without entering the 2nd floor departure area. It would be chaos to have arrivals enter the departing floor and go against the flow of traffic to get outside to get to the temporary arrival building. Hope this helps.

pony--OK, now that could make sense.

Could be safety issue as to not have arriving passengers walking where planes are coming and going.

I think it's all an Immigration control thing which is on the first floor....jetways are on the second for one way departing traffic. I assume when the arrival area is completed there will be two way traffic on the jetways (locked door controlled) with an inside escalator/elevator down to floor #1

Will see how it goes on today's arrival landing in the dreaded 2pm to 230pm time from CLT.

Best wishes, Alltech.

Definitely interested in hearing how your arrival goes. We are returning in April from Charlotte and hope that the new arrival hall may be on line. If not,they will hopefully figured out how to work with the temp arrival facility.

Thru immigration in about 10 minutes no checked bags but it didn't matter there was no holding que everybody was able to walk into immigration

It is helpful to see everyone's arrival experiences. and compare days and time of arrival. We arrive on Sunday three weeks from now at 545p and I am hoping our experience will be similar to the last post. We will have checked bags...

boucharda--5:45 is a lot later than most flights, so hopefully you will be the only plane in.