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Immigration&Customs/Turnaround at Barbados (BGI)

Immigration&Customs/Turnaround at Barbados (BGI)

Old Feb 7, 2016, 5:54 pm
  #1  
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Immigration&Customs/Turnaround at Barbados (BGI)

I'm looking at flying a mileage run in/out of BGI on the same day, and am looking for insight about the BGI airport that relates to a same-day turnaround. The itinerary I have on hold has a 90 minute turnaround in BGI, arriving at 1:30pm and leaving at 3pm. Without a checked bag, and by sitting at the front of the inbound plane, is this doable? I understand there will always be a risk of a traffic jam at immigration, I'm just looking for anecdotes and maybe someone that has flown into BGI around that time without a checked bag. Almost all the information on BGI customs that I've found has to do with people connecting to/from island-hopping flights with checked luggage. I definitely wouldn't try to do that in 90 minutes, but these experiences don't really match the circumstances I'm looking at.

Questions:
1) Is there a separate immigration exit for transiting passengers?
2) Are there any priority security lines at BGI for the departure?

Considerations:
1) I'll be taking the same flight into and out of BGI. So if it's delayed a good amount coming in, it will likely be delayed a similar amount (maybe a bit less) going out.
2) No checked luggage. So hopefully won't have a wait after immigration and can breeze through customs.
3) I should be able to check in online or from MIA before my inbound flight to BGI. Without needing to check-in or check a bag, I should be good once I'm at the departures area.
4) I'm still spry enough to run for a gate if I need to.
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Old Feb 8, 2016, 5:21 am
  #2  
 
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Originally Posted by hartlogan

Questions:
1) Is there a separate immigration exit for transiting passengers?
2) Are there any priority security lines at BGI for the departure?

Considerations:
1) I'll be taking the same flight into and out of BGI. So if it's delayed a good amount coming in, it will likely be delayed a similar amount (maybe a bit less) going out.
2) No checked luggage. So hopefully won't have a wait after immigration and can breeze through customs.
3) I should be able to check in online or from MIA before my inbound flight to BGI. Without needing to check-in or check a bag, I should be good once I'm at the departures area.
4) I'm still spry enough to run for a gate if I need to.
Questions:
1) Yes. The connections lane is on the extreme right side of the immigration hall. Have your itinerary or BP ready because the immigration officer may ask to see it. Note that immigration can be slow in BGI, but so can customs.
2) No. Everyone uses the same queue for outbound immigration and security screening.
Considerations:
1) in theory.
2) See above. Customs can be very slow and there is no "nothing to declare" lane.
3) You should be able to verify this in advance on your airline`s website. Some airlines allow you to check in on-line, but not to print your BP for the outstations. Some airlines do have kiosks in BGI, but not all. It is about 100-150 metres from the arrivals exit (turn right) to the check-in desks.
4) You shouldn't need to run.

But it is a shame to go all the way to Beautiful Barbados and not stay for a couple of days.
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Old Feb 8, 2016, 8:39 pm
  #3  
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Originally Posted by Seat13F_AC_CRJ
Questions:
1) Yes. The connections lane is on the extreme right side of the immigration hall. Have your itinerary or BP ready because the immigration officer may ask to see it. Note that immigration can be slow in BGI, but so can customs.
2) No. Everyone uses the same queue for outbound immigration and security screening.
Considerations:
1) in theory.
2) See above. Customs can be very slow and there is no "nothing to declare" lane.
3) You should be able to verify this in advance on your airline`s website. Some airlines allow you to check in on-line, but not to print your BP for the outstations. Some airlines do have kiosks in BGI, but not all. It is about 100-150 metres from the arrivals exit (turn right) to the check-in desks.
4) You shouldn't need to run.

But it is a shame to go all the way to Beautiful Barbados and not stay for a couple of days.
--
13F
Thanks for the details, that's exactly what I was looking for. In light of this, I've ended up putting a fare on hold going to PTY instead (with a longer turnaround), as I was a bit untrusting of the connection when combined with the fact that I had another issue with the routing anyway.

Definitely agreed on it being a shame to not spend time there. I absolutely plan to come back and hit in the next few years, but for this I'm just trying to tack a cost-effective AA mileage run onto my trip back to the States (I'm working in Australia right now so options are limited there). Plus, 5 days after this I'll be in Costa Rica for 12 days ^
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Old Feb 9, 2016, 7:32 am
  #4  
 
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Happy to help.

Heading to SJO myself next week for my first ever visit.
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Old Feb 9, 2016, 8:23 am
  #5  
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
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It has always been very slow for us at customs/immigration but I don't think we waited longer than 30 minutes. So you should be OK especially if you are at the front of the plane without checked bags.
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