Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Belmont, VA USA
Programs: Marriott Gold, HH Gold, AA Gold, UA3P, DL proletariat, proud Costco Executive member
Posts: 717
BEWARE! Freeport (FPO) Grand Bahama Airport/AirTran
Just returned from FPO on AirTran. Arrived at airport 90 minutes before departure to find a snaking line, 150 people deep, to the AirTran counter. Reached counter 10 minutes before scheduled departure. Checked in, and was told to join customs/security line; that plane probably wouldn't leave without us. This line likewise snaked with about 100 people in it. At 15 minutes AFTER scheduled departure, an airport person called for the Baltimore passengers to step out of line. 50 of us did; we had been separated from the pax on other flights, presumably to clear customs to depart. Nope. We inched up, and stopped. The "flagger" was now taking pax exclusively from the other line. A riot almost broke out with angry, frantic passengers shouting at unsympathetic airport personnel. We finally cleared the nightmare and boarded our still-waiting plane an hour and 5 minutes beyond departure time. We waited another 15 minutes for the remaining pax, and finally departed. AirTran and the Grand Bahama Airport personnel need to come up with a public notification plan to inform passengers to remain calm, that flights won't leave without them. This airport is grossly unprepared to handle even a small rush (i.e. 2 jet and 2 commuter flights) even in what is presumed to be the slow season. AirTran needs to warn outbound pax to arrive a minimum of 150 minutes before sched.
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Missing the Wings of Man, Whisperliners, and the overall civility in air travel!