Bridgetown to Miami (BGI-MIA) on American 737-800 business class
Only a few hours since arriving at the hotel I have a wake up call and checking out. Taxi back to the airport cost USD25 or BDS50. I'm not sure why it is more expensive to go back given all fares on the island are fixed.
Heavy rain starts, silencing the bats(?) and the ride back is slower - about 25 minutes. Check in quickly at the premium check in line. No departure tax is due because of my short stay (under 24 hours) - I think normally this is paid at check in? A short wait for immigration to open up. I'm through quickly. At security there is a sign that Barbadoes has recently adopted the liquids rules but they tell me to put the liquid baggy away.
Duty free shops open and I buy some stuff with my remaining Barbadoes Dollars, for there is no exchange bureau airside and the landside one is not yet open
Use the invite card to access the small lounge upstairs from gate 13. There is a limited drinks selection, and limited snack type food. While it is spacious the amenities are not very good. The 2 computers do not work
Since there is only a few minutes until boarding I cut my losses and head for the gate.
The liquid duty free treatment is the opposite to what I've experienced in US. At the shop they are sealed in a box which you bring with you to the gate. There they tag them and put in the hold, to be collected in the baggage claim, against the wall.
Boarding is a slow process in the heavy rain. First all carry-ons are checked. This more thorough than the check done at HKG. Then a dash across the tarmac. I notice there has been a change of aircraft type since I booked it - from a 757 to a 737-800.
Meal is a choice of omelette or sugary cereal, but as I fell asleep I missed out.
No views due to the extensive thunderclouds en route. We land in Miami late. Immigration queues are long and the processing is slow. I lose on line lotto. The line with only 6 people ahead of me takes ages to progress - forms not filled in, not filled in correctly, much inspection of passports, first time visitors questioning the agents about where to go, etc. It takes 40 minutes for my turn, but I'm done in a minute.
I've now flown more than 50 flights and 100,000 miles during the first 3 weeks of this trip report alone, and Miami is the 8th airport that I've flown internationally to/from the USA, the most airports flown internationally for any one country.
By now the duty free is already there, so I grab it and through customs fairly quickly.
I walk over to the bus stop in front of terminal E, glad that it is under shelter for the rain is quite heavy. Since I have plenty of time until the shuttle for tri-rail I get the ticket here instead of at the station. It is $4.50 for Boca Raton. Not bad - quite a bit less than the bus to the airport at Auckland even though this trip takes more than twice as long.
The shuttle bus is running late so straight from bus onto the train. I had a look for
boxo, who I'd arranged to meet but was unable to find her.