BlackBerryAddict

Thanks SRG - and it's actually work - although a conference that has been held in MTY, AUA, SXM, SJO and now SJU can't be that bad

Thdw

As you advised, sunrisegirl, it was all sorted very efficiently by the lady at the club assistance desk. She told me there had been an error on my e-ticket. I'm now happily installed in the B terminal Galleries after a sneaky champagne in the South lounge. I've had a mini facial courtesy of the lovely Hannah and will now mostly be off to check out the gin selection in this otherwise deserted lounge. There was Tanquery Ten and Gordons in South, for those who've read the other thread...

Many thanks again for your reassurance (and as yet I've only forgotten my toothbrush, that I've noticed...)

T8191

Having read all the foregoing posts, may I ask a slightly OT question? Well, I shall anyway!!

Hypothetical scenario is as follows:

• BA is apparently dumping the LGW-MBJ route from next May.
• Winter 2012 we may want to fly to MBJ, which appears to be best achieved using AA from MIA [other options appreciated ].
• If we arrive at MIA, connecting onward to another International destination, is there any system for avoiding Immigration and all the other nausea by staying airside? Or are you inevitably 'mingled' with Domestic pax?

I doubt it works anyway, as I suspect flight timings would screw us.
I just have developed, from FT, a deep dread of ever flying into MIA as International pax

Athlete95

MIA is meant to be an awful airport to connect through and apparently you still have to go through MIA as an arriving pax before your flight to MBJ... why not fly to Kingston and get a small plane transfer to MBJ- BA flights to KIN in CW are very cheap compared to other Caribbean routes and it will be much less hassle!

Also no having to go round to LHR from LGW!

Globaliser

No. You don't have to deal with your bags, which (if you arrive on BA) you can now have through-checked to the onward international destination. But you still have to clear immigration, clear customs (with only your cabin baggage) and then return airside via security.

T8191

OK, thanks ^

I may look at another hub, albeit that it seems all AA's flights to MBJ pass through MIA. I think we'd need an airport night-stop anyway, and MIA is possibly not first choice on balance.

The schedules are a PITA, though, on first look. Much research to be done.

BlackBerryAddict

T8191 - I hope that wasn't entirely on my account. I have a specific problem with US immigration, present at all airports, but strongly amplified at Miami because of the profile of the arriving international passengers.

If you normally have a trouble-free entry into the US, Miami shouldn't be too bad.

Globaliser

I don't want to be intrusive (and you may well know about this already), but is this something that might be improved through Redress?

I have a friend who was having exactly the same experience as you, which was particularly irritating for her because she owns a holiday home in the US and has a brother there who she like to visit from time to time. So she's over there rather more often than the usual leisure traveller. Since getting herself a Redress number, it's been a breeze for her every time.

BlackBerryAddict

Thanks for the suggestion Globaliser. I have indeed gone through the Redress programme, added my redress number to my booking, and this will be the first time I will enter the US after doing this. I'm curious to see if it will make a difference.

Globaliser

Good luck!

sunrisegirl

I honestly don't get why people have such a problem with MIA - truly, truly I don't.

Every time I've arrived there I've cleared Immigration in less than 20 minutes. Sometimes I'm downstairs waiting for bags when the WT passengers are arriving at the carousel. It's never taken me longer than 45 minutes to clear the airport and be on the way to my rental car.

Apart from one occasion when the agent was grumpy, I found the officers at entry point to be friendly and courteous and ready for a chat/laugh. One time another passenger and I had a playful race to see who could clear through first and the officers joined in laughing the whole time.
My last visit a few weeks ago, the agent told me I was very pretty

As for TSA on departure - NEVER had a problem. Again always courteous, friendly and up for a laugh. I often bring home a cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory and this causes plenty of laughter about how it's their break time and sorry cheesecakes aren't allowed! We then have playful arguments and a joke. My last time coming through I spent 15 minutes or so just chatting socially with them (even after my items were cleared) as they were so nice.

Dare I suggest that perhaps some people go through with an attitude and this breeds an attitude in return. Because seriously I just don't get this animosity about Homeland Security/TSA agents at MIA.

The airport has a large number of employees from the Caribbean, Latin and South America and I do sometimes encounter attitude in some of the shops but never with the authorities.


But Mikey I'm afraid you're incorrect about needing to clear MIA as an arriving pax connecting to an international destination. You don't have to do that. Your bags can be tagged right through via an ITI tag and you can remain in transit. It's the only US airport which allows this.

Globaliser

Are you sure? Is it no longer like this: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/17504481-post20.html

And I thought that DFW had introduced this as well, now.

sunrisegirl

I was referring to Mikey's response to T8191 who's planning to go to MBJ where ITI tags can be used. SJU they can't.

When I put MIA as the only airport in the US I did wonder if any more were now doing it, so yes you could be right about DFW. However, I haven't seen anything about using ITI tags there. That said it's a LHR route so I wouldn't necessarily hear about it.

Globaliser

Yes, I saw that.

But I thought that the process was that you still have to clear immigration and customs (with your cabin baggage) and then return airside via security, even though you can leave your checked baggage behind to be transferred automatically. Has that changed?

T8191

Sorry to have generated some Thread deviation here! Ooops

We're notionally considering MBJ for Jan 2013 ... I understand that BA is dumping the direct LGW flights from May 2012. So, I spent a 'painful' couple of hours looking at "HOW DO WE GET THERE?" whilst using OW carriers [obviously]. The biggest challenge is simply body fatigue - we start with a connecting flight to UK, and without the direct BA from LGW we apparently need to pick up an AA from MIA. And it would be nice to arrive at MBJ at a decent time of day!! We've seen connections via BOS, DFW, MAD ... but all roads and connections lead to MIA anyway. And it's inevitably a 2-day journey, whichever way you cut it.

So the initial scratching on a sheet of A4 seems to be:
Day 1:
0855 JER-LGW 0945
Taxi round M25
1335 LHR-MIA 1745
Nightstop at the Airport Hotel. ... so we'll have to enter the USA anyway. If the bag can go ITI, that's OK: we won't be 'dressing for dinner'
Day 2:
0930 MIA-MBJ 1105 [with AA]
Courtesy Bus for 2 hours to hotel.

Phew ... You need a holiday after all that!!

We may have to revise our destination.