Swanhunter

We are flying this route next week. Any hints and tips about either check in at BGI or the 2 hour transit through POS?

Seat13F_AC_CRJ

I've never flown this precise route, but I've been to all three airports you mention.

BGI: I suggest you arrive at least two hours prior to your flight. BW usually has a 737 on this route so the check-in queue may take a while. Outbound immigration and security screening are both fairly efficient at BGI. There are duty free shops and shops for sandwiches and snacks between security and the gates.

POS: my guess is that you will need to clear immigration and customs, then look for the domestic section of the airport (turn right after leaving customs). POS has the slowest immigration process in the region! I hope you are arriving in the morning or afternoon and not in the evening. There are two lengthy forms to fill out. It's happened to me that there were no forms available on the flight and there were none to be found in the arrivals hall either. There never seems to be anyone responsible for marshalling the travellers or controlling the immigration lines in the immigration hall. Duty free shops are found between immigration and customs. You can purchase duty free upon arrical in POS, although you'd need to place any bottles in checked luggage before departing for TAB.

TAB: a small airport, bigger than SLU or SVD, but much smaller than BGI or ANU. Arrival process should be simple for a domestic flight.

Enjoy your trip.
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Swanhunter

Fantastic, just what I needed. Thanks!

Seat13F_AC_CRJ

It's my pleasure. Enjoy your trip and please do post back here afterwards to let me know how useful/accurate my tips were. Thanks.
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Swanhunter

very belated follow up on this.

BGI-POS flight was on a half empty Dash-8 so check in was a breeze. Decent coffee shop airside at BGI with bread, fruit salad etc.

POS immigration was easy but the transit was exceptionally dull. Not much to do but hang around in the terminal area. Going through security on the domestic side is best left until the last minute as there is nothing other than chairs.

Arrival at TAB was much easier than departing on BA.

Antonio8069

I saw an ad for this airline @ YYZ this eve. Does it fly to Canada? Are they part of any alliance? Are they reliable?

(I did a quick google search for flights and came up with a travel agency listing sched carriers!)

Do they still fly to/from BOS?

Seat13F_AC_CRJ

Caribbean Air Lines was previously known as BWIA and still uses airline code BW. They provide reliable 737 service between YYZ and POS, a flight which includes a hot meal. I have two cautions: these flights are almost always full; and they only allow very small carry-on bags (10lbs?).

Website is here: http://www.caribbean-airlines.com/.
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Homer15

We're trying to get from DC to Grenada in early December (before Delta starts its seasonal redeye). One possibility would be to go via NY to take BW's nonstop from JFK-GND, but that would take up most of a day to get there (arrives 7:25 pm).

The possibility we are leaning towards instead is taking BW's nonstop JFK-POS which is a redeye, arriving 6:00 am, and then connecting onto a LI flight at 9:25 am. I am assuming we'd have to clear immigration and customs and recheck our bags (if any), but I am also thinking 3+ hours should be enough to do that? All things considered I think we might rather put up with red eye and show up at our destination tired at 10 am vs. well-rested at 7:25 pm.

The trickier question might be the return. We could maybe do an open jaw or 2 one-way tix (plus the LI flight) so we could fly GND-JFK-DCA on the way back.

Alternatively, if we returned through POS, there is a flight POS-MIA leaving at 3:40 pm but the flights into POS arrive either at 10:05 am or 1:35 pm. My travelling companion doesn't like the 10:05 and I think the 1:35 is cutting it too close to clear customs and check in for a 3:40 flight.

I saw some oldish posts suggesting that POS is not a great place to clear customs so any thoughts on whether I am over- or under- estimating the time needed in transit there would be appreciated.

Any other thoughts, suggestions, or advice would likewise be gratefully received.

Triniflyguy

3+ hours is more than enough time to collect bags, clear customers and re-check for your LI flight to GND at 9.25am. The most i've ever had to wait to clear customs in POS is an hour and a half and that's because I was coming from Jamaica. For some reason, all flights coming in from there are thoroughly screened before they can exit.

On your return flight, I believe you'd have enough time yet again to clear customs and check in for your 3.40 flight if you arrive at 10.05.

Will you be checking bags? Will you be using OLCI? ALso, what airline do you want to return with through POS - AA or BW? I'm assuming the 3.40 flight is AA.

Homer15

Thanks for the info.

Yes, the 3:40 flight is on AA. For whatever reason, Vayama will ticket me on an AA/BW itinerary, even if AA won't (but it seems I can't get an itinerary with those airlines and LI).

Do you think 2 hours is cutting it too close on the return to clear customs and re-checkin with AA? Or are you suggesting that we could make it but only if we did OLCI and no checked luggage?

These days I almost prefer to check-- don't have to worry about fitting things in luggage, or fitting the luggage in overhead space, especially if there is no charge for checking. On the other hand, it's a beach vacation so we could probably get by with just carry-ons (might have to get an extra kindle though ).

Seat13F_AC_CRJ

I travel frequently in the eastern Caribbean and my TA has never issued a ticket combining LI with any other carrier. LI flights are always booked separately.

Two hrs should be enough time, but just. If the immigration queue is exceptionally long, just ask politely if you can cut to the front. There will be two queues: CARICOM passports and Visitors. After Customs, turn right and walk to the AA check-in desks. It might be 100-150 yds.
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ironmanjt

Agreed that customs was quick here as well - but one thing to be aware of that almost got me in a bit of trouble: any sort of "camoflage" clothing is strictly prohibited. Fortunately someone warned me before I got to customs, because I saw a few other travelers having problems.

Check-in took 2+ hours, however, because "all computers are down" and they couldn't check people in. That said, I imagine this might not be the norm?

Triniflyguy

this is correct. any sort of camouflage clothing is prohibited in Trinidad & Tobago since the 1990 coup.

WRT to 'computers being down', i guarantee you that this is not the norm at POS. However, this is not surprising living here. It happens in so many other state-run institutions.

RooseveltL

Prefer those who have made similar connections respond vs. what the airline recommends as not sure when they close aircraft for boarding for intl united.

Bw from tab to pos scheduled landing 7:05am on Sunday
Pos to houston on united scheduled departure at 7:45 previously was 8am.

I believe it is too tight with deplane and clearance of immigration for outbound but no bags to check and small airport. Opinions as my next action is change to 1am departure on BW and wait it out at POS

Triniflyguy

As small as an airport we have, that connection time is too short to deplane, clear immigration and customs and head back through security and then to the gate

You say the next flight is at 1 am? Does that mean spending the entire day and evening at POS?