njvandy

Thanks for the replies. We're using USA Transfers are they wanted to pick us up at 9:15 from the Ritz Carlton (20 minute drive) for a 12:30 flight. We moved it to 9:45.

PxC

Does anyone know if the antigen tests at the airport are acceptable for arrival in the U.K.? Or the tests in the hotel zone resorts?

thx

Boraxo

You might have better luck with this question in the UK or BA forums, or on tripadvisor.

jmrp

Here's what I posted on TripAdvisor a month ago when we flew home from CUN Terminal 3 on AA. Sorry, it's long !! But, I'll mention here what I say in my last paragraph..... boarding at CUN usually starts 45-50 minutes before you actual departure time.

And, you never know how long the check-in lines will take you, then you have to also go through security lines which can be long. also, things are different right now because of the covid stuff (translation......things can take longer than usual there right now). So, if you get to CUN at say 10:00 or so & you flight starts boarding at say 11:45, you could still potentially be waiting in either the check in line or the security line (probably not, but you never know....if you have to wait in a kiosk line, then wait in the regular check in line, then the security line).

That said, I'm on the cautious side so I don't like to cut it close. Anyway, here's my long paste. :-)

We've flown into the CUN airport something like 33 or so times. It's usually somewhat busy when we fly out in early May, but the crowds at the check-in kiosks & counters on May 3rd reminded me more of the Xmas-time crowds.

I'm sure there weren't as many people as at Xmas time, so I can only guess that was because of the extra time that the check-in agents had to spend dealing w/ the Health forms & the COVID test results; they just couldn't process people as quickly.

from this thread: (https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g150810-i360-k13535949-Airport_T3_timing_update-Isla_Mujeres_Yucatan_Peninsula.html#109865325):

My husband & I flew home from CUN yesterday, Mon, 05/03/21 on a 02:50pm AA flight, from Terminal 3.

We got to Terminal 3 at maybe 12:15 or so (wanted to be there earlier, but could not find a single employee at Thrifty/Dollar yesterday -- UGH -- all Thrifty/Dollar/Firefly had to return to Hertz, come to find out).

The regular AA check in line was really long, as were the check-in kiosks (which we did not have to use).

We were flying First Class & we had to wait in the Priority check in line maybe 10 minutes or so. I can't even imagine how long the regular line took - yikes.

We did not use the Verifly App. I showed the AA check in ticket agent our paper copies of our negative test results (the front desk at El Dorado Royale printed them out for us) & she barely glanced at them. She then had us fill out pieces of paper (w/ our names, check a box saying that we had rec'd a negative Covid test result, & sign it). She gave me back my paper copies of our results.

Oh, and the AA Priority check in had 4 desks assigned to Priority (the 4 counters all the way on the left). The 2 counters next to that had Verifly check in on the overhead monitors. I'm not sure if you can skip the regular line(s) if you have Verifly, but just thought I'd mention in.

Before we left home I had printed out blank pdf copies of the Health Form. I manually filled out 1 for each of us.

Upstairs, the agent that checks your boarding pass & passport before the security line barely looked at our Health questionnaires (& did not keep them), and just had us scan our boarding passes.

No one asked us to pay the new departure tax/fee.

I'd say from the time we got into Terminal 3 (around 12:15) it took us 25-30 minutes until we left the security line into the duty free shop. But, that was only because we could use the much faster Priority check in for AA.

Don't forget that boarding for flights leaving CUN usually starts about 45-50 minutes before your actual departure time. So, allow plenty of time for the airport rigmarole (including returning a car), just in case you need it !

OxfordBlue

Here’s the official advice from gov.uk - short answer is that antigen tests are fine provided they meet the criteria listed.

What’s also super important is the need to book and pay for tests on days 2 & 8. Immigration will need proof of this. They are fining hundreds of people every day who arrive without this in place.

njvandy

Just got back yesterday and all I can say is wow...

JetBlue was a total mess, hopelessly understaffed with the check-in/bag drop/BP line stretching all the way outside the terminal building and onto the curb.

We had to fight out way through just to get to the "Mint" check in line and still waited about 1.5 hours from drop off until getting our boarding passes.

It makes no difference if you checked in online or if you have just carry on bags, you still need to wait in line so they can verify your negative COVID test before receiving a BP.

There was one check-in agent/booth for Mint and about 6 or 7 for everyone else and the "everyone else" line looked like it would have taken 4+ hours. They did have an exasperated agent walking up and down the line pulling people off if flights were about to leave. It seems they were doing this about T60 from departure.

Once we got our BPs it was smooth sailing. There was no line to show our Vuela Segura QR code (we were the only people in the airport who seemed to know to do it in advance). No lines at the magnetometers/security screening either.

If anything, the airside terminal seemed empty, probably because of the bottleneck outside to check-in. Priority Pass lounge had 2 or 3 other people in it.I understand all the increased frequencies to CUN these days but this was really just a B6 staffing problem. Sun Country occupied the check-in booths next door and they never seemed to have more than 10 people on line at once.

lowfareair

Flying Volaris CUN-MEX in December on our first domestic flight out of CUN. Are they out of T2 and can we access the PP lounge there (I think a single departure area serves domestic and int'l flights, but can't recall)? Pretty much every site I've seen listing airlines by terminal is grossly outdated. Also, if we are not checking luggage, can we skip the ticket counters if we can check in online and go right to security?

nologic

I think CUN requires ticket counter check-in, even pre-Covid, I think to pay departure tax at the ticket counter. Now everyone is requiring tickets to validate Covid. Can't predict what will be the case in December.

As of the past 2 weeks, the PP/Executive lounges at SXM and PUJ were both closed due to Covid. Not sure if the lounge at CUN is or will be open.

lowfareair

The CUN T2 lounge is currently closed (T3 and T4 are open), but not traveling until December so it could change by then.

The departure tax hasn't been a thing for years. The new VISITAX for Quintana Roo is not being enforced at all by airlines yet, so I don't think that is an issue. What do you mean they are "requiring tickets to validate COVID"? There is testing that needs to be validated to go back to the states, but as far as I know, domestic flights within Mexico require no such thing and the COVID certification form you do online is presented outside security, not at the check-in desk. Is there something else you are referring to?

nologic

I didn't focus on the fact that this was a domestic trip within Mexico. I was referring to the Covid testing validation requirement for international travel for which the airlines are assuming front line responsibility which is extending check in line times considerably. Good to know that there's no longer the departure tax check-in collection requirement. Guess this dates me.

enelym1978

Any recent experiences arriving/departing CUN?
I'm due to land 4:20PM on November 8th (Monday) from a Lufthansa flight and will depart on November 18th (Thursday) at around 7PM on Austrian (business class).

Not really worried about arrival, even if it's a zoo, I'll be on holiday so i'll survive. But for departure, is the crowd back in Cancun these days? I'll probably aim at arriving 3h prior to departure time, to be on the safe side. Nothing worse than stress to leave a place to go home

scubadu

September tourist numbers arriving in Cancun have surpassed pre-pandemic levels, so yes, "the crowd is back."

https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/tou...ancun-airport/

Regards

pseudoswede

Any more recent experiences? I understand it's probably not as busy right now (I saw yesterday's last DEN-CUN flight only had about 10 pax on it). We're returning to DEN on Thanksgiving Day, so hopefully it won't be as busy, but I've booked an airport transfer so that we arrive at the airport about 2h45m prior to departure just in case.

Boraxo

I think that’s wise. IME (always for peak holiday dates) UA has been better than others but the pandemic rules for travel to USA have required additional checks of health docs and CUN lines to get BPs are always longer than elsewhere as it is often impossible to get them online.

recent reports suggest lounges in T2 and T4 are open, and T3 was removed from the PP system. But there are plenty of restaurants. CUN is not the worst place to kill an hour.

pseudoswede

My lowly UA Silver status does get me Premier Access, so hopefully getting BPs (and we are aiming for carry-on only) will be a little less painful. The rest of the airport experience will be a crapshoot, which is fine. Not that we'll have lounge access, but can you access the T2 and T4 lounges easily from T3? I can't seem to find any kind decent airport map to make that determination.