Enough Connection Time At FLL?
 

Hi!

I'm planning to travel from MEX to FLL and from there to SJU in a couple of months and then coming back from there 10 days later.
These are the flight data:

http://i.imgur.com/LSU4ETu.png

The main problem is that both are international flights so I will have to go through customs, passport control, they leave and arrive to and from different terminals... So I don't know if I will have enough time. I planned not to check a bag for the first two legs (MEX-FLL and FLL-SJU) so maybe that will make the process doable. However I will need to check a bag for the last two legs (SJU-FLL and FLL-MEX) so that will make it more difficult...

1) Do you think I could make it?

2) Flights arrive at Terminal 4 and leave from Terminal 3 at FLL. How long does it take to arrive to these terminals? I heard it goes from T4 to T1 so maybe it could be a good idea to use the parking to arrive faster to T3 (if that's possible).

3) What will I have to do with my checked bags? I think as they are international flights I will have to recheck my bags but I don't know how does work exactly in the USA.

4) Last, what happens if I miss my connection? I think I will get a seat on the next available flight but you never know with some companies...

Your answers would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

First off, FLL-SJU and SJU-FLL are domestic flights.

After your MEX-FLL flight, you will go through US immigration, collect your bags, go through customs, and then directly after customs should be a place to drop your bags (which should already be tagged all the way to SJU - if you decide to check bags). You will then proceed to terminal 3 for your next flight, go through security, and onto your gates. 2 hrs should be enough time.

On the return, your flights should all be from Terminal 3. So when you land from SJU, you will just proceed to the gate for your next flight - no need to collect bags or go back through security. 2.5 hours will be more than enough time as there really isn't much to do in the terminal.

Thanks a lot for your answers. You are right, SJU-FLL is a domestic flight. I entered the wrong airport code, it's PUJ! And of course Dominican Republic is not a domestic flight. I don't know what I was thinking about! Anyway I just checked it and flight times are almost same (just about ~5 minutes difference when leaving from FLL to PUJ and vice versa).

That changes a lot the situation...

As airports go, FLL is quite compact. The terminals are within easy walking distance of each other...particularly 2-4.

http://my-content-locker.com/temp/FLL-map.jpg

According to Google Maps, the approximate walking distance from Terminal 4 to Terminal 3 is about 800 feet (243 meters). That's about a 4 minute walk at an average pace.

http://my-content-locker.com/temp/FLL-term4to3.jpg

I completely understand why you posted this here in the Florida forum. But, I think you might get a better response in the JetBlue area. Certainly, you'll get a better answer for this question.

(If you want to move the thread, you can click the "Exclamation Point" icon on the left side of your initial post. In the box that appears, you can ask the moderator to move it to the JetBlue forum.)

FLL Immigration and Customs are currently taking 1:00 to 1:15 to clear based on the tracking of flights we do for pickups in FLL on International flights. All International flights arrive in terminal 4 and the new customs area is in the area above concourse G. After clearing customs, you can go back through security at terminal 4 and cross behind security to terminal 3 or walk around the outside at the departure level. B6 does not have many flights departing around 8 pm so security lines should be light.

Just hope you won't have any suspicious items coming into the USA that might have you go through secondary inspection, and you should be fine.

Great! That helps a lot. Now I am confident that can be done, by just looking at the map it seemed the terminals were much more far away.
If someone else took the shuttle, it would be nice to have the estimate time from Terminal 4 to Terminal 3 using the shuttle

You are right. No problem, I will just open a new thread in there.
Thank you again!

Thanks! This information is helpful too. 1:00 or 1:15 is longer than I expected, that would be fine for the last leg as I will have 2:30 but not so sure about the second leg when I will have just 2:00. Hopefully not check in a bag will help to reduce that clearing time to less than one hour...

However, I'm not sure if I get you. Do you mean I can get from Terminal 4 to Terminal 3 by walking after clearing security and customs for my departing flight without taking a shuttle?

The shuttle bus runs in the circle from terminal 1 to 4 then loops around using the return from the exit route. It is much quicker to walk then use the shuttle.



It's against Flyertalk's R&R to open multiple threads about the same topic, it will be closed and/or probably moved here to this forum.



Yes, they have opened a connector behind security from terminal 4 to terminal 3, however after looking at your itinerary further, it would be quicker just to use the outside walkway to terminal 3 on the Departure Level (2), then clear security at terminal 3 due to the large number of Spirit Flights departing terminal 4 during their "bank."