Flight Times!

[PCruzer]

Do you think we could make a flight out of Fort Lauderdale after our cruise at 9:45 am? We are in a suite so we disembark pretty quickly. I can't believe that Southwest changed a lot of their flight times, and this is the morning non-stop for us now!

[ahoymatey3]

You will make a flight, but I wouldn't bet on making one at 9:45 am. ;)

[wrp96]

9:45 am the day after the cruise, yes. 9:45 am day of the cruise, no.

[Esme]

No way could you make a 9:45am cruise out of FLL. You never know if the ship will be delayed arriving in port or if Immigration/Customs holds up the ship for any reason. Also, the line-ups at the airport check-in & security are a nightmare. Suite or no suite, I would book something later.

[Copper10-8]

FLL (and SAN) is probably one of the closets airports to a port but you're not going to make a 0945 departure time IMO. Not enough time

[chimera]

Don't forget the inevitable delay in debarkation by those "lovelies" who have not resolved their outstanding account and love to hear their name as it is announced over the public address system again and again and again and......... :mad:

[jhannah]

Add me to the "no way" chorus. Even assuming you could make it off the ship and to the airport by 9:00, you'd never clear security in time. I've been there when it took 55 minutes to get through the line.

[Bodger]

Could you make it? Probably.

 

Would you be comfortable in trying to do so? Probably not.

 

We were off the ship and in the FLL airport by 9:15AM last March. Our flight wasn't scheduled to leave until after noon though, and in the end left after 4PM.

 

I can be a leave it close to the wire type of guy, but my wife figures if they say to be there two hours ahead of time that you should be there an hour before that. I don't think I could handle her stress, let alone the stress of cutting it close.

 

BTW they have free wireless PC connectivity at FLL, so I could sit there and go through my office e-mails until the battey died. I could also check on the flight departure times and new what was going on before they announced the delay. Also never fly an airline with one plane.:mad:

 

Bodger

[wrp96]

Also never fly an airline with one plane.:mad:

 

Bodger

 

Okay, I've got to ask. Is this comment based on personal experience?

[PCruzer]

Thanks all! We ended up booking a flight at 11:05 am. We have used a similar flight time on other occasions with no problem. It connects in Baltimore. We had wanted a non-stop out of FLL like we have had in the past, but Southwest did away with its non-stop flight that was at a reasonable time to make it after the cruise. You were all right. No way would we want the stress of making a 9:45 am flight! Thanks for the input.

[Bodger]

Okay, I've got to ask. Is this comment based on personal experience?

 

OK it is hypebole (my $.50 word for the day), and not quite Bob Newharts "Grace L. Ferguson Airline (And Storm Door Co.)", but WestJet, a lower cost but, I thought reputable, airline flying domestically across Canada. Family members had used them a number of times with good experiences between Ontario and Alberta.

 

The difficulty is that they expanded with winter flights to Florida, but only with one aircraft to do so. This meant on our outbound flight they delayed it by an hour waiting for connecting flights coming in to Toronto before leaving. On the return to Toronto the flight was delayed inbound to FLL and consequently the return, by over four hours. We were at the airport around 9:15AM for a 12:30 flight that left closer to 5PM. We were given a meal voucher for about $7. You can't buy much in the airport for $7, and they didn't even offer as much as a sandwich on the flight.

 

My subsequent communication with WestJet ended in a 'too bad that's the way it is, go get stuffed' reply. No good will offering was forthcoming. My response was that there are other carriers that will enjoy my patronage in the future.

 

At least if I fly Air Canada they have more than one aircraft flying between Florida and Toronto.

 

That's my tale of woe,

 

Bodger

[Copper10-8]

Thanks all! We ended up booking a flight at 11:05 am. We have used a similar flight time on other occasions with no problem. It connects in Baltimore. We had wanted a non-stop out of FLL like we have had in the past, but Southwest did away with its non-stop flight that was at a reasonable time to make it after the cruise. You were all right. No way would we want the stress of making a 9:45 am flight! Thanks for the input.

 

11:05 won't give you any problems at all! Enjoy the peanuts on Southwest:) but more than that, enjoy your cruise and have a great time!

[Stevesan]

and not quite Bob Newharts "Grace L. Ferguson Airline (And Storm Door Co.)",

Bodger

 

They can charge lower fares by doing away with the frills and extras, such as radar and some of those instruments up front.

 

"It's kind of lyre shaped, isn't it?'