Flight out of FLL

[steveru621]

American Airlines just changes the time of our flight on our return home. It went from 10:40 am to 9:25 am. We will be getting off of the Allure, can we make the flight if we have TSA precheck and walk off the boat with our luggage at the early time slot?

 

Last time in FLL we were at the gate @ 8:40. It's doable.

 

I would first try calling AA and see what's available. Who knows you may end up with something better!

[mollyeilis]

because some people work for a living?

 

 

 

Oh well that answers that. So few people work for a living. Lol.

 

 

We include the time to get home (in a relaxed manner) as part of vacation, and block out that time on dh's work calendar as well.

 

He has found from experience that he despises not having at least a day in between the fun and the workday. So we make it happen.

 

Thankfully his company is generous with time off and he can be gone for 2 weeks without an issue. Longer if needed but it takes more finagling with meetings and projects. He can also work from anywhere there's a phone or internet connection.

 

 

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[steveru621]

The absolute worst way to end a vacation is to sit in the airport for 4+ hours.

[loman]

You must have been on the October 2015 cruise where the guy decided to leave the ship early... I can't recall what time we arrived.... but I think it was closer to 7:30 or 8.

 

I don't like spending the day before the end of the cruise trying to figure out how I am going to make the flight. I was on one cruise were there was an issue with customs arriving ontime.

 

I was on that cruise , it was a mad house on the promenade with all thousands of passengers doing express walk off . We waited for about an hour and a half to exit the ship . Got to the airport around 9 am .

I made the airport real early two out of three times off of the Oasis .

So your chances i would say are good but you may get an unexpected delay that will mess up your plans . Have plan B ready just in case ,

cheers.

[wannavacay]

One more thought... we had a normal time out of FLL on Allure once, and thankfully we used luggage valet & didn't need to check bags at the airport. A freak ice storm hit several cities (this was late January a couple years back) causing cancellations all over the country. The line for checking bags/changing flights was crazy long. We only had to stand in the crazy long security line, which would be a second line if checking bags. Remember there are several ships in port getting passengers off all at the same time & they are heading to the airport too.

 

 

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[katiel53]

To elaborate further, Global Entry is a program administered by the US Customs and Border Protection department, and allows you to pay a fee and go through a screening process that results in expedited re-entry through immigration and customs when returning to the US from an international trip by air. You bypass the regular lines, go up to a special kiosk that reads your fingerprints and answer a couple quick questions on the screen and you're on your way. It is hoped that it will become more readily available at ports for returning cruise pax, but thus far is only available at Port Everglades, and even there I'm not sure if it's at all terminals or just the one that services Oasis/Allure/Harmony. They don't have the special kiosks, but if you show your GE card they will let you move to the front of the regular line to go through C/I.

 

I was going to get that card, but the nearest place for an interview was over 2 hours away so I ended up getting the TSA Precheck one. Does that do anything to expedite going through customs? I do have the known traveler number from the TSA

Edited October 18, 2016 by katiel53

[kcamp317]

We generally try to pick a flight in the early/mid afternoon if possible after disembarking the ship. Sure we would be able to make a morning flight 99% of the time but IMO its just better to have some leeway. I'd rather make it home in the late afternoon or early evening as opposed to possibly missing my morning flight and having to be on standby until the next morning just in case something happens. Murphys Law is always lurking in the background for a sneak attack when you least expect it. Ask me how I know this....haha.

[waterbug123]

I was going to get that card, but the nearest place for an interview was over 2 hours away so I ended up getting the TSA Precheck one. Does that do anything to expedite going through customs? I do have the known traveler number from the TSA

 

Yes, the whole point of Global Entry is to expedite going through immigration and customs when returning to the US; getting PreCheck is a secondary benefit of having GE.

 

When your international flight lands, you deplane and continue on to immigration but instead of going in the regular line, you go to the GE line. There, you go to one of the special GE kiosks (not the kiosks that are sometimes in the regular line; those are different). At the GE kiosk you scan your passport and fingerprints, answer a couple quick questions on the screen and take your receipt. Get your luggage and proceed to customs; depending on the airport there's usually a separate GE line or you may just get directed to bypass the regular line and then generally you more or less wave your receipt at the customs office and they wave you on through without delay.

Thus far the only port terminal with GE is Port Everglades, and they don't have the kiosks; you just get directed to the cut to the front of the line to see a CBP officer.

 

Many people don't have an interview location near them, but as the main benefit is for international air travel it is often frequent flyers who get GE, and they just schedule the interview for an airport that does them and where they have or can schedule an upcoming connection and do it then. That's what I did. Couldn't do the interview at my home airport of CHS, so I scheduled a longer than usual connection time at ATL for my next flight and did it there.

[katiel53]

Yes, the whole point of Global Entry is to expedite going through immigration and customs when returning to the US; getting PreCheck is a secondary benefit of having GE.

 

 

 

Many people don't have an interview location near them, but as the main benefit is for international air travel it is often frequent flyers who get GE, and they just schedule the interview for an airport that does them and where they have or can schedule an upcoming connection and do it then. That's what I did. Couldn't do the interview at my home airport of CHS, so I scheduled a longer than usual connection time at ATL for my next flight and did it there.

 

I wish I had known I could schedule the interview at an airport. When I applied for my TSA precheck, I explained to the interviewer that I wanted the GE, but didn't want to drive 2 hours each way to do the interview. She said many people in our area say the same thing and offered no suggestions even though I told her I had flights scheduled. Thanks for the info.

[reedl]

because some people work for a living?

 

I work for a living. I just add an extra day to my vacation. I just make sure to add an extra day on both ends of the cruise.

 

No one is ever going to say to themselves "I Wish I had taken less vacation time!" in their life.

 

I always use my weekends as days away. No reason to sit at home on a weekend if you can be sitting somewhere nice.

 

As to hotels, I typically use Hilton brand hotels, and can get a Hampton Inn for $100 in the cruise ports pretty much any time of the year.

 

My next cruise is 12 nights (approved months in advance). It leaves on a Sunday night and arrives back on Friday. Since it leaves from my home town Port (Boston), I can just have my DD drive us to the port. When we get to FLL, I will rent a car from Budget, and sightsee. We stay overnight near the airport and have a 9 AM flight back to Boston.

Edited October 19, 2016 by reedl

[reedl]

I wish I had known I could schedule the interview at an airport. When I applied for my TSA precheck, I explained to the interviewer that I wanted the GE, but didn't want to drive 2 hours each way to do the interview. She said many people in our area say the same thing and offered no suggestions even though I told her I had flights scheduled. Thanks for the info.

 

The only negative is that the timeframe to get an appointment is so long right now.

[TigerLady]

American Airlines just changes the time of our flight on our return home. It went from 10:40 am to 9:25 am. We will be getting off of the Allure, can we make the flight if we have TSA precheck and walk off the boat with our luggage at the early time slot?

 

I would contact the airlines, and ask if there are any other flights, just in case.. To me, that it cutting it WAY TO CLOSE>>>

[tnt10]

The absolute worst way to end a vacation is to sit in the airport for 4+ hours.

 

Actually, one worst way is the following:

Disembark the ship in Tampa after a fabulous 14 night transatlantic in a beautiful RS, a first for us on both accounts.

Arrive TPA early, arrange upgrades on Delta for both segments into SFO. Spend some relaxing time in the lounge pre-flight.

Flight TPA to ATL departs late due to weather in ATL.

Arrive ATL late missing connection to SFO.

Spend the next 4 hours running from gate to gate attempting to get on any flight that night to SFO. (Delta will only guarantee a flight 3 days later!!)

Finally get last late flight out of ATL to SFO, seated separately in middle seats in coach, arriving SFO after 3:00 AM.

Oh, did I mention this was the Saturday after Thanksgiving??

Since this was our first international trip, and was such a huge mess, we always allow plenty of time both pre flight and between connecting flights in excess of minimums.

For us, an 11:30 AM flight is risky for any airport, (but will book in a pinch); much more comfortable and relaxing waiting for a 12:00-12:30 PM or later flight.

Don't need the added stress.... JMHO.

Happy Cruising,

tnt10

[travelgoddess1]

American Airlines just changes the time of our flight on our return home. It went from 10:40 am to 9:25 am. We will be getting off of the Allure, can we make the flight if we have TSA precheck and walk off the boat with our luggage at the early time slot?

 

This answer depends on your risk tolerance. I would check now to see what later AA flights have availability. If you find something that works, AA will change it for you at no cost, since it is their schedule change, not yours. Stuff happens, and any of the previous issues brought up on this thread could cause you to miss the earlier flight. Good luck. :)

 

We have had more AA schedule changes than I care to remember, and we always make sure the change works best for us.

Edited October 19, 2016 by travelgoddess1

[rtazz17]

This is why I pretty much always stay overnight before and after the cruise. My feeling is that I am on vacation, I should not 'rush home'

 

I relax, and usually I am one of the last people off the ship. Why rush?

 

I could give you a pretty good reason.... Real world starts when ship docks.Work,kids go to school,deadlines,dogs are at kennel,list goes on,etc.. Im not wasting 100 bucks to spend a night in fort lauderdale just because I didnt want to make a flight the morn my ship docked.I would rather be home then in hotel..Im not retired nor made of money..

 

To the op..We always have a 9 am or 9:30 flight.We are at fl airport usually around 7:45..Plenty of time and we arent rushing,just walking with a purpose and this is with two kids as well..You will have no problems.

Edited October 19, 2016 by rtazz17

[rtazz17]

We generally try to pick a flight in the early/mid afternoon if possible after disembarking the ship. Sure we would be able to make a morning flight 99% of the time but IMO its just better to have some leeway. I'd rather make it home in the late afternoon or early evening as opposed to possibly missing my morning flight and having to be on standby until the next morning just in case something happens. Murphys Law is always lurking in the background for a sneak attack when you least expect it. Ask me how I know this....haha.

 

If you think this way it will surely happen to you everytime!

Positive attitude actually works