SXM airport never again

[honumaui]

Recently returned from a cruise on the Surf. Great service , food, etc. as always. But as much as we love the Surf we will not fly out of St Maarten's  airport again. It was bad before but now It was even worse than a zoo..a nightmare is a better description. And I doubt the remodeling will make things any better.  All flights delayed. Lines so long and crowded, everyone did not fit into the building.  Hours in line to check in. Line to security extended all around the airport.  Many missed flights. A few years ago we were on a two week Surf cruise out of Barbados. No problems there. 

[minidonuts85]

Oh yes...it is bad! Luckily when we left the lines to check in were only 30-40 mins long and security line was decent. But when they call boarding zones at the gate, forget it. If anyone thinks crowding at the gate is bad in the US, it’s impossible in SXM. This is after the “remodel”...

We had Zone 1 (or group 1, whatever Jet Blue calls it) and knew we needed to stash a bag overhead. Hence why we paid for the “extra room” seats that also comes with priority boarding. There was no way we were getting through the shoulder to shoulder wall of people even after they started the boarding call. We finally worked our way up there to board with our group but not before having a man try to trip me by putting his suitcase at my feet while I was walking.

Anyway...I’m with you and our next Surf sailing is RT Barbados.


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[elklemi]

Same experience a month ago after Star Flyer trip and airport is worse now than in 2018 after hurricane. I could not believe how bad it was and I have been flying at SXM every year since 2018.

[Tapi]

SXM, like many airports in the Caribbean region, receive the majority of their flights during the mid day hours. Most flights come from US hubs around the same time, and turn around. I have learned to look for flights that operate outside of those peak hours any time that I fly to a Caribbean destination , if available. It makes a world of a difference. At airports like MBJ, CUN, UVF, NAS, SDQ, AUA, and STT, and SXM, it feels like a ghost town early in the morning, with our flight being one of a few (sometimes the only one) departing. Many times there's zero wait going through security. We walk right up to the X-ray machines. 

[sb44]

We have learned to stay a night or two in SXM after cruise to get out earl morning.  Agree, that airport departure area is a total nightmare. Our preference now is San Juan or Barbados. 

[minidonuts85]

We have learned to stay a night or two in SXM after cruise to get out earl morning.  Agree, that airport departure area is a total nightmare. Our preference now is San Juan or Barbados. 

We’ve explored that option of staying the night, but unfortunately no early morning flights either back to the states since most turn around from their morning arrivals in the afternoon. I recall before hurricane there was an early morning AA flight but haven’t seen it since.


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[ahottoddie]

Left from SXM on Saturday afternoon...though the line was long to get through security, we were completely  through in 45 minutes and our travel companions who had to navigate the AA counter crowd to check bags only took an hour...crowded upstairs but plenty of seats  if you searched...

The real mess was at the gate and our fellow returning US vacationers “patiently“ (note my rolling eyes 🙄) waiting for their JetBlue boarding group to be called...

this mess I don’t blame on SXM or the airport...I blame the parents of these folks who didn’t teach them listening skills, patience, or courtesy 

[Misty Morning]

Currently sitting at SXM airport after disembarking the last Wind Surf cruise this morning. The ship is leaving around noon and will cross to Lisbon with no guests and all crew are going back home. Was apprehensive about the previous posts so we got to SXM  airport around 10h30 for our 13h30 flight and got through all security and emigration in about 40 minutes, no issues. Now we only need to get home to Canada before all the borders start closing down as seems to be the case in Europe

[sb44]

Safe travels. How sad. I thought the crew was staying on for maintenance.  I worry about them financially. 

[Misty Morning]

Crew is staying for the crossing and will likely do maintenance on their way to Lisbon to get the ship ready for its  European season if it ever happens. Very sad