Questions about transfers at SXM

[NorCalCpl]

Hi Forum people! Mrs. NorCal and I are going back to St. Barth in mid-May after 8 years! Surely much has changed since 2016 including making transfers at SXM. I perused the forum a bit and couldn't get a definitive read on the best way to do the transfer. So here are the questions:

1. How long should we leave between arrival at SXM (AA 1:40 PM) and departure to SBH? we will be carry-on only.
2. Is it worth it to get VIP transfer service (Vincent?) to facilitate the transfer in mid-May?
3. Will the airport construction be complete such that minimal transfer time (say 1 hour) is sufficient?
4. It looks like Winair has about 5 flights and SBC has only 1 or 2 for roughly the same cost. Should we go with Winair simply for the possibility of getting on an earlier flight?
5. What about the return transfer time allowance? Is it any faster/easier? We are on AA departing SXM at 2:30 PM.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Leon]

Hi Forum people! Mrs. NorCal and I are going back to St. Barth in mid-May after 8 years! Surely much has changed since 2016 including making transfers at SXM. I perused the forum a bit and couldn't get a definitive read on the best way to do the transfer. So here are the questions:

1. How long should we leave between arrival at SXM (AA 1:40 PM) and departure to SBH? we will be carry-on only.
2. Is it worth it to get VIP transfer service (Vincent?) to facilitate the transfer in mid-May?
3. Will the airport construction be complete such that minimal transfer time (say 1 hour) is sufficient?
4. It looks like Winair has about 5 flights and SBC has only 1 or 2 for roughly the same cost. Should we go with Winair simply for the possibility of getting on an earlier flight?
5. What about the return transfer time allowance? Is it any faster/easier? We are on AA departing SXM at 2:30 PM.

Thanks in advance!

Welcome back to the paradise. If money is not a problem I would hire VIP at least for the return flight to have peaceful trip back. I could be too pessimistic but I do not expect that construction in Juliana will be completed by May. The timing depends on the days if the week that you will be traveling. Assuming that you are traveling on Saturday, I would say that with carry ones only you probably need about an hour on the incoming leg and that only to have some buffer in case if a delay in PHL/MIA/etc. You might get thru in 20 minutes via transit path. It is important to have printed boarding passes for WinAir for that. SBC is better as they would meet you on the way and will give you paper boarding passes. WinAir of course gives you more flexibility as the flights are concerned but their flex tickets are more expensive than SBC. On a way back you probably need the 1.5 hours but maybe I am too conservative. Again you need printed boarding passes for AA flight in order to go thru transit. If you hire VIP they will do it for you and with them you might need less time between flights (you will need to verify it with Vincent).

 

[davesmom]

Welcome back! You will be “up” on everything by the time you return, thanks to the generosity of the people on this blog. No way willl construction be done by May. Carry on only or not, you still have to go through Security and VIP gets you your own Security line with little to no waiting. (You do have to take off your shoes there, unlike in the US precheck. ). I have always taken Winair; VIP gets you on earlier flights if possible even in high season, so you gain some time. I left about 3 hours between flights but I may ask Vincent if I can change to a later flight due to the VIP service, because at the time of booking, they were not sure if they would be allowed to operate. Wishing you a fabulous comeback! Paradise is still right here, (minus some restaurants that we all miss).

 

[krand1]

Welcome back to the paradise. If money is not a problem I would hire VIP at least for the return flight to have peaceful trip back. I could be too pessimistic but I do not expect that construction in Juliana will be completed by May. The timing depends on the days if the week that you will be traveling. Assuming that you are traveling on Saturday, I would say that with carry ones only you probably need about an hour on the incoming leg and that only to have some buffer in case if a delay in PHL/MIA/etc. You might get thru in 20 minutes via transit path. It is important to have printed boarding passes for WinAir for that. SBC is better as they would meet you on the way and will give you paper boarding passes. WinAir of course gives you more flexibility as the flights are concerned but their flex tickets are more expensive than SBC. On a way back you probably need the 1.5 hours but maybe I am too conservative. Again you need printed boarding passes for AA flight in order to go thru transit. If you hire VIP they will do it for you and with them you might need less time between flights (you will need to verify it with Vincent).

We are planning a trip in July and have some of the same questions as poster. My main question is (because I can't remember what I purchased last few years) is, on Winair, do I have to purchase the flex fare price in order to get put on an earlier flight in case that is possible. Last year we booked Premium iV to facilitate transfer and I'm pretty sure they got us on an earlier flight than we officially booked. What I don't remember is if we had the "Flex" fare.

 

[Leon]

We are planning a trip in July and have some of the same questions as poster. My main question is (because I can't remember what I purchased last few years) is, on Winair, do I have to purchase the flex fare price in order to get put on an earlier flight in case that is possible. Last year we booked Premium iV to facilitate transfer and I'm pretty sure they got us on an earlier flight than we officially booked. What I don't remember is if we had the "Flex" fare.

If you are using Premium IV it is better to ask them before you buy ticket, whether they will be able to move you (as they have an agreement) to an earlier/later flight without you buying the most expensive tickets. I cannot answer as I usually buy those , just to be on the safe side (as they provide the best credit in case if cancellation). This way you don't overpay.

 

[NorCalCpl]

Oops I should have put the original post on the "Getting to St. Barts" forum, and I don't know how to move it.

I guess I was hoping to hear that with off-peak season travel and the remodeled airport that the transfer would be slick and easy. It sounds like this is not the case.

 

[Leon]

Oops I should have put the original post on the "Getting to St. Barts" forum, and I don't know how to move it.

I guess I was hoping to hear that with off-peak season travel and the remodeled airport that the transfer would be slick and easy. It sounds like this is not the case.

Admins can move it if they feel it's necessary.

 

[JEK]

Admins can move it if they feel it's necessary.

Been moved as requested

 

[Jeanette]

If you are traveling with carry on then you go through the In Transit entrance that has its own security line and passport control right at the entrance. That takes no more than 10 minutes and you take the elevator upstairs to the gates and then down stairs to the Winair gates. Winair will put you on an earlier flight regardless of what type of ticket you buy. Assuming, of course, there is availability. I've bought the cheapest Winair seats and been bumped to an earlier flight many times. Winair could confirm this through an email.

If you don't have a printed boarding pass - NOT PRINTED TICKET - then you can't take the speedy In Transit route. An hour would be fine as long as your arrival is not delayed. You need to ask for the In Transit door. The signage at the new airport is lousy for everything.

If you don't have luggage then I don't see the value of VIP service unless you have a flight delay on arrival and needed them to re-arrange your SXM-SBH flight while you are in the air.

 

[dadto6]

I fully endorse what Jeanette stated. Exactly my experience two weeks ago. Key is to have printed boarding passes I hand.

 

[NorCalCpl]

If you are traveling with carry on then you go through the In Transit entrance that has its own security line and passport control right at the entrance. That takes no more than 10 minutes and you take the elevator upstairs to the gates and then down stairs to the Winair gates. Winair will put you on an earlier flight regardless of what type of ticket you buy. Assuming, of course, there is availability. I've bought the cheapest Winair seats and been bumped to an earlier flight many times. Winair could confirm this through an email.

If you don't have a printed boarding pass - NOT PRINTED TICKET - then you can't take the speedy In Transit route. An hour would be fine as long as your arrival is not delayed. You need to ask for the In Transit door. The signage at the new airport is lousy for everything.

If you don't have luggage then I don't see the value of VIP service unless you have a flight delay on arrival and needed them to re-arrange your SXM-SBH flight while you are in the air.

Hey Jeanette, sorry to beat this to death but I assume our "carry on" luggage on American Airlines is actually too large to be carry on for Winair flights. I assume we can check these bags at the Winair gate upstairs and not have to check them downstairs? It looks like Winair limits cabin luggage to 10 lbs. but they don't say anything about size except it needs to fit under a seat.

 

[davesmom]

When you have a roll aboard, they let you bring it yourself to the airplane and you check it right there, next to the stairs and they put it in the baggage hold, and when you exit the plane, you wait by the stairs and they give it back to you; I also have my carry on bag (soft) and full of stuff that I put on my lap. Nobody asks you to put anything under a seat, which would be impossible in any case. (This is besides my 1 checked suitcase which was only overweight by 6 pounds-Winair lets you bring 50.. Delta gives me 70). Overweight charges $50. So bring your roll aboard to the plane. I put mine through the security line; thank goodness no one weighed it

 

[20100-sbh]

If you are using Premium IV it is better to ask them before you buy ticket, whether they will be able to move you (as they have an agreement) to an earlier/later flight without you buying the most expensive tickets. I cannot answer as I usually buy those , just to be on the safe side (as they provide the best credit in case if cancellation). This way you don't overpay.

If room earlier then team will be able to move you , fare don’t matter if available seats

 

[jason]

On the return flight from SBH connecting to AA can you use the mobile app for boarding passes with only carry on? I know SXM had a scanner last year and we didn’t need paper boarding passes going from SBC to AA. Wondering if this has changed with the new process?

 

[20100-sbh]

On the return flight from SBH connecting to AA can you use the mobile app for boarding passes with only carry on? I know SXM had a scanner last year and we didn’t need paper boarding passes going from SBC to AA. Wondering if this has changed with the new process?

to have BP printed in case phone dies while transfering…or system not working is always best

 

[NorCalCpl]

We need to leave home more than 24 hours before our scheduled Winair flight and therefore won't have easy access for check in and boarding pass printing. Of course we want to avoid check in at SBX and the long lines for security, etc. Does anyone have any good ideas how we can get our boarding passes printed while we are on the way?

 

[marybeth]

If you're staying at a hotel along this journey (I hope for your sake!) they will definitely print it at the front desk or will have a computer station to do so. I am pretty sure airports have the same thing but you would have to look specifically at the one(s) you will be flying through to find out the details.

 

[NorCalCpl]

If you're staying at a hotel along this journey (I hope for your sake!) they will definitely print it at the front desk or will have a computer station to do so. I am pretty sure airports have the same thing but you would have to look specifically at the one(s) you will be flying through to find out the details.

No hotel along the way. We are coming from Nevada, drive to SFO to fly red eye to Charlotte then on to SXM and SBH. It's quite a grind from the west coast (about 26 hours). We decided to take a small detour to our daughter's house to print our boarding passes along the way.

 

[davesmom]

No hotel along the way. We are coming from Nevada, drive to SFO to fly red eye to Charlotte then on to SXM and SBH. It's quite a grind from the west coast (about 26 hours). We decided to take a small detour to our daughter's house to print our boarding passes along the way.

Welcome to our world..West Coast is longer than going to Europe, but then you wouldn't be in Saint-Barth...even after 24 hours of travel and multiple bag retrievals, it is still worth it. Hope your trip is easy and fabulous!! I'm thinking Tradewind Aviation from SJU next time...it would involve a hotel but there is always Premium IV to help you and less fuss in SXM..