SXM Airport tips.

[SpeedoBL]

Tips for getting thru all the lines and craziness at SXM. Do they accept boarding passes on phones ?? Is the VIP service worth it ?

 

[GinaC]

We just returned last week. Arrived and departed via Delta (Winair rt to SB). Our experience - arrived on a Monday - had VIP - skipped every line and didn't have to think about anything until we arrived at the gate. Our flight was on time and although VIP service tried to get us on earlier flight on Winair - they were all booked so we sat and waited 2 hours at the gate for our scheduled departing flight. The VIP service obviously left us to wait alone as their services were no longer needed. If you ask me if this was worth it, I would say it was a very nice perk to get off the plane in SXM and be escorted through the many lines and also not to have to retrieve our luggage and recheck. Since we did have 2 hours, it would not have been an issue, just a lot of standing and waiting.
On return - I did not book VIP as I was less anxious to get home than I was to get to SB. We had 2 hours again between flights so standing through the lines was not an issue. Our next trip - I will likely book VIP both ways and schedule tighter flight connections.

 

[Aipotu]

I've found that if you book St Barth Commuter they make getting through very easy for you -- and regardless of which flight you are booked on get you on the next one with seats.

 

[Cwater]

Agreed SBC is amazing

 

[NancySC]

We just returned last week. Arrived and departed via Delta (Winair rt to SB). Our experience - arrived on a Monday - had VIP - skipped every line and didn't have to think about anything until we arrived at the gate. Our flight was on time and although VIP service tried to get us on earlier flight on Winair - they were all booked so we sat and waited 2 hours at the gate for our scheduled departing flight. The VIP service obviously left us to wait alone as their services were no longer needed. If you ask me if this was worth it, I would say it was a very nice perk to get off the plane in SXM and be escorted through the many lines and also not to have to retrieve our luggage and recheck. Since we did have 2 hours, it would not have been an issue, just a lot of standing and waiting.
On return - I did not book VIP as I was less anxious to get home than I was to get to SB. We had 2 hours again between flights so standing through the lines was not an issue. Our next trip - I will likely book VIP both ways and schedule tighter flight connections.

Tighter connections are not always a good thing...delayed flight from where you start due to weather or something else ???...on the airlines & the airport websites there used to be minimum number of minutes required for domestic to international, international to international. Recommend you check to see if that information is still there.

 

[Leon]

I've found that if you book St Barth Commuter they make getting through very easy for you -- and regardless of which flight you are booked on get you on the next one with seats.

Please keep in mind: SBC will not be able to help you on the way back to states - you will have to do everything by yourself. If you only have carryon's, no checked luggage, and you have printed boarding passes and EHAS forms, you can try to get through the transit path to avoid some of the stops/checks but the passage there is not guaranteed and is at the merci of the clerk/gatekeeper in the transit path.