Tell me about flying back from Puerto Rico?

[stewpapa]

Looking at a Cruise out of New Orleans in 2013 going to the Eastern Carribean. BUT you have to fly back from Puerto Rico one way. Can anyone who has done this on a cruise, tell me about how this works and how high is that one-way flight typically ? Is Cruise Air the way to go?

Thanks

[marshabear]

we always book air on our own....even 1 way air....

 

have taken 1 way flights on Air Tran numerous times...in fact, they price out their trips by one way prices....meaning if you are booking round trip , you would have to book 2 one way flights....

 

I don't think the prices are any worse than round trip....meaning with air tran you don't get priced higher because it is 1 way.... let's face it, air travel is high priced regardless....

 

 

 

good luck!!

 

 

Marsha

[nwcruiselover]

I always book my own air, and on the U.S. carriers it's no problem booking a one-way. The price is basically the same as half of a round trip. I traveled on US Airways when I was in Puerto Rico in February and booked two one-way fares. Just be sure you don't decide to try for a morning flight. The San Juan airport is CRAZY on cruise days. The check-in and security lines are long, and you also have to go through an agricultural inspection. Just be sure to allow enough time, or better yet, stay over and come home the next day. Enjoy!

[mikel24m]

I always book my own air, and on the U.S. carriers it's no problem booking a one-way. The price is basically the same as half of a round trip. I traveled on US Airways when I was in Puerto Rico in February and booked two one-way fares. Just be sure you don't decide to try for a morning flight. The San Juan airport is CRAZY on cruise days. The check-in and security lines are long, and you also have to go through an agricultural inspection. Just be sure to allow enough time, or better yet, stay over and come home the next day. Enjoy!

 

I agree San Juan airport is insane on cruise ship days.The longest lines I have ever seen at an airport

[stewpapa]

Thanks. That is helpful

[beerman2]

I'm gonna disagree on San Juan airport as to being a zoo. Flew home on Easter Sunday last April.

 

Agri check-in Wasn't hard to find. Security took us 20 minutes to get through. We were off the ship 8:00a.m. ( self debarkation) through customs, cab to SJU and sitting at the gate at 9:10 a.m.

 

Did we have the Perfect situation? Must have, can lines get long later Probably. Would I book and earlier flight next time YES!

 

That was my experience at SJU airport.

[EmmasNana]

Make sure when they put the agricultural stickers on your bags, that they are stuck on good. The people in line in front of me had their sticker fall off and they had to go through the agricultural line again.

[Coqui of the Seas]

I live in Puerto Rico so needless to say, I fly to/from San Juan every few months.

 

The airport is not any more chaotic than any other medium-large sized airport in the US mainland. However, there are times when it can be busier than others, so doing a little bit of homework pays off.

 

If there's a long line at the USDA checkpoint, grab a skycap and give him a few dollars. They bypass the line and go straight to the front, then take your bags directly to the airline counter and drop them off for you.

 

If the security checkpoint for your gate has a long line, go to ANY other security checkpoint. All the concourses are interconnected. It always baffles me to see people standing in long lines at one point while the next one over is dead and the TSA agents are twirling their fingers out of boredom.

 

If you have a late afternoon flight but you are dropped off at the airport early in the morning, consider getting a day room at the hotel inside the airport. It's the Best Western San Juan Airport. Just walk to the hotel lobby right from the ticket counters. It may cost extra, but it's better than sitting around in a busy gate area with hundreds of other passengers for 7-8 hours.

 

San Juan is dominated by low cost carriers like Jet Blue, Air Tran, and Spirit (Jet Blue just moved into a brand new concourse). All major airlines also fly there. Check individual airline websites for rates that may not appear on more traditional travel websites.

 

Finally, consider spending an extra day or two in San Juan. Airfare may be cheaper, but you'll also have a chance to discover one of the best and most diverse ports in the Caribbean. Enjoy!

[stewpapa]

I live in Puerto Rico so needless to say, I fly to/from San Juan every few months.

 

The airport is not any more chaotic than any other medium-large sized airport in the US mainland. However, there are times when it can be busier than others, so doing a little bit of homework pays off.

 

If there's a long line at the USDA checkpoint, grab a skycap and give him a few dollars. They bypass the line and go straight to the front, then take your bags directly to the airline counter and drop them off for you.

 

If the security checkpoint for your gate has a long line, go to ANY other security checkpoint. All the concourses are interconnected. It always baffles me to see people standing in long lines at one point while the next one over is dead and the TSA agents are twirling their fingers out of boredom.

 

If you have a late afternoon flight but you are dropped off at the airport early in the morning, consider getting a day room at the hotel inside the airport. It's the Best Western San Juan Airport. Just walk to the hotel lobby right from the ticket counters. It may cost extra, but it's better than sitting around in a busy gate area with hundreds of other passengers for 7-8 hours.

 

San Juan is dominated by low cost carriers like Jet Blue, Air Tran, and Spirit (Jet Blue just moved into a brand new concourse). All major airlines also fly there. Check individual airline websites for rates that may not appear on more traditional travel websites.

 

Finally, consider spending an extra day or two in San Juan. Airfare may be cheaper, but you'll also have a chance to discover one of the best and most diverse ports in the Caribbean. Enjoy!

 

Great Tips! Thanks a Bunch!

[terri1020]

We had flown one way from San Juan to Newark several times after sever re-po cruises. It was crazy! So, the last time we were supposed to fly from San Juan, we debarked in St. Thomas the day before (it was the last stop before San Juan) and spent the day on the beach there as well as a night in a hotel. We flew home from St. Thomas with no lines or thousands of people trying to get home from their cruise. We would do it again in a heartbeat. We did have to make prior arrangements with the cruise lines to do so.

[nycfa]

The old rules of one way flights being more expensive no longer apply so don't worry about that!

 

We stayed an extra day after our cruise and flew home Monday morning and saved $600 in airfare for the four of us

 

We used points for the hotel room so it was the best option for us. Plus one more day of vacation? Yah!!! LOL