Need advice on flight home

[Nbud]

We just booked the Edge for Nov 28- Dec 5. I’m getting ready to book flights but finding a Sunday flights out of FLL are slim pickings. There is one at 10:30 am that would be best for us but I wonder if we can get off the ship in time to make this flight. Advice? 

[Auntiemomo]

Under normal conditions pre-covid, walking off the ship with your luggage, it would not be a problem.  I'm not sure what the conditions are now with covid, i.e., port clearance, testing, etc.

[Fouremco]

Where are you flying to? It's strange that there is only a single flight to your destination that day. Are you restricting yourself to a single airline or routing? Have you looked at flights out of Miami as an option?

 

[Nbud]

@Fouremco, we are flying to Ohio. There are a few other options but we would not get home until midnight or later on Sunday. We can’t stay over an extra day as we have family obligations on Monday. I will check out Miami options. Thanks for the idea! 

[Fouremco]

9 minutes ago, Nbud said:

@Fouremco, we are flying to Ohio. There are a few other options but we would not get home until midnight or later on Sunday. We can’t stay over an extra day as we have family obligations on Monday. I will check out Miami options. Thanks for the idea! 

We've used the Miami option a couple of times to our advantage, and I hope that you can too. Best of luck!

[drkoz23]

Depending on how efficient you are getting off the ship and getting to your gate at the airport, I would say it is doable (assuming the ship arrives back at FLL on-time).  We did an 11:30 am flight and had 3 hours at the airport.

 

For our Aug 14-21 Eastern Caribbean cruise on the Edge, we did self walk-off at 7:20 am, got to the airport by 8:00 am via an Uber, and through security by 8:20 am.  We didn't check any luggage, but the Southwest terminal wasn't too busy the morning we flew home.

 

Edited September 5, 2021 by drkoz23

[CHEZMARYLOU]

We are taking a chance on an 11:00 am South West flight after our cruise.  We've did as early as 10:20 after one cruise.  T25 is very efficient.  Having TSA precheck or Global Entry will help at the airport.

[hcat]

What about West Palm flights?

10:30 could work but why look for stress.,, one glitch and it's no go!

[spammie]

1 hour ago, Nbud said:

We just booked the Edge for Nov 28- Dec 5. I’m getting ready to book flights but finding a Sunday flights out of FLL are slim pickings. There is one at 10:30 am that would be best for us but I wonder if we can get off the ship in time to make this flight. Advice? 

Easy peasy! The port is less than 15 minutes from the airport. We just got off the Edge yesterday. We had a leisurely breakfast and walked off the ship at 8:15am and we’re at FLL and at our gate at 8:50am. We had a 10am flight to Philly. I would book it in a heartbeat!

[Islandhop9]

43 minutes ago, CHEZMARYLOU said:

We are taking a chance on an 11:00 am South West flight after our cruise.  We've did as early as 10:20 after one cruise.  T25 is very efficient.  Having TSA precheck or Global Entry will help at the airport.

We're also taking an 11am flight after our cruise, not sure if I'd try it without precheck. Even so am aware there's a slight risk something could delay the ship.

 

 

 

[keesar]

1 hour ago, Nbud said:

We just booked the Edge for Nov 28- Dec 5. I’m getting ready to book flights but finding a Sunday flights out of FLL are slim pickings. There is one at 10:30 am that would be best for us but I wonder if we can get off the ship in time to make this flight. Advice? 

 

You should carry off your luggage and do the self-disembark.  TSA-PRE would be very helpful.  

[hcat]

1 hour ago, keesar said:

 

You should carry off your luggage and do the self-disembark.  TSA-PRE would be very helpful.  

That self  carry off line gets very long..starts  lining up early.  Suites have priority walk off and disembark. Pre check is sometimes not open at FLL as early as one would prefer...but if you take the risk..just stay calm..

 

The USA entry screening off the ship goes very quickly..hi tech.  If you get a porter you will go thru very quickly and they take you right to the taxis.. worth geting a porter.

Good luck!

Edited September 5, 2021 by hcat

[Arizona Wildcat]

Same discussion overand over.  The list of things that can go wrong is very long.  Everything from the ship arriving late, a change with US CBP, to an accident blocking a highway.  Throw in the uncertainty of Covid and . . . 

Will you make your flight?  Probably.  I also agree there are 3 other nearby airports that might have a better flight. 

Last remember schedules are changing often.  Have friends flying from Calgary to Arizona.   6 changes of flight times and 2 flights cancelled just since August 15th.

Good luck.

[dkjretired]

4 hours ago, hcat said:

What about West Palm flights?

10:30 could work but why look for stress.,, one glitch and it's no go!

Yes and the last thing I would want to do is go on a beautiful cruise and worry about whether or not I'm going to make my flight.

[Covepointcruiser]

Prepare for flight cancellations post Thanksgiving, it will have been ll personnel on duty for the weekend of Thanksgiving.   A lot of the employees will take leave/days off between Thanksgiving and the star of the Christmas Holidays.

[twins_to_alaska]

I've been toying whether to change from my 1:30 FLL non-stop flight Nov 15 to the earlier 10:05. I've got suite and global entry. But I know Southwest is planning on more flight schedule changes (removing flights) later in the fall so I'll wait and see.

[twins_to_alaska]

Southwest Airlines has announced it will cut its flight schedule through Nov. 5 as it struggles with staffing issues and to better align its employee operations. The airline cuts will average 27 flights per day from Sept. 7 through Oct. 6, and 162 daily flights from Oct. 7 through Nov. 5.

 

Similar cuts are expected in November and December, though the carrier said it was aiming to maintain the usual number around the holidays, in anticipation of higher traffic.

[curtsfan]

On 9/5/2021 at 2:20 PM, Nbud said:

We just booked the Edge for Nov 28- Dec 5. I’m getting ready to book flights but finding a Sunday flights out of FLL are slim pickings. There is one at 10:30 am that would be best for us but I wonder if we can get off the ship in time to make this flight. Advice? 

We just booked a sailing on the Reflection for Nov6-13th.  Got great airfare from Celebrity Air.  From Boston $53 round trip!   They have some wacky promotions going on.  Plus if you book your air with Celebrity & there is a problem, they will hand it.  

[twins_to_alaska]

Unfortunately no non-stop between FLL and Baltimore for Celebrity air choices. Glad you lucked out!

[NMTraveller]

On 9/6/2021 at 1:12 PM, twins_to_alaska said:

Southwest Airlines has announced it will cut its flight schedule through Nov. 5 as it struggles with staffing issues and to better align its employee operations. The airline cuts will average 27 flights per day from Sept. 7 through Oct. 6, and 162 daily flights from Oct. 7 through Nov. 5.

 

Similar cuts are expected in November and December, though the carrier said it was aiming to maintain the usual number around the holidays, in anticipation of higher traffic.

Southwest has been a train wreck lately.  I would not fly them to a cruise unless it was a couple of days before.  Take it from someone who got stranded for a couple of days on one flight and took another flight where they could have driven faster than flown Southworst.  I have spent over 20 hours on the phone with Southwest for numerous flight schedule changes.  The small savings is not worth the aggravation.

Edited September 7, 2021 by NMTraveller

[deliver42]

Southwest and Spirit are the 2 airlines I wouldn't book now. At least with the big 3 if push comes to shove they'll switch you to another airline. The previous 2 can't do that because they're no recognized so you're out of luck at their mercy.

[LGW59]

1 hour ago, deliver42 said:

Southwest and Spirit are the 2 airlines I wouldn't book now. At least with the big 3 if push comes to shove they'll switch you to another airline. The previous 2 can't do that because they're no recognized so you're out of luck at their mercy.

Southwest boarding process is like herding cattle, Spirit you get what you pay for, would never fly them.

[SbbquilterUT]

I would take that flight out of Ft. Lauderdale due to proximity of the airport.

[curtsfan]

On 9/5/2021 at 2:29 PM, Auntiemomo said:

Under normal conditions pre-covid, walking off the ship with your luggage, it would not be a problem.  I'm not sure what the conditions are now with covid, i.e., port clearance, testing, etc.

We got off the Edge 3 weeks ago & found the disembarkment procedures easier then before Covid.   We didn’t have to fill out a customs form.  We showed our passport, picked up our luggage & left.  Very simple.