USVI-On-Line

We already have our rental reserved for February of 2018. We are currently shopping airfare.

5-people traveling from Chicago to STT. There are two options that look good. One of them has a one hour five minute layover in Miami and one has a 2-hour layover in Miami. Both are American Airlines Flights. The one hour five minute layover flight gets into STT at 220PM...which is better than 340PM on the other flight.

My concern is that 1 hour 5 minutes isn't a long enough layover to catch the next plane? Anyone with experience at the Miami airport that has any thoughts/advice?

Traveling with two fortyish parents, a 12 and 10 year old and 70-year old MIL...

GO!

Thanks,

DRD

DRD,

We've done the short connection in MIA before and made it. We fly from Michigan (also in February) and have sometimes connected in Chicago. My biggest concern for you is will your flight leave Chicago on time. Weather can be such a big thing that time of year. If you are delayed on your departure from ORD you may not make the connection. If you leave on time and arrive in MIA on time, I don't think the short connection will be an issue. We've had both good and bad luck on short connections in MIA and ATL. If you don't make a connection it can be a real nightmare trying to get rebooked for the same day. When we had a missed connection in ATL, due to snow from our departing airport (GRR) they rebooked us for the next day's flight!

You could look at it this way... an arrival on STT at 2:20 is going to put you on the 4:00 people ferry at Redhook. Arrival on STT at 3:40 is going to put you on the 5:00 people ferry. That's only a 1 hour difference.

Whatever your choice, have a great trip!

I have taken this flight out of Chicago - we decided to book the longer layover and glad we did - flight was delayed by only a few minutes and people did not make the connection and the next flight out with seats to St Thomas was at 7:00ish pm....so many variables to consider but for us arriving an hour later and having a little more piece of mind was worth it.

We once had a 50 minute layover in ATL and after the experience we had, we'll never risk it again. Our flight getting into ATL was delayed so we had to run to our gate to get on the second plane. I ran ahead while my husband was behind with our two kids and as I ran up to the gate, the gate attendant was literally closing the door; had I not run ahead, we would have missed the flight, so we just barely made it. If my 60-something mother would have been with us on that trip, we wouldn't have been able to run and we would have missed the flight.

We were on a small plane connecting in ATL (not big like you'd be on coming from Chicago) so were were able to talk to the flight attendant about our predicament and get off the plane first. If you decide to risk it, I would definitely sit as close to the front of the plane as possible so you can deplane quickly.

Agree with the others...I'd go for the 2 hour layover. Not only does it give you a little extra cushion if your flight from Chi is delayed (which would not be unheard of in Feb), but it also increases the likelihood that your checked bag makes it to the next plane and Miami airport is fun - get a Mojito at Tradewinds Bar or a Hot Dog at Nathan's or there's lot of places to shop too. You won't be bored.

Whenever I connect through Miami coming home to STT I have a long walk and then a train ride to the gate in a distant terminal- it takes a good while - the longer layover choice may well be the best for a few reasons.

The thought of worrying about the connection (even before the flight) and actual race to gate if all goes well is not what I would have in mind when going on vacation. Arrival of 3:40 is not bad all things considered. Take your time, relax and enjoy.

Take the longer layover. Especially with the size of your group. Sometimes we arrive and depart from gates that are next to each other. Other times we have to take the SkyTrain to a more distant gate. There are a good variety of restaurants and shops in the Miami airport.

iheartsj wrote:Take the longer layover. Especially with the size of your group. Sometimes we arrive and depart from gates that are next to each other. Other times we have to take the SkyTrain to a more distant gate. There are a good variety of restaurants and shops in the Miami airport.

We connected in MIA in February. I booked a 1:50 minute layover that turned into a 1 hour layover after schedule changes.

We lucked out with our gates being a 5 or so minute walk. However, even with landing on time it was close as it took a while to get situated at the gate before the door opened. We were in the front row and first off the plane and we hustled to the next gate, which was boarding when we walked up.

Considering an international-(ish) flight might close the doors 20 minutes prior to departure, an hour is not much time at all.

Take the earliest flight you can book with that crew and go for a two hour layover. If you have to deal with cancellations you want to have options for later flights. I have spent a LOT of time in MIA and it is pretty good as airports go. But, American Airlines give us the most delays and cancellations of any airlines that we use. It has gotten bad enough that we are paying more for Delta flights for our 49th visit in July. Still, AA is an order of magnitude better than Spirit.

Cheers, RickG

Rick, don't they name a bay after you on your 50th trip to STJ? Or at least a street?

Ha! More like a mooring these days. 50th trip looks like a work trip in the boatyard for September. I'll be looking a lot more Kirk than Kenny after scraping and painting De Life's bottom.

Cheers, RickG

RickG wrote:Ha! More like a mooring these days. 50th trip looks like a work trip in the boatyard for September. I'll be looking a lot more Kirk than Kenny after scraping and painting De Life's bottom.

Cheers, RickG

Hey, at least you're living "De Life" right. Good on ya. Heading back for Trip 9 in June. I think that qualifies me for naming rights on one bathroom stall at Skinny's.

June will be nice. I love the weather and the clearing water for the year's best snorkeling.

July with my daughters will be great, I love traveling my little (now adult) girls. We may not make it to STJ until week 2 as my girls want to sail to Culebra and Vieques.

Cheers, RickG