Hi guys
Can wait to visit Tobago in 4 weeks with wife Our flight back to Canada leave POS on Feb.16 (last day of carnival) at 8:15. I was wondering if I could take the first morning flight out of Tobago (6:40) and arrive in POS 1 hour before my other flight. Is it feasable? Are the planes all in the same terminal? We would prefer stay in Tobago rather than have an expensive hotel that will be full anyway.
My thought is that one hour is about two hours too little time. The inter island flights are notoriously undependable. It is possible if everything goes perfectly but we usually spend the night in Trinidad to be sure. Huge hassle but better than missing the flight and having to pay to reschedule.
The entrance to the departure lounges are close to each other but you will have to pick up your luggage from the Tobago flight, check in with the next airline and then hike out to the gate with very little time to stock up on rum at the many duty free shops. You will have to pass customs and immigration (very quick if no lines) and then the duty free people will bring your rum to the gate for your pickup as you board. Be sure to move the rum and any other liquids to checked baggage as it will not be allowed as carry on on your next flight. I have seen some very upset passengers who weren't able to keep their rum.
I'm sure others will add to this.
Have a blast, Hugh
PS. I don't know how I got off on the subject of rum again.
unfortunately this is not going to work out.
You are required to check in at least 2 hours prior to departure time of the international flight.
And as Hugh already explained, you are going to need some of that time. Even if you skip duty free,
security checks etc. may be time consuming.
One correction i want to make is, that the inter island flights are very much on time now after
Caribbean Airlines took over from BWIA. But even if you land at 07:00 in Piarco, you are unlikely to make it
to your 08:15 flight.
Check Holiday Inn Express in Trincity. They may not be fully booked and they are quite close to Piarco airport.
Hi Pascal,
Just a few comments to add to Hugh and Andy's. As far as we know...you have to be checked in 3 hrs in advance of international flights. Not sure what airline you are using. But if you are returning to Canada via Caribbean Airlines you will have two less thing to worry about. Your bags will be tagged in Tobago for Canada; eliminating the need to pickup in POS. We have yet (fingers crossed) to have a problem of our bags arriving in Canada. You will also receive your boarding passes for both flights. But still flying back anytime over Carnival will probably be a mad house and you could be in serious trouble making your connection. We have cut it as short as 2 hours; ok if not planning to duty free shop at POS.
Enjoy your trip and don't let the end be a hassle.
PS Also not sure what is the problem about duty free liquor on the flight (Hugh's comment) Last trip home (this Dec) with Caribbean Airlines picked up bottle of rum as boarding; just like everyone else did. Only regulation has to go under your seat not in overhead. Maybe different rules on other airlines; you might want to check.
My comment refers to when we fly Delta and change planes in Atlanta (including customs and immigration) we must transfer any carried on duty-free rum into checked bags because we are not allowed to carry liquids onto the second leg (Atlanta to SF). The same applies when going through Miami or Houston. I guess it would not apply if you do customs in Canada, with no connecting flights.
Also, Puncheon rum is not allowed at all because of the high alcohol content/flammability.
There is also something else to consider, the over-all security level for all flight to USA and even inside USA and Canada.
Since the last attack this week, on and also inside an aircraft to USA, the level of security is now very high. Some airports has an extra security check after the normally one before boarding, some countries allow only one small carry-on hand-lugguage, some flights doesn´t allow passengers to have ANY carry-on at all. Also flights inside USA and Canada are affected by these harder rules.
No one can say how long this harder security will be in affect. Remember last time it happend, than harder rules were used for some years, and some of them are still in use!
The check-in area at Piarco use to be very slow, 2 hours before in PoS is often a minimum of time, I would make sure that I have at least 3 hours. You can expect a lot of peoples travelling during carneval time, and their number of baggage use to be high and often too much.
If this new higher security level is in action on that time, the hours will go quickly at Piarco, and it will start already in Tobago. I would make sure that I have a lot of time when travelling back, with a minimum of luggage and also with a minimum of carry-on.
Keep an eye on what happens, a lot of peoples will be travelling and mostly air-crafts will be affected. If you loose your flight back home, will they give you a new seat or will they say "you should understand that higher security also means longer check-in, you were not here in time".
//Ronald
Our flight back to Canada leave POS on Feb.16 (last day of carnival) at 8:15. I was wondering if I could take the first morning flight out of Tobago (6:40) and arrive in POS 1 hour before my other flight. Is it feasable? Are the planes all in the same terminal? We would prefer stay in Tobago rather than have an expensive hotel that will be full anyway.
