Hi Everyone,

Just a pleasant reminder that you must check in 2 hours ahead of the AA flight to SJU. I had clients check in short of an hour and they were denied boarding as the weight limit was reached. What happened after is too long and stressful to document. This is an international flight so a two hour check in IS recommended. Even if you beat the staff to the airport I am telling you this to save some possible stress.

Great reminder Ann. I can not imagine how I would feel if I missed my flight to Bonaire!

Ann, do you mean the AA flight from San Juan Puerto Rico to Bonaire?

Bonaire to San Juan is when I recommend a 2 hour check in..

Ann,

If you check in city 'X" (somewhere else in the USA)
and get boarding passes for all connections, including San Juan to Bon, would you still think the same applies?

I am thinking about our niece and nephew who are coming down and do not have 2 hr between their flight into SJ.

Comments and suggestions appreciated.

Ann...wow...particularly as on Saturday and Sunday morning departures, they let KLM and Continental take off first, and AE is the last to leave...wow....

Question though, we usually get there at 6am for the 8am departure, but the line is long...what if I'm in line for 45 minutes????

Lydia, SJ to Bonaire is a whole other beast! lol!

(Message edited by cyndelee on July 12, 2007)

Hello,

Check in is 2 hours ahead for INITIAL check in not connecting flights. You do not check in for a connecting flight. If you have boarding passes board when called. Please read this as I do not want to cause stress or communication challenges. I am speaking to check in in BON going BACK to the US via SJU.

If you get in line two hours ahead and in this case 5:20 AM and the line is 45 min. long that is not your worry..you were there on time and that is all you can do. Same in any city of departure. Arrive on time and be patient. My clients arrived short of an hour ahead of check in. They were denied boarding as the weight was too high and they were the last to arrive. If you arrive two hours ahead and are last in line, immediately go to the head of the line, tell Cornelia and Dudley your name and the time you arrived. Write it down. Give it to them with the time. This shows you arrived 2 hours in advance. In reality international check in is 3 hours in advance but that is crazy in Bonaire since no one arrives until 5:30 from the AA staff, USUALLY.

This is my opinion and not the word of AE/AA so use your own discretion.

Lydia,

If your family has boarding passes for SJU to BON they have a seat. If they fail to get on the plane (not hearing the boarding call, that is another story). I do the SJU flight 6+ times a year. I always stand near the gate, ID the gate by ASKING a staff person and get right in line when the flight is called. It is a confusing and stressful situation at times so ask someone who knows...if you do NOT have boarding passes for SJU to BON get them immediately at CS upstairs NOT at gate 1.

Regarding a 2-hour check-in -- what has been your experience going from Curacao to Venezuela? It's an international flight, right? So does it really take that long to check in? Yikes!

Never allow less than 2 hours for an international check-in. Ever. Anywhere. Anytime.