Trip Report: American Airlines, Providenciales to Baltimore (July 2021)

Stay Report: American Airlines - Providenciales to Baltimore
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Travelling has seriously changed in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.  Flight schedules have been drastically reduced or cancelled and this can be more impacted when a natural disaster happens.  I was returning from Turks & Caicos back to the U.S. onboard American Airlines from Providenciales to Baltimore via Charlotte but there was a hurricane that was disrupting travel so my flight was cancelled (my flight was severely delayed so that my connecting flight would be missed so they just cancelled it all).  I received the notification via email and my flight was rebooked 3-days later; that rebooking did not work for me since I needed to get back to work so I left my hotel and went to the airport to see if there was any other flights or options available.  After standing in line for 3+-hours, I finally was able to get on the flight to Miami and connect to Washington, D.C.  

My first flight was onboard a Boeing 737 from Providenciales to Miami.  Flight time was a bit over

2hrs and it was a completely full flight.  The plane was in a 2-2 configuration in business and a 3-3 in economy with extra legroom space upfront and main economy in the back.  Main economy seats were a bit tight but were decent enough for the 2-hour flight time.   The seat looked updated and was comfortable enough for the flight duration.  There was a space for airline literature uptop followed by a contraption to hold your electronic device in place.  There were no seatback screens as American has removed those and instead installed these contraptions to hold your personal device and you can personally stream videos to your phone/tablet through the wifi.  In my opinion, its great you get to stream to your own device but the contraption does not always work.  American has also installed USB ports on every seatback so that you can constantly charge your device while streaming; there are universal power ports beneath the seat for additional power.  Once airborne, the inflight service commenced which consisted of pretzels plus a complimentary beverage.  I do like that on most American flights they do give you the entire can of drink and not just a mouthwash size glass, especially on internationally flights.  After a relatively smooth flight we landed in Miami.  

My original destination was Baltimore but when I was rebooking in Providenciales they thought I could not make my connection to Baltimore so they booked me on a flight to Washington Reagan.  When I got to Miami, I went to the transfer desk where there was luckily no-one and asked if I could be transferred to the Baltimore flight.  Thanks for my Global Entry and having hand-luggage only, I got through immigration quickly so would be able to make the flight if they could rebook me.  After 20 minutes of waiting and negotiation, I got onto the flight to Baltimore.  The flight from Miami to Baltimore was operated by an older plane that needed to be updated.  I had been allocated the first seat with plenty of legroom and but it was still a less comfortable ride for the 2hr35min flight time (I recently flew from Charlotte to Baltimore and that was on the newer and updated Boeing 737 so not sure if that plane had not been updated yet).  Again after takeoff the inflight service commenced of pretzels and a drink and again, appreciated receiving the entire can.  After a relatively smooth flight we landed in Baltimore and deplaned.

Overall, it was a pleasant journey on American.  After this trip, I recently took American on a domestic trip and had a similarly decent experience - the seats were decent, they had working USB ports and the service was decent as well; they were a solid B-grade airline.  I did have to argue somewhat both in Providenciales and in Miami for the flights but I think I would have had to do that with other airlines as well.  I would definitely choose to take American domestically or to the Caribbean; I have taken them internationally once and vowed never to do that again.

Trip Report: American Airlines, New Orleans to Havana via Miami (November 2018)

Trip Report: American Airlines, New Orleans to Havana
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Cuba has always been on my list of travel destinations, but as an American-passport holder that possibility has only recently opened up.  The possibility of traveling to Cuba from America keeps ebbing and flowing, so I wanted to travel to the island while it was still possible.  There are no direct flights from New Orleans to Havana, so I was looking at the range of connection possibilities.  Most of my connections were through Florida - jetBlue had me overnight in Fort Lauderdale as did Southwest (but I flew to Mexico on Southwest and they can't seem to figure out how to connect their international and domestic passengers).  I had miles on American so I looked at the award availability and two months prior to departure there were plenty of seats and options available.  The award was 25,000 miles per person (roundtrip) plus taxes and fees so that came up to 50,000 miles plus $175 for two passengers.  

Booking through American's website was very easy and efficient.  I was able to see the award

availability, able to see the various options, and easily book a flight.  While you cannot book award flights through the app, once the flight is booked you can manage the flight on the app.  Our routing was New Orleans to Havana via Miami, and the same on the return.  We were scheduled to depart New Orleans at 6:13am, connect in Miami with 1hr20min layover, and arrive into Havana at 11:50am.  While booking the flight, and afterwards through managing your reservation, you are able to preselect your seats.  American has Main Cabin Extra with extra legroom seats, for a price and near the front of the cabin; followed by Main Cabin which are standard seats just at the front of the plane, again for a price; and then more Main Cabin seats which can be selected for free.  My free preselected seat was an aisle at the back of the plane, about 4th row from the back - I do know of other passengers who wait and do not preselect a seat; its a gamble as sometimes they get stuck in the middle while other times they are given the extra legroom seats for free.  The flight from New Orleans to Miami was scheduled at 1hr53min so given the short flight time and the layover period in Miami, I was not that concerned about seats.

24-hours prior to the flight I tried to check-in online but I needed to go to the airport to scan my passport to complete the check-in process.  I was able to do through the kiosk and it was very interesting that I went through the entire process without interacting with any airline employee.  It was a full flight to Miami and boarding started about 30minutes prior to departure.  American has up to 9 boarding groups (way too many in my opinion) with Boarding Groups 1-4 being priority and 5-9 being in Main Cabin.  I was in Boarding Group 7, and the boarding groups went by pretty quickly so we were seated and on the plane ready for an on-time departure.  The plane was in a 3-3 seat layout and the seat pitch was decent.  The seat width was a bit narrow and the seat was also low to the ground (which made my knees hit the tray table).  The seat itself was very plain as it was a plain seat with a tray table and a pocket for magazines and safety cards below it.  Video screens dropped from above the cabin to display the safety video and we pushed back for our departure.  Taxi time at New Orleans is generally short and quickly we were airborne and destined for Miami.  Once we reached cruising altitude, the attendants started their inflight service.  Complimentary soft drinks and tea/coffee were available as well as a small snack (biscoff cookies and/or pretzels).  A lot of people have been talking about American's service, or lack there of, but the service on this flight was was good and decent given the short flight duration.  After the inflight service was finished, most passengers spent the rest of their time on the entertainment system.  While there were no PTVs, American did provide movies and television shows accessible through the wifi and through your own personal device.  The system was fast and the selection was pretty good, there was enough to keep you entertained for a decent amount of time.  After a bit, the captain announced we were starting our decent into Miami and the cabin was prepared for landing.  We landed in Miami on time, taxied to our gate, and exited the aircraft. 

I had about an hour to switch terminals in Miami and the time was needed as the distances between gates are great.  Miami is easy to navigate, but there are not many food options available in the airport and that is a big negative.  We finally got to our gate, and it was very chaotic.  In addition to the check-in desks, there was also the 'Cuba Visa Desk' which basically was a guy with a rolling cart.  This is where you could purchase Cuban visas (at an additional costs) and also where the visa needed to be stamped if you had prepurchased the visa (after you book your ticket, American sends you a link to a site to pre-purchase your Cuban visa; the process is simple but the processing fee is almost as much as the visa and this is something that varies among airlines).  As I said, it was chaotic at the boarding gate so announcements were not being made, including the one to stamp your visa prior to boarding (we found this out at boarding time).  Boarding started on time around 10am, but there were a lot of passengers with multiple hand carry's and the gate agents definitely seemed overwhelmed.  Boarding went through the 9 groups, and multiple times the gate agents had to reinforce the announcement to only board with your boarding group.  With all the chaos and commotion, boarding took a while and we were still on the ground with the doors open at our departure time.  Finally, around 15minutes after our departure time the boarding door closed and we were ready to depart to Havana.

The operating aircraft for this flight, as well as the return flight, was again a Boeing 737-800 in a 3-3 seat configuration.  The seat had no PTV and instead had a plain seatback with a tray table and a pocket for magazines underneath it.  You could access entertainment through your American's wifi and your own personal device.  The seat pitch was decent (except for if you are tall then the tray table hits exactly where your knees are) but the seat width was narrow and the seat comfort was minimal.  The flight time from Miami to Havana was only 50minutes, so given the short flight duration minimal beverage service was only available; this meant that only water or juice plus pretzels were handed out.  After the inflight service, it was time for most passengers to complete immigration forms prior to landing.  We started our descent into Havana and landed about an hour behind schedule, and after a quick taxiway we deplaned and proceeded to immigration.

The return flights were similar to the outbound flights, as the flight times and operating aircrafts were the same.  The only difference was that the operating aircraft from Miami to New Orleans, again a Boeing 737-800, had PTVs on each individual seat.  For a while American had decided to install PTVs on each seat in their fleet, but then they decided to go with entertainment through your own personal device; this meant some planes have PTVs while others.  The PTVs are very nice, has a USB port and headphone jack underneath them, are very responsive, and have a decent selection of movies and tv shows.  Other than the PTVs, the service, operating aircraft, and overall experience for the return flights was similar to the outbound flights.  

Overall, it was a decent flight with American.  I had heard some negative experiences fliers had with American regarding delayed flights and poor service so I was expecting the worst; what I got was a decent airline with decent service and decent planes.  I have flown with United recently and my experience on American was similar to that of United - basic service and basic amenities.  While American would not be my first choice, I would not go out of my way to avoid them either; if the fare and schedule fits, then I would choose them again. 

Stay Report: Hilton Miami Airport Blue Lagoon (Miami - January 2016)

Stay Report: Hilton Miami Airport Blue Lagoon
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I was spending a couple of days in Miami and was looking for a hotel near the airport, and in my search decided to try the Hilton Miami Airport.  Overall, the hotel provides a nice and large facility near the airport with plenty of amenities (including a nice shower).  The hotel is located in an office park, so that there is not that much around it.  That makes it very quiet and provides a lot of space, but makes it difficult to access services without a car.  Like all Miami airport hotels, this hotel also charges for parking (the standard seems to be $17 per day).  There were plenty of spaces as the hotel has a lot of land.

The lobby of the hotel is very large and open - you enter in the sitting area and on right hand side is the check-in desk.  Right next to the desks is a hallway which leads to the elevators and the outside.  The hotel restaurant is located in the lobby as well.  The hallway to the elevators also leads towards the fitness center (which was pretty big) as well as to the large outside area.  As the hotel is connected to a business park, the business park has a walking trail and the hotel is connected to this walking trail.  You can walk around the hotel grounds as well as the business park.  Outside is also where the outdoor pool and jacuzzi are located.

Check-in was efficient and we received our keys and went to our room.  There seems to be a main wing and then two additional wings on each side of the hotel - but only one elevator in the main wing to access all wings.  Our room was located in the second wing so it took a couple of minutes to get from the elevator to our room.  

The room was nicely decorated, modern, and with various spaces for luggage and electrical outlets.  As you entered into the room, on the right was the closet and storage while on the left was the bathroom.  The bathroom had a tub, a full sink and toilet. The tub had a really nice and powerful shower and it was very nice and relaxing.  Right outside the bathroom was a table with the coffee maker.  In the room there were two double beds with a night stand in the middle.  The beds were large and spacious and provided a good night’s sleep.  Across from the bed was a TV with storage underneath.  Right next to the beds on the wall were windows that spanned the width of the wall -- the windows were only from the midpoint up as below the windows was a desk that also went along the entire width of the wall.

As we were spending most of our time exploring Miami, I did not get a chance to explore the hotel amenities - the fitness center, the outdoor pool and jacuzzi, and the restaurant.  The only amenity I did experience was the wifi, which was complimentary and provided good speeds.  Overall, the hotel provided a nice location near the airport, a comfortable room and many amenities to have a relaxing time.  Some airport hotels usually do not provide many amenities, but this hotel provides a lot of amenities across a large property. 

Stay Report: InterContinental Miami (Miami - January 2016)

Stay Report: InterContinental Miami 
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In planning a vacation in Miami, the place to stay is on or near South Beach.  In looking for a hotel near South Beach, I found a good deal at the Intercontinental Miami.  The hotel is located across the bay from South Beach thus provided great views.  Overall, it’s a very nice hotel with lots of amenities and is always crowded; and being that crowded seems to sometimes overwhelm the hotel.

The hotel itself is very large and sits at the edge of the water.  The hotel is connected to a pedestrian park and walkway that stretches along the waterfront and leads to a shopping mall.  The downtown location of the hotel makes it very convenient to access shops and services.  The entrance to the hotel is to on the side street, so that makes the entrance very crowded.  Additionally, all the parking is valet-parking as self-parking at the hotel is not available.  Given that valet is the only option, the hotel should be a bit better at the parking situation; there were delays on both the drop-off and pick up of the car.  Once you drop off your car, you walk up the steps into the lobby.

The lobby of the hotel is very grandiose and large, and is a cross between lobby and a lounge.  As you enter into the lobby, straight ahead are chairs and couches to lounge and relax.  The chairs are part of the lobby as well as part of the bar which is behind the chairs, and the bar has a DJ playing live music in the lobby.  On the left hand side down the hall is the concierge desk, the check-in desks, the ‘business center’, as well as the guest elevators.  On the right hand side down the hall is the coffee shop (in-house Starbucks), a FedEx center, the hotel restaurants, as well as access to the meeting rooms.  Because of all the services, the lobby is a hub of activity for the hotel and constantly seemed full of people. 

At the check-in desks, there were long lines for both checking-in as well as checking-out.  Even though check-in time is at 2pm, when we arrived at 3pm our room was not ready.  This apparently happened to a lot of people as I noticed many instances of this occurring in my short stay.  The hotel was nice and provided some nice compensation, but it took almost 3.5 hours after check-in for us to receive our room.  The hotel acts like a resort, and similar to a resort they have a mandatory resort fee.  The fee covers the following: internet access, access to the sauna, the fitness center, the pool, and many other amenities.  While the amenities were nice and really large, I am not sure the fee was justified as internationally these amenities are provided without the fee. 

After finally receiving our key we went to our room and this is where the hotel excels.  The room was massive and EXTREMELY spacious.  As you entered into the room, you went down a long hallway to get into the room.  The entrance to the bathroom was in this hallway, and at the end of the hallway was a nook for the coffee maker.  The room itself was very spacious with 2 double beds, a night stand in between, a TV stand with drawers underneath, a desk, plus a chair next to the window.  Even with all the items, the room felt very open and large and there was plenty of room to move around.  The beds were also spacious and comfortable and provided a nice and relaxing sleep.  There were plenty of outlets all around the room to charge all the electronic devices.   Right next to the bed were switches which would automatically bring down the shades to make the room darker, as there were windows which stretched along the wall and provided a nice view of the sea and the city.

The bathroom was equally large and spacious.  As you entered into the bathroom, straight ahead was the sink while to the right, along the wall, was the closet and a shelf that housed towels and other bathroom items.  The sink itself was also very big, and next to the sink was the toilet and next to that was the tub.  The bathtub had a shower hooked onto it that seemed like two individual showerheads put together – so they provided an alright shower; and again the water pressure was not that good.

Given I was only there for a short time, I was not able to experience all of the hotel’s facilities.  The facilities I did experience were the wifi and the business center.  The wifi was decent and provided good speed for basic internet browsing (considering it was part of the ‘resort fee’, I expected faster speeds).  The business center was located across from the check-in desks, and were basically two rooms each with a Mac computer and a printer (there was a FedEx shop located on the other side of the lobby).  The hotel had other facilities which I was not able to experience, including the outdoor pool, the fitness center, the sauna or the spa.

Overall, the Intercontinental is a nice hotel that is conveniently located downtown and provides a nice spacious room.  The parking rate is a bit high, and chaotic; not sure if the resort fee is worth it; and the check-in seems a bit chaotic as well.  The hotel does provide a lot of amenities and great views.

Trip Report: InselAir, Trinidad to Curacao to Miami (January 2015)

Trip Report: InselAir,
Port of Spain to Curucao, Curacao to Miami

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We had decided to spend half of our vacation in Curacao, and so we needed a way to get from Trinidad & Tobago to Curacao and from Curacao back to Miami.  While looking online, Insel Air kept popping up as the most convenient and economical way to travel.  Insel Air is the national airline of Curacao and connects Curacao to its regional partners.  It is a small airline as the fleet only consists of Fokkers and MD airplanes.  They currently mostly serve regional destinations in and around the Caribbean and South America.  They also serve two U.S. destinations – Miami and Charlotte.  Serving Miami is something that I understand, given the proximity and location but serving Charlotte seemed out of place (it seemed more out of place after flying on board – but more on that later).  Given all this I was a bit hesitant to try out Insel Air, but given the convenience plus the low costs I decided to check them out.  Overall, they provide a basic product with low costs and low frills.  Free bags are nice, but service and timeliness definitely needs improvement.

We took two flights with Insel Air – the first flight was from Port of Spain, Trinidad to Willemstad, Curacao and the flight time was 1hr 30mins.  The second flight was from Willemstad, Curacao to Miami, Florida and the flight time was 3hr 10mins. The commonalities between both flights were that they were both delayed and that the service was minimal on both.  The difference between the two flights was the operating aircraft.  The first flight was booked directly through InselAir’s website, while the second flight was booked through a booking agency.

The first flight was originally scheduled for the evening, but then about a week prior to the flight the schedule was changed and the flight now departed in the early afternoon (not sure if this was to compete with Surinam Airways, which flew the route earlier in the day).   Our flight was scheduled to take off at 12:40pm, while Surinam Airways was scheduled to take off at 1:30pm.  I had booked this flight directly from InselAir’s website, and overall the website does a decent job of booking flights but it is definitely not very user-friendly (ie there are better and worse sites out there).   On the website I was able to check into my flight 24-hrs prior to departure and was able to select seats on the plane so both of these were pluses.  InselAir does provide free checked baggage so that is also a perk as well.  We arrived at the airport about 2-hours in advance and checked our bags in and received our confirmed boarding passes; the gate agent said nothing about a delayed flight.  There is not a lot to do at Piarco International but to wait, so that is what we did.  Around the time that boarding was to commence, there was a notice that the flight was going to be delayed.  The new departure time was 1:30p (so one hour delay).  The plane landed at Piarco International around 1pm and taxied to the gate. 

The operating aircraft was a Fokker and due to the small size it did park at the gate but next to it (so access to plane was from the ground and not a jetbridge).    The turnaround time from arrival to departure took a very long time, and despite the delay the ground crew did not seem to be in any rush.   We started the boarding process around 1:30pm and, since the load was very light, we were boarded pretty quickly.  We were approximately 12 people total on the plane.  The plane itself looked brand new and was nice, clean, and updated – it still had a new plane smell.  The seats were in a 3-3- layout and were newly designed slim seats that were comfortable enough for the short flight.  The seat pitch was very tight, for everyone but especially for someone who is tall.  Given the light load, most people had three seats to themselves.   Again, there seemed to be no rush neither from the ground staff nor the airline so despite everyone on board, it still took a while for the doors to close and pushback to begin – throughout the delay there was little to no communication from either the captain or the ground staff.

The doors were finally closed and we pushed back for take-off.  Once in the air, the flight attendants passed out immigration cards.  Even though it was a very light load, there were 3 flight attendants on board.  This was also surprising because of the minimal service InselAir provides. InselAir does not provide meals on any of its flights – no matter the distance nor length.   Some snacks are provided as well as drinks, but no full meals are provided.  The flight time from Port of Spain to Curacao was 1hr 35 minutes so as soon as we reached cruising altitude, the in-flight service commenced.  We were offered a drink plus a snack – the snack was a slice of cheese between two buns wrapped in plastic.  It was neither fresh nor warm nor appetizing.  The plane had no PTVs and no other inflight service, so most passengers either slept or passed the time reading the inflight magazine.  The flight attendants spent most of their time conversing with each other while sitting in the first class seats (since it was empty). 

There was something unique to InselAir, and that is an on-board raffle.  Approximately 4 years ago, InselAir started an on-board raffle and it proved so popular with the passengers that the airline continued the raffle all-year long.  Raffle tickets are passed out and the number is drawn – I am not sure what the prize is, as it was never announced nor explained but it seemed like a fun and unique aspect of InselAir.

As we left late, we also landed late as well as no time was made up in air.   When we landed, we did not park at the terminal but rather at a remote stand and had to take the bust to the terminal – and what seemed odd was that the bus waited (for a long time) so that the flight attendants could also come on the same bus.  I am not sure if there were a lack of buses or this is standard procedure in InselAir, but it was the first time I experienced it and it seemed a bit odd (also caused further delays to the passengers who were already delayed with the late departure and arrival of the flight).  The delayed arrival time meant that we landed with many other aircraft at the same time, and this made the immigration wait time VERY long (and very inconvenient).   Given our experiences during this flight, we were a bit apprehensive on our next flight and remembered to keep our expectations low.

The second flight was from Curacao to Miami, which was a direct flight of 3hr 10min.  When booking the flight we were able to select our seats, and 24-hours prior to departure we were able to check-in online.  Also available online was the opportunity to bid on an upgrade to first class.  If you decide to bid for first class, your credit card is charged immediately and you are notified 24-hours prior to departure if your bid was successful.  If the bid was unsuccessful, then the credit card payment is refunded (and the refund was pretty quick). 

Our flight was scheduled to depart around 11:25am and arrive into Miami around 1:40pm.  We had arrived to the airport 2 hours prior to our departure, and there was a very long line for check-in.  Not only where there are a lot of people, but the line was moving very slowly and it took almost 2 hours to go through the line, check-in the luggage, and receive our confirmed boarding passes.  The check-in is on the first floor while the gates are on the second floor, so we went upstairs to go through immigration and security and proceeded to our gate.  The gate was quite full by the time we had arrived so it looked like it was going to be a full flight. 

Boarding start right on time and we boarded a very old, worn out looking MD-80.  The plane looked very old, had older features, and looked and felt like neither the plane nor the seats had not been updated.  The seats were in a 2-3 layout, and they were uncomfortable with a tight seat pitch (especially for a 3hr flight).  Even though the flight was full, boarding happened fairly quickly so we were in the plane prior to the scheduled departure time – and then we had to wait at the gate.  We waited for over 30 minutes, with no communication and no explanation neither from the captain nor the flight staff.  It was very hot and very uncomfortable in the plane, and this plus the lack of information made some passengers very agitated – especially those with children as the AC was turned off as well.  After the 30-45 minutes of waiting, the doors finally closed and we were able to push back from the gate.  We taxied to the runway, only to wait again – for another 30-45 minutes we waited without any communication or information from either the captain or the flight staff.  After 30-45m minutes of waiting with no communication, we started down the runway and took off for Miami. 

The flight was very uneventful and both the service availability and level was equal to that of the first flight – within the first hour drinks plus a snack of a slice of cheese between two buns was served and that was it.  First class was full so they did receive a fuller snack box plus free drinks.  During this flight, there were no raffles, no PTVs, and nothing else to occupy the passengers time.  The service on-board was extremely minimal and poor, as after the service concluded the attendants rarely came through the aisles to check on the passengers.   As we were late leaving the gate and then taking off, we landed late in Miami as well.

Overall, we did not know what to expect from InselAir and on board we experienced a basic airline that provides basic services.  I definitely would not choose InselAir for long-haul flights, but short-haul flights of less than 1.5hr seemed ok with the airline.  Even then, be prepared for a longer flight given the delays.

A Trip Report: Caribbean Airlines, international + domestic (December 2015)

A Trip Report: Caribbean Airlines 
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

When we were planning our trip to the Caribbean and had decided on Trinidad and Tobago, the obvious choice in terms of getting there was Caribbean airlines.  Caribbean Airlines is based in Trinidad and Tobago and they offer direct flights from a number of U.S. gateways including Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and New York.  They also have many sale fairs, and we found a great deal from Miami to Port of Spain.  We had two flights on Caribbean: the first flight was from Miami to Trinidad and then connecting to Tobago and was booked through a travel website; while the second flight was from Tobago to Port of Spain and that was booked directly through Caribbean Airlines.  The website for Caribbean Airlines is not very user friendly and definitely needs some improvements - it is fine when booking flights but very cumbersome and not user friendly when managing a booking or managing options.  Another reason we choose to book with Caribbean was for the perks – two free checked bags as well as meal in economy.  Given all this, we were eager to experience Caribbean Airlines.

  

The day before our departure, I was able to check-in online and print out boarding passes – I have a dietary restriction so I had called to ensure that was on the reservation and I was assured it was.  We got to the airport about 2 hours early, and the line to check-in was not too long – even though it was Christmas Day there were a lot of people travelling to the Caribbean.  Check-in was smooth and we proceeded to go through security and head towards our gate.  Our flight was to depart at 2:05pm and land in Port of Spain at 7:05p, our next flight was around 8:30pm given us about an hour to clear customs and immigration in Trinidad (which I was told was going to be enough time).  The plane was already at the gate when we got there, as it had come from Trinidad earlier that morning and this was going to be the return journey home.  Usually, the tail of the Caribbean Airlines is painted with a bright blue bird but the tail of this plane was white.   Boarding started and we were seated and in the plane by 1:40pm.

Overall impressions of the plane were that it was an older plane – with older seats and an older look.  There were no PTV’s in front of you, no USB ports, and no coat hooks.  The seats were in a 3-3 layout, the covers on the seats were a bit worn out, and the seats had a ‘sat-in’ feel.  While not completely comfortable, the seats were also not completely uncomfortable and were decent for the 3-hour journey (not sure if they would be comfortable for a longer flight).  The only good thing about the older plane was the good amount of legroom that was provided – it was really good legroom and as someone who is tall, I appreciate the legroom.  Other amenities of the plane included a magazine in the seat-back pocket and TV’s that dropped down from the ceiling.While we had left Miami late, we landed in Port of Spain on time. 

There was not a lot of communication from the on-board staff to the passengers – the flight attendants did not communicate that much and neither did the pilots.  Even when our departure was delayed, there was still not a lot of communication.  We were just delayed and then all of a sudden they closed the front doors and we were off, and that is when the flight attendants came on and welcomed us on board.

 The overall flight from Miami to Port of Spain was pretty uneventful.  The screens were showing a commercial for Trinidad and then a really old movie (one that I had never heard of) was screened.  As Caribbean is a full-service airline, a meal was provided to all passengers.  The overall flight time from Miami to Port of Spain is about 3hr 40 minutes, and the meal did not commence until at least 2 hours into the flight.  I am not sure why Caribbean decided to wait this long – was it to coordinate with the 7pm arrival time in Trinidad, or heating up the food? Whatever the reason, the delay was noticed by the passengers as there was nothing else to do on the flight (had they given passengers food earlier, passengers could’ve eaten and then fallen asleep and not been a bother to the flight attendants; that did not happen).  The meal provided was either fish or chicken, and there were also a vegetarian option provided (for those with dietary restrictions).  The food was decent enough for the 3.5hr flight – there are definitely other airlines that provide you with more and others that provide you with a lot less so at least something substantial was provided.  In addition to the food, drinks were served.  Tea and coffee were supposed to be served as well, but those were only individually served to those who requested it.  Even though there was enough time to provide all the services, the crew seemed a bit overwhelmed or unsure about the meal delivery.  Overall, the flight attendants were not rude but they definitely did not embody the ‘warm Caribbean spirit’ –they seemed there to just to do their job.

We were connecting to a domestic flight from Port of Spain to Tobago, so we had to clear customs in Trinidad, collect our baggage, exit the arrival hall and proceed to the domestic check-in hall.  Even though everything took a long time, we still made it in time for our flight to Tobago.

The flight from Port of Spain to Tobago only takes 25 minutes and is operated on an ATR flight.  On both sectors that we flew on – Port of Spain to Tobago and return – each aircraft was brand new with slimline seats that were nice and comfortable for the flight.  Due to the short length of the flight, no inflight services were provided but the plane was comfortable and extremely nice.

Overall, Caribbean Airlines offers you access to the Caribbean to a flight for a low price.  How enjoyable is that flight depends on your expectations.  If you are expecting a 5-star airline, you will be disappointed.  If you are expecting a low-budget, LCC carrier your expectations will be exceeded.  Caribbean Airlines seems to be a hybrid – low fares, free checked bags, meals on board, sometimes older planes and sometimes newer planes.  Given the free meal and free checked bags, they are winning as compared to some of the American mainline carriers they are competing with; however, now airlines such as JetBlue are entering into Caribbean Airlines territory and they offer snacks, PTVs, comfortable seats and lower cost.  We will see who wins in the end.