I'm sure this is more of an issue for us Brits, but last year when we landed in Cancun (all British flights seem to land in the afternoon) it was utter chaos and took two and half hours to get through. This was due to a lack of staff, no real queue and an utter lack of any kind of organisation. Does anyone know if they've improved the system at all? Or if not any tips to get through the place a bit quicker? We arrive Monday 5th and if it's anything like the Hell of earth we experienced last time out it could put a real downer on things before we even get going! Cheers
It must be the time you arrive. We have had no trouble getting through customs. Sometimes there might be a little down time waiting for our transportation to the resort but not more than 15 minutes. By the time we land and get to TTR is take a total of 60 minutes. Good Luck!
Not sure what day you landed last time, but the first time we went, we arrived on a Saturday (around 4PM) and it was total chaos (2.5 hrs as well). The last time we arrived around 2 on a Wednesday and we walked right through. So not sure if weekdays are less hectic... Fast-Track Arrival Options Around the World Scroll down a little... I don't know if they have something like this for Brits.
It depends on the time. It's sort of a staffing issue but I would guess at least 75% of the arrivals don't fill out their FMM(180 day tourist visa) forms at all or correctly before they get into the line. My advice is to make sure your FMM is correct and throw the British courtesy out the window and just pass the people that are filling the forms out on their legs.
It's just in our nature to queue - we love it really ;-) Hopefully with it being a Monday it won't be as busy then. Cheers for the advice
Even if they pre planned their day perfectly , they cannot compensate for delayed flights resulting in multiple flights arriving at the same time . I did witness spotters going through the crowd (at xray line up going in ) picking out families with children and elderly , and bringing them forward. Not so , at the airline check in ,, no compassion was show there , even for a mother trying to hold an crying infant with an oozing diaper , holding on to a toddler in the other hand. When I mentioned to the airline agent going around to let her into the empty VIP line,, she scoffed at me and said that was for the people that paid for the privilege.
Yes I understand your pain! A few trips ago we arrived on a Saturday and it was mayhem at the airport. We were there for over 3 hours. Some tips I've learnt: - Wear clothes (or take spare clothes) on the plane that can be stripped down to holiday clothes in the airport (e.g. I wear a denim skirt, vest, pants and cardi - take cardi and pants off on arrival) so that you're as cool as possible waiting in the queue. I see people suffering in the line in their warm winter clothing and wonder why they didn't just wear layers they could take off on arrival. - Fill out your customs form on the plane, and check it (get partner to check it too) to make sure it's filled out right. If everyone did this, the queues backing up from the gates would be much easier. - If you can, try to fly during the week. The weekends are crazy busy (that I know of) and weekdays are a little less. - Premium flight passengers are disembarked from the plane first. We've had these seats a couple of times and although pricey, have been really worth the extra cost. Alternatively, at least book the 'choose your own seat' option. Before booking seats, check where the doors of the plane are and which way your airline files people out. One trip we had to wait a really long time as they moved people off the flight from the front, and we were right at the back. - When you enter the airport off the plane and go down through to the migration desks, don't feel you have to follow everyone else. There's very few staff around to guide people into queues, so use your best judgement which line to join. Last trip, there was about 10 lines open to the desks. One member of airport staff directed people coming off our plane into one line (that was shorter), however, with 300+ people coming off the plane, this filled up quickly. Airport steward was nowhere to be seen at this point. Instead of using common sense and filing into one of the shorter queues, people were patiently lining up in this one queue that we'd been initially directed towards. The queue was so bad, we were backing up into the corridor that leads back to the gate. It took 20 minutes for the queue to move forward enough for me to get into the building and to a point where I could break away from this one massive line and join one of the shorter ones. People don't realise it's sort of a 'free for all' at the airport, and British queue etiquette doesn't apply. Don't wait to be guided to a line, and don't assume you have to stay in that line if there's a shorter one. - Don't bring food with you. Ticking the 'I have food' box on the customs form delays you as they have to check what you have at security. Unfortunately, there's no quick fix for the mayhem that happens after the bag drop. This is all dependent on when your flight's bags are loaded. One time flying back, we were one of the last people to check in, and our bags were first off the carousel back at Manchester. Not sure if that was just luck or there is some correlation to how they load the bags into the hold.
I think there are multiple flights arriving around the same time on Saturdays (1-2pm) and the 2-3 hour delay is normal. It's always been that way for us. When we've arrived before noon, smooth sailing.
Wow. If I arrived at an airport and had to wait 2-3 hours, I think it'd be the last time I ever went there! :aktion051: Remind me to never go on a Saturday.
This October will be the first time we arrive on a Saturday afternoon. Normally we arrive on Sundays and we are through the airport in less than an hour. Hopefully the same will hold true.
