Grenada and airlift – how many flights would you endure?
Caribbean, Transportation — By Chris on December 18, 2009 at 8:12 am
My final USA Today story, on my trip to Grenada last month, is out today. Read it here, or you can also buy it at your local newstand (doesn’t that sound quaint these days?) You can also read my chattier trip report on the island here and my visit to a rum distillery here.
I really enjoyed Grenada, and now that I’m on St. Kitts, I keep comparing the two. Grenada has better beaches and a more lush rainforest (although St. Kitts’ history is much more interesting) - but it’s harder to get around and it’s hard to get to, as experience proved last week. I’m going back down to Grenada and the Grenadines next month to cover the Island Windjammer cruise for CruiseCritic.com. I had a tough time finding anything that had less than 2 connecting flights. I’m flying Reagan to Philadelphia, Philadelphia to Barbados and then a LIAT flight to Grenada that stops briefly in Canouan. The island really needs to work on its airlift before Americans will go in large numbers.
Personally, length of transit bothers me more than number of flights. But my dad, who I invited to come on the cruise with me, declined because he just won’ t switch planes that many times. Which begs the question: how many flights will you endure to get to a destination? Are you a non-stop only person? Or do you love puddle jumpers?
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6 Comments
Last December to get to a Cruise out of Sydney, Australia, We took the “Scenic” Route:
WHen we arrived to our Airport in Columbia, SC they had downgraded the equipment and we were put on another airline,, Here is how this certain unfolded:
Columbia, SC to Atlanta, GA, Atlanta, GA to Nashville, TN, Nashville, TN to Los Angeles, CA (Where our luggage was supposed to meet us) Was it there, NO, Our luggage took an entirely different route, While trying to find it,,,, We missed Sydney Flight, So they put us on a flight to Brisbane,Australia …Then Brisbane to Sydney. . . Easy Right? Cruise was Fantastic!!
I’m more motivated by overall transit time too, but I think general guidelines would be: 2 legs domestic; 3 legs elsewhere. I know it often takes more to get places like Africa, but then you WANT time off the plane to stretch your legs/use a real bathroom.
Heading to Easter Island in this routing:
MCO-LGA
JFK-MIA
MIA-LIM
LIM-EZE (layover)
EZE-SCL (layover)
SCL-IPC
Of course this is an award ticket so you take what you can get.
Chris – Omigod, that’s intense! I’m curious – how long is that going to take you??
12/26
MCO-LGA (on DL, positioning ticket, 9am depart)
4 hour layover. Lunch w/friends
JFK-MIA (AA start to OneWorld ticket, 3pm depart)
5 1/2 hour layover. Visiting Delta SkyClub & AA Lounges @ MIA.
MIA-LIM (LAN Peru, 11:55p depart)
2 hour layover
LIM-EZE (LAN Peru, 7:30a depart on 12/27)
///
12/30
EZE-SCL (LAN, 10:30a depart)
1/1 (or 2, not sure yet scheduled as 1/1)
SCL-IPC (LAN, 9:30a depart)
Returning home it’s a simple IPC-SCL-MIA routing.
Chris – Whoa. That still sounds intense. Luckily, Easter Island is worth it!
Lisa – I’m with you. That’s about all I can handle.
FlyAAArmy – Hmmm. I wonder where the luggage went! That’s why I try to do carryon…but for a cruise, you usually do need to check. I’m glad the cruise was great!