Air travel from the Eastern to the Southern Caribbean or to Central America generally requires a long layover. Most of my customers don’t like layovers, defined as a layover of six hours or more in-transit. As you may know, the root causes of the long layover are (a) a lack of adequate flight options to the destination of choice; (b) lack of a USA visa and other extra-territorial challenges that affect the passenger’s ability to use a preferred shorter route.
Pre-planning is the most effective tool for managing the layover challenge. If you take a red-eye flight, for example, the 1:00 am New York to Port of Spain or the Bridgetown to New York 3:00 am with a connecting flight that is more six hours away, I would recommend a 90-minute tour of your in-transit city. This tour is ideal because the exploration is enough to give you the highlights of the city and help you make an informed decision whether to return for a vacation. Additionally, you will be able to engage in at least 30 minutes of impulsive shopping before heading back to the airport. I would caution you to discuss this option with your travel professional so you don’t become a no-show for your flight.
If you are traveling on business, a Caribbean airport may not be the most effective location for conference calls or to edit a presentation to include the new ideas you had en-route. The solution may be a day-stay at an airport hotel that offers adequate Wi-Fi. Leisure travelers may also find that a four hour nap is just what the doctor ordered to improve health and vitality.
Theo, a travel professional with more than 15 years of experience, pioneered No USA Visa Cruises™, and Layaway Cruise™. Contact him via email theo@cruiseandrail.net.
