West Palm Beach Airport ?

travellerboy

Anyone used West Palm Beach Airport, want to avoid Miami which is hell on earth. Comments would be appreciated.

richardw

Some interesting reviews http://m.yelp.co.uk/biz/palm-beach-international-airport-west-palm-beach

Btw Norwegian fly direct non-stop from Gatwick to Fort Lauderdale.

Alan_Bowen

Travellerboy, since there are no flights from the UK to West Palm Beach, if you avoid MIA, you are still going to have to enjoy US immigration and customs somewhere. I agree that MIA is one of the worst but Chicago and JFK in New York can be grim as well.

travellerboy

Alan_Bowen wrote: »

Travellerboy, since there are no flights from the UK to West Palm Beach, if you avoid MIA, you are still going to have to enjoy US immigration and customs somewhere. I agree that MIA is one of the worst but Chicago and JFK in New York can be grim as well.

We fly KLM from Cardiff via Amsterdam to PBI. Travel time better than London to MIA.

DTDfanBoy

KLM don't operate direct into PBI, so you'll be clearing US customs and immigration at your first port of entry.

And unless you're using a horse and cart to get from Cardiff to London I don't see how the travel time can be better

Mr_Wang

travellerboy wrote: »

Anyone used West Palm Beach Airport, want to avoid Miami which is hell on earth. Comments would be appreciated.

Nice little airport that is far better than MIA and infinitely better than the worst airport in the entire country - FLL.

Alan_Bowen

KLM will only get you to Atlanta where you have to change to Delta for West Palm Beach. Most flights take over 16 hours from Cardiff, that is not a short flight, or indeed 3 flights each way

travellerboy

Alan_Bowen wrote: »

KLM will only get you to Atlanta where you have to change to Delta for West Palm Beach. Most flights take over 16 hours from Cardiff, that is not a short flight, or indeed 3 flights each way

Yes, swings and roundabouts !
If I took a direct flight from LHR it would take 17hrs from Cardiff for the complete journey or even worse having to stay overnight.
Also Cardiff to MIA with 1 stop in Amsterdam will take 16h54m.


That's the penalty for living in the better part of the UK.

MARTYM8`

DTDfanBoy wrote: »

KLM don't operate direct into PBI, so you'll be clearing US customs and immigration at your first port of entry.

And unless you're using a horse and cart to get from Cardiff to London I don't see how the travel time can be better

And that is a big factor - while your destination airport matters where you connect in the US is just as important.

Cos you have to go through immigration - allow at least an hour maybe two - at that connecting airport, then collect your bags and go through customs and then check the bags in again for your connecting flight and then proceed to your connecting flight which could be in a total different terminal some distance away.

Do that at a small airport like Charlotte (which US airways now American use) its quite an easy process - connect at JFK or Chicago or Philly (or Toronto via Air Canada) and it could be quite an epic experience.

Its always worth checking the airport reviews at airline quality - or your holiday (via missed connections) could be spoiled before it starts.

Don't know much about West Palm Beach - but I have used Miami and seems as good (or bad) as any major US hub.