Miami questions, please help.

Hi everyone!

Firstly, please excuse us, we are new to this.

I am taking my GF on her first Virgin Atlantic flight in September.

We are flying to Cancun Via Miami. The trans Atlantic leg obviously with VA then connecting to American Airlines (code share with Mexicana) for our leg to Cancun.

I have a couple of questions:

I have an American passport and she holds a Polish passport with an American visa obtained in the embassy in London, can we go thru the same immigration channel?

As we are only in transit I believe we will have to collect our bags but NOT go fully land side?? How does this work?

And finally, on our return we only have 2hrs 25mins between our AA (again code share with Mexicana) flight from Cancun landing till our VA flight departing, what is the procedure on the return, is it an easy one? again its just transit, is this enough time? All the agents say it is but they would, LOL.

We look forward to all your advice

Mike and Kate

[Scrooge]

Yes you should be able to go through toegether without an issue. You have to clear customs after that there should be a bag drop for you. As far as I remember you will have to go landside to get from F to E, it's not that hard.

2hr 25...mmmmm...that could be pressing it a little IMHO, MIA is a training station for Immigration officers, run into the wrong crew and you may have issues. I take it you are going to do the OLCI with VS when in Mexico ?

Just a little off topic, while in Cancun, you may want to take the ferry over to Cozumel, go to Chankanaab Park, great area, great snorkeling and also they have a dive with the Dolphins program, if you/she is into that go for the Royal swim, it's a little more $$$ but so worth it.

Take your wife through the US channel - it may not be right but you'll need the time advantage. 2hrs 25mins without this on the return could be very tight.

As Scrooge says, because you have to clear immigration and customs on arrival in the US you 'effectively' go landside - if you arrive into the US then most airlines have baggage desks immediately after international immigration, but you're going from AA to VS, and they don't so time is of the essence. Is your itinerary in one, or did you book the flights separately?

Hi,

Yes we have been thru booked on one ticket by Virgin. I have spoken to both VS and AA and they both say 2hrs 25min is enough! You mention I should take my wife thru the US channel... one problem, we are not married! LOL. She holds a Polish passport with a US visa and I hold an American passport.

If we re book this will mean huge costs and a very very long wait in Miami for our connection home. What should I do? Now im concerned.

I just spoke to them and asked if I should just book another flight on my own from CUN to MIA as this would be cheaper than changing it with VS and they said not to as at the moment we are protected on one ticket what ever this means?

Thanks for the help guys.

[Scrooge]

Ok, one thing at a time.

Your traveling toegether, that's close enough to 'wife' for US immigration.

As you are on one ticket, don't worry about it, if Mexicana get you in to late for the flight it is down to them to get you to the UK, if it comes down to it, they get to put you up in a hotel, feed you and stick you on the flight the next day. Whatever you do, do not change the ticket, being protected means just that, your getting home is protected, if you book your own ticket then it's down to you to get to the flight on time, so leave it alone.

Hi...thought I'd jump on the back of this thread if that's ok...
We are also going to Mexico (Riviera Maya) via Miami in February 2010...going out PE as it's a day flight but coming back UC (first time...2nd wedding anniversary treat)...apparently the plane is an airbus A340-600...so it appears we can't sit together but are there some seats that are close enough or opposite each other so that we can have a chat during dinner?

Thanks Helen

Yes, you can join your partner for dinner at their suite, there is an ottoman that you can use to sit on and then you have a table for two!

Hi all, many thanks for all your advice regarding transfer times required in Miami.

On the basis of this I have re-booked the Mexicana leg from Cancun to Miami on our return so it will give us 5 hours transfer time. More than enough.

Virgin did charge us for this but only $200USD. To be honest Id rather pay that than worry the whole two weeks that we are in Mexico about our return flights!

Can I just go back to the American immagration thing? As I mentioned Im traveling with my GIRLFREIND not my wife. She has a polish pasport with a US visa stamped in it. I hold a US passport.

Someone mentioned above that I would be able to go to the US channel with her because for American immigration the fact that we are traveling together is good enough for them.

Can anyone else confirm this? I would hate to get to the front of the line with her only to find her being turned away and sent to the back of the 'others' line!

Can anyone help please?

Thanks for your prompt reply....dinner sat together will be fine (and romantic) and I guess we'll sleep the rest of the way back so no need to be next to each other then!!

Can I also ask about the seats 18A/C or 18H/K in PE on the way out? We asked to book them but were told they can only be booked at the airport. So two things...1)what happens if all the other seats in PE (except row 18 of course) are already booked and allocated when we book our seats then which seats will we be allocated? (hope that made sense!!) and 2) can we book in the day before at Heathrow like you can at Gatwick so we might be able to get these seats?

thanks Helen

[honey lamb]

quote:Originally posted by helenlilhaynes

Can I also ask about the seats 18A/C or 18H/K in PE on the way out? We asked to book them but were told they can only be booked at the airport. So two things...1)what happens if all the other seats in PE (except row 18 of course) are already booked and allocated when we book our seats then which seats will we be allocated? (hope that made sense!!) and 2) can we book in the day before at Heathrow like you can at Gatwick so we might be able to get these seats?

thanks Helen

Only 60% of seats are pre-allocated (and these are only requests and can be changed for operational reasons) the other 40% become available when OLCI opens 24 hours before the flight with the exception of exit rows and bulkhead rows. I would suggest you go into Manage my booking on the VS website and see if you can select seats and then when you get to the airport see if row 18 is still available.

Miami airport is nortorious and for various reasons the passport control has one of the worst/strictest reputations in the USA of not the world.

I would go expecting the worst and you may be pleasantly suprised but that way wont be dispointed.

Hi ..me again
can I ask deviant 1966 (or anyone else that has an answer) how he got managed to get a 'one ticket' package with Virgin and AA as the agent I spoke with said Vigin do not have a code share with anyone going Miami to Cancun.
did you book direct with Virgin or through an agent? and if so which one please?
thanks H

Hi helenlilhaynes, I did get a thru ticket with Virgin. I called Virgin Atlantic reservations and told them I was looking for a flight to Miami which would connect with one I was about to book onward to Cancun. The agent asked if she could try to better the price for the Miami to Cancun leg.

The total came in at exactly the same as it would have been if I had booked it with Expedia. Same flight number and times but all on one ticket with Virgin Atlantic.

It IS a mexicana flight number but it is operated by American Airlines. I even called Mexicana and they have pre-allocated our requested seat numbers.

Hope this helps? Let me know if you have any other questions.

Back to the thread, can I take her thru the U.S. channel or should I let her go thru the 'others' channel?

quote:Originally posted by deviant1966
Back to the thread, can I take her thru the U.S. channel or should I let her go thru the 'others' channel?


As stongly hinted in my reply to you - 'others' is the only safe bet at Miami.

quote:Originally posted by hackneyguy
quote:Originally posted by deviant1966
Back to the thread, can I take her thru the U.S. channel or should I let her go thru the 'others' channel?


As stongly hinted in my reply to you - 'others' is the only safe bet at Miami.

Take the 'others' line adjacent to the U.S.
If the U.S. channel clears, they redirect