# St Barts Forums > St Barts Island Main Forum >  >  Winair through SXM

## Gerardo-HOU

Hello everyone! My fiancée and I are 8 days away from departing for St. Barths for our honeymoon! I have been going through the forums for all sorts of advice/suggestions and figured I'd look into the SXM-SBH process. There was a post earlier this week regarding the layover and I am having concerns regarding our situation, or I am just anxious and want to make sure everything goes smoothly on the factors that I can control.

We will be flying booked through United with a Winair flight out of SXM. We will be landing on Monday, at 1:30pm with a departing flight of 3:50 for SBH. The more I read online I am getting worried that with customs/immigration/etc, and needing to be checked in 30 minutes prior to departure, we may be in a bind. 

Question:

Is our arrival/departure time worrying?

Any advice is greatly appreciated! Thank you in advance

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## andynap

More than 2 hours should be enough time especially during the week

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## amyb

Congrats.
You have planned well and the time you allowed as Andy noted  SHOULD work just fine.

Enjoy your honeymoon in Paradise

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## dadto6

Welcome to the forum Gerardo.  Wishing you a great life together with your new bride to be.  You picked the best spot to celebrate your honeymoon!

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## Cwater

> Hello everyone! My fiancée and I are 8 days away from departing for St. Barths for our honeymoon! I have been going through the forums for all sorts of advice/suggestions and figured I'd look into the SXM-SBH process. There was a post earlier this week regarding the layover and I am having concerns regarding our situation, or I am just anxious and want to make sure everything goes smoothly on the factors that I can control.
> 
> We will be flying IAH-EWR-SXM-SBH booked through United with a Winair flight out of SXM. We will be landing on Monday, at 1:30pm with a departing flight of 3:50 for SBH. The more I read online I am getting worried that with customs/immigration/etc, and needing to be checked in 30 minutes prior to departure, we may be in a bind. 
> 
> Question:
> 
> Is our arrival/departure time worrying?
> 
> Any advice is greatly appreciated! Thank you in advance



Hey Gerardo.  Cheryl & I enjoyed our honeymoon there as well. First time I had been to the Caribbean.  With flight delays we only had 45 minutes transit.  Totally freaking out!!!!!!  Win Air told us no problemthey got us on the flight and mentioned that our luggage would arrive on a later flight. Totally freaking out once again!!!!!  First time on the island and just fell in love with the vibe.  Stayed at Sereno and jumped in my Suzuki and drove tot he airport later.  Get thisjust wearing the clothes that I flew in.  No carry on.  Everything checked.  Wondering if I needed to spend money on clothing etc.  arrived at the airport and went to baggage claim and walked right in.  Not like these days.  Went to the carousel and saw our 4 pieces of luggage.  No one there to help so I climbed aboard the carousel and claimed  our luggage.  Same thing happened a few years later and that time our luggage was being held at SBC desk.  My point is dont worry.  Even if you are on time (which in this case you have plenty of time) and your luggage is delayed, you can get your luggage that night or the next day.  Great memories.  We have been traveling nearly once per year since 1987.  A wonderful place to honeymoon, visit or live.  See you on the beach

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## steelpe

First question would be…. Ar3 you checking bags or just doing carry ons?

We have had a few tough experiences at SXM before Irma and haven’t attempted SXM since Irma without being assisted in one way or another…. But this is also because my wife insists on bringing checked bags.

Our upcoming trip is going to be around Thanksgiving, with our trip home being the Saturday after Thanksgiving and I am not even going to try to attempt SXM on that day without assistance.  I don’t want to ruin a great vacation with a bad trip home.

I would think your trip would be ok… especially since you are traveling during the week.  FYI we did SXM in 2011 on a random Thursday in late October and the place was dead.  Wasn’t an issue at all.

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## Happycamper

Gerardo-HOU, you will be fine.  3+ hours is plenty of time.  Worst case, which won't happen, there is a 6:55pm ferry from Marigot to St Barth.  Just walk out the door of the airport, hop in a taxi (15 minute ride) and off you go.

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## Gerardo-HOU

> First question would be. Ar3 you checking bags or just doing carry ons?
> 
> We have had a few tough experiences at SXM before Irma and havent attempted SXM since Irma without being assisted in one way or another. But this is also because my wife insists on bringing checked bags.
> 
> Our upcoming trip is going to be around Thanksgiving, with our trip home being the Saturday after Thanksgiving and I am not even going to try to attempt SXM on that day without assistance.  I dont want to ruin a great vacation with a bad trip home.
> 
> I would think your trip would be ok especially since you are traveling during the week.  FYI we did SXM in 2011 on a random Thursday in late October and the place was dead.  Wasnt an issue at all.




We will have a checked bag, but I believe based on everything that I've read and the partnership between United and Winair, the checked luggage will make it to the final destination. The only thing we'll have is a small carry on duffel bag since we have a layover Sunday night, but I was aware that if the duffel didn't meet the size requirement of fitting under the seat, we would have to check-in that bag and go through the process of security again.

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## Gerardo-HOU

> Hey Gerardo.  Cheryl & I enjoyed our honeymoon there as well. First time I had been to the Caribbean.  With flight delays we only had 45 minutes transit.  Totally freaking out!!!!!!  Win Air told us no problemthey got us on the flight and mentioned that our luggage would arrive on a later flight. Totally freaking out once again!!!!!  First time on the island and just fell in love with the vibe.  Stayed at Sereno and jumped in my Suzuki and drove tot he airport later.  Get thisjust wearing the clothes that I flew in.  No carry on.  Everything checked.  Wondering if I needed to spend money on clothing etc.  arrived at the airport and went to baggage claim and walked right in.  Not like these days.  Went to the carousel and saw our 4 pieces of luggage.  No one there to help so I climbed aboard the carousel and claimed  our luggage.  Same thing happened a few years later and that time our luggage was being held at SBC desk.  My point is dont worry.  Even if you are on time (which in this case you have plenty of time) and your luggage is delayed, you can get your luggage that night or the next day.  Great memories.  We have been traveling nearly once per year since 1987.  A wonderful place to honeymoon, visit or live.  See you on the beach



Thank you! If anyone sees us wondering around aimlessly, feel free to say hello!

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## Happycamper

Nice photo.  Well done.  Tell the Winair pilot it is your honeymoon and ask for a photo of him (or her) with the two of you outside the plane either before takeoff or after landing.  That flight is part of the fun and you'll want to memorialize it.  They are often super-friendly (and sometimes too busy, which is fair enough.)

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## bkeats

Gerardo
First congratulations! We also spent our honeymoon on St Barts. 27 years ago. My how time flies. Hopefully the first trip of many.

You have plenty of time. Our last trip was May. Landed around 1:00. I had to check bags on to a Winair flight as we flew down on Delta and they don't check through to Winair. Went through the in transit immigration lane. I am guessing that the Covid check lane won't be needed after tomorrow. So that will be one less thing you need to do. Our flight was on a Saturday so the main terminal was a zoo. Made it through the check in at Winair in about 1/2 hour. Then back through security. Plenty of time for our 2:45 flight. So if your bags are checked through, it will be a breeze.

Next week we have carry on only and going on SBC so no immigration check. Easy peasy!

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## WDColejr

If you have checked bags i would suggest that you try the VIP service through Winnair. They escort you through customs and transfer the luggage to the Winnair flight. They have gotten us on an earlier Winnair flight in the past.

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## davesmom

> First question would be…. Ar3 you checking bags or just doing carry ons?
> 
> We have had a few tough experiences at SXM before Irma and haven’t attempted SXM since Irma without being assisted in one way or another…. But this is also because my wife insists on bringing checked bags.
> 
> 
> 
> Our upcoming trip is going to be around Thanksgiving, with our trip home being the Saturday after Thanksgiving and I am not even going to try to attempt SXM on that day without assistance.  I don’t want to ruin a great vacation with a bad trip home.
> 
> I would think your trip would be ok… especially since you are traveling during the week.  FYI we did SXM in 2011 on a random Thursday in late October and the place was dead.  Wasn’t an issue at all.



I think I would like to be friends with your wife!  We have a lot (of baggage) in common!   I think Gerardo-HOU will also be fine with the times but because we had such a great experience with Premium IV last time (first time in 18 years we used a service), and I did not worry a second about the bags.  Walked right through the whole process.

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## davesmom

> Gerardo
> First congratulations! We also spent our honeymoon on St Barts. 27 years ago. My how time flies. Hopefully the first trip of many.
> 
> You have plenty of time. Our last trip was May. Landed around 1:00. I had to check bags on to a Winair flight as we flew down on Delta and they don't check through to Winair. Went through the in transit immigration lane. I am guessing that the Covid check lane won't be needed after tomorrow. So that will be one less thing you need to do. Our flight was on a Saturday so the main terminal was a zoo. Made it through the check in at Winair in about 1/2 hour. Then back through security. Plenty of time for our 2:45 flight. So if your bags are checked through, it will be a breeze.
> 
> Next week we have carry on only and going on SBC so no immigration check. Easy peasy!



I am a Delta flyer as well, and they no longer have any online agreements with Winair or SBC  :Frown:   In my many years of experience with Winair and no concierge service, we found them to be very helpful and if you are early enough, they will get you on an earlier flight.  It is also a possibility to use their own service which I imagine is very good as well.

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## davesmom

> Thank you! If anyone sees us wondering around aimlessly, feel free to say hello!
> Attachment 63235



Seriously stunning couple!  We wish you all the happiness possible and by starting your marriage in Saint-Barth, it is guaranteed!  (I wish I had known about it at the time but better late than never!)  Congratulations and have the time of your lives!  From Davesmom and Davesdad

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## Philip

I am also traveling to St. Barths through SXM and Winair. I have approximately 1.5 hours between my connections to and from St. Barths. This will be a Saturday to Saturday vacation in January. I'm assuming this is ample time between flights. Any input?

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## andynap

> I am also traveling to St. Barths through SXM and Winair. I have approximately 1.5 hours between my connections to and from St. Barths. This will be a Saturday to Saturday vacation in January. I'm assuming this is ample time between flights. Any input?



I have the same layover in February. I hired PremiumIV. Saturday in high season is a zoo in SXM.

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## Philip

Was that the VIP Plus Service that's on their site?

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## andynap

> Was that the VIP Plus Service that's on their site?



No but I understand the VIP Plus is good too

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## NancySC

Haven't done the SXM SBH round trip in years because of the issues there each annual trip, never travel on a Saturday or a Sunday, just because of years of experience at SXM, mostly bad.  Longer & more costly flight from SJU via Tradewind, but worth it.  Hope you are doing carry on luggage only if attempting to do the transfer on your own.  Tho never have used a VIP type service & IF had to transfer via SXM, I would contract with a service especially on a weekend & in February.  Good luck & enjoy your paradise time.

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## steelpe

> Was that the VIP Plus Service that's on their site?



We are traveling through SXM the Saturday after Thanksgiving.  We have already contracted with Premium IV (PIV) as I know this will be a bit of tough journey.  I figure this will be the toughest transition we will ever experience through SXM.  I'll let everyone know how it goes.  If my only complaint is s show SXM is, you will know PIV is worth it.  Unfortunately, Jet Blue keeps moving our flight home later and later which is going to make the layover that much more of a pain.

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## Philip

> We are traveling through SXM the Saturday after Thanksgiving.  We have already contracted with Premium IV (PIV) as I know this will be a bit of tough journey.  I figure this will be the toughest transition we will ever experience through SXM.  I'll let everyone know how it goes.  If my only complaint is s show SXM is, you will know PIV is worth it.  Unfortunately, Jet Blue keeps moving our flight home later and later which is going to make the layover that much more of a pain.



Do you have contact Information regarding Premium IV (PIV).

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## cec1

> Do you have contact Information regarding Premium IV (PIV).



http://www.premiumiv.com/

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## Philip

> http://www.premiumiv.com/



Thanks.

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