MESS AT COZUMEL AIRPORT

[Streydog]

I looked at arrivals for CZM out of curiosity. It looks like they try to pack all the flights in during a short window. Today there are 8 international flights arriving between 12:55 and 15:06. A slight delay of a couple flights could easily make a mess. I always wonder why the 2 daily flights out of DFW were only 2 hours apart.

 

[NDL_Diver]

I looked at arrivals for CZM out of curiosity. It looks like they try to pack all the flights in during a short window. Today there are 8 international flights arriving between 12:55 and 15:06. A slight delay of a couple flights could easily make a mess. I always wonder why the 2 daily flights out of DFW were only 2 hours apart.

Flight arrival needs to be late enough for connecting flights from other parts of the country. Turn around flight back to US needs to be early enough for connecting flights. So, arrival flights need to depart US between 10 and 1 to arrive in Cozumel between 1 and 4 so flights can leave cozumel between 2 and 5.

Unless airlines do an overnight layover in Cozumel, flight times are resricted.

 

[Zman96]

Sunday was a disaster as well. We had to wait for a gate and it took close to 2 hours to get all the way through. The organization and planning at that airport is ridiculous. 8 planes in a short window and 2 agents, the cherry on top was waiting until after immigration to give you a customs form to fill out. That could have been done in the previous 2 hours.

 

[cozcharlie]

Sunday was a disaster as well. We had to wait for a gate and it took close to 2 hours to get all the way through. The organization and planning at that airport is ridiculous. 8 planes in a short window and 2 agents, the cherry on top was waiting until after immigration to give you a customs form to fill out. That could have been done in the previous 2 hours.

The lack of customs forms is partly the fault of the airline. United normally gives the form out during the flight (and if they didn’t have the form on the plane they usually give it out right after landing.)

I flew in today. I probably walked out the door within 30 minutes of landing . They had two immigration people working at first but bumped it up to three and may have had a fourth about to start .

I did get questioned about my camera gear at customs. The main thing to watch out for is multiple cameras or computers. I think the rules allow for 2 cameras but maybe only one laptop. They were also asking about dive computers. Sometimes I actually do carry multiple inexpensive dive computers but not today. I would double check if brining down multiple of anything . They seem to be enforcing the actual rules as opposed to just making it up as they go along.

 

[mediumone]

the cherry on top was waiting until after immigration to give you a customs form to fill out. That could have been done in the previous 2 hours.

The lack of customs forms is partly the fault of the airline. United normally gives the form out during the flight (and if they didn’t have the form on the plane they usually give it out right after landing.)

Download, fill out and print the form prior to departure.

 

[Dan G]

Yesterday the line to get through security and board flights was one hour. Airline agents were pulling people from the line to get them through if they were close to miss their flight. Glad we arrived at the airport with the usual 2 hour buffer.

 

[ggunn]

Yesterday the line to get through security and board flights was one hour. Airline agents were pulling people from the line to get them through if they were close to miss their flight. Glad we arrived at the airport with the usual 2 hour buffer.

Was that for a connecting flight coming back? We always allow at least a two hour layover in Houston when returning from Cozumel to get through Immigration, baggage claim, Customs, rechecking bags, and security.

 

[Dan G]

Was that for a connecting flight coming back? We always allow at least a two hour layover in Houston when returning from Cozumel to get through Immigration, baggage claim, Customs, rechecking bags, and security.

This was in Cozumel. When we arrived at 2:00 for our 4:10 flight to Denver, we saw about 8 flights scheduled on the departure board before ours. We figured there was no way we pull away from the gate on time, but we did. Maybe even a few mins early.

 

[cvchief]

Sunday was a disaster as well. We had to wait for a gate and it took close to 2 hours to get all the way through. The organization and planning at that airport is ridiculous. 8 planes in a short window and 2 agents, the cherry on top was waiting until after immigration to give you a customs form to fill out. That could have been done in the previous 2 hours.

Datos de identificación

Don't let the browser translate it as it messes up the date. Choose Cancun first and then Cozumel. Once you print it, sign in a random blank area on the front and write you flight number.

 

[ggunn]

Sunday was a disaster as well. We had to wait for a gate and it took close to 2 hours to get all the way through. The organization and planning at that airport is ridiculous. 8 planes in a short window and 2 agents, the cherry on top was waiting until after immigration to give you a customs form to fill out. That could have been done in the previous 2 hours.

FWIW, other than calling in more agents to man the Immigration kiosks there is no amount of planning on the CZM airport's part that could mitigate the effect of several planes arriving at once; the airport has little or no control over when the planes arrive.