Barbados airport experiences?

[RSGulp]

Has anyone been through Barbados Aiport (Grantley Adams International) lately?

When we flew in early December last year we were greeted by the mother of all queues for immigration. I think it was about an hour and a half before we got to the desk. Was this just a one-off or usual for Barbados Airport?

Looking at a 'fast track' service this year but need to know if it's worth paying for or spend the money on rum punches when we get there.

[pocty]

I don't think they are that organised. An hour queue is normal especially when more than one plan turns up. Best bet is to try and get into the Baitian time ASAP.

Pocty.

[Pugland53]

We went a few years ago and the queue was huge. I think a couple of big planes arrived at a similar time and they just couldn't cope.

[ChasW]

The problem is that the BA and Virgin flights arrive close to each other. The answer is to get off the plane as quickly as possible and power walk to immigration.

[Simon Brooks]

Welcome to Barbados :-)

[Fishtigua]

ChasW said:

The problem is that the BA and Virgin flights arrive close to each other. The answer is to get off the plane as quickly as possible and power walk to immigration.

There are two choices, hare or tortoise. If I'm on my own, go like the clappers to be first and have no baggage to wait for, that can take ages. Or take a break, snaffle a few mini bottles of rum off the plane, sit and wait for the que to dwindle. It's your holiday, start it at the right pace.

I've been to just about every airport in the Caribbean as part of my work, it's pretty much a universal problem.

[Countdown]

They're very laid back at the Airport. Apparently Air Traffic Control is just a telephone answering machine.

"Hello

Thank you for calling Barbados ATC.

We are all at the beach right now.

Please land your plane...... after the beep."

[Hammerhead]

Just come back. No problems arriving at or leaving GA. Took an hour to get off the plane at Gatwick and through to the other side however.

[RSGulp]

Thanks for the replies.

Hammerhead, out of interest which airline, day and time did you arrive? I guess it makes a difference.

[TimJMS]

Evernote reminds me that on 1/11/2011 I flew out of there and there were ***no queues***.

[Hammerhead]

RSGulp said:

Hammerhead, out of interest which airline, day and time did you arrive? I guess it makes a difference.

We arrived at GA at about 4.30pm after picking some passengers up from Antiga on Wednesday 22nd (wasn't a standard stop - had to rescue some flying back to the UK before Issac made it too windy later on.. no weather issues in Barbados thankfully!) Flew out of GA on Friday 31st, 16.45 local time, arriving back at Gatwick just after 6am Saturday morning. Virgin Atlantic both ways.

[Hammerhead]

PS - if you've not been already, go visit the Concorde next door to the airport. Fab experience - the guides there really love the aircraft and will talk about it for ages if you want