Author: Detlef (---.pat.wvnet.edu)
Date: 01-31-08 12:03
Round-Trip ferry tickets will NOT always work. Last Sunday, I met a couple who had pre-purchased round-trip at Fajardo. Like me, They could not get on the ferry to return to Fajardo. This was likely because they did not show up 1-hour ahead of departure (15-minutes).
Thanks everyone for responding to this post. Does anyone have any idea when the passenger ferry will be up-and-running again???? I sure hope we can help prevent someone from going through travel strife.
BTW, After my 1-hour late Vieques Air Link flight, I did get to the USAirways desk at San Juan International (too late to board). They rescheduled my flight for the next day for no extra charge. Earlier that day, I tried contacting USAirways through their1800 number, they wanted to charge me an extra $350 for changing the flight! So it was definately worth my while to gamble on going to the airport in person. There may be airline regulations that protect the traveller when you actually show up in person within 24-hours of missing your flight. in my case, I came 15-minutes before the plane flew away (flight was already closed).
Lessons Learned:
1) Avoid taking the ferry from Culebra to Fajardo on weekends (especially Sundays)
2) Secure a round trip ferry ticket in Fajardo, if possible.
3) Show up to the Culebra ferry terminal 1-hour before departure to secure your reservation (even if you have a round-trip ticket.
4) Ask folks in town about any complications regarding using the ferry ahead of time.
5) If you can't get on the ferry, you may be able to book with Vieques Air Link or Air Flamenco or maybe Isla Nena--and still make your flight at SJU.
6) If all fails, try recheduling your flight via telephone. If they want more than $100 to change your ticket, you may want to gamble on getting to the SJU airport within 24-hours of missing your flight for a better deal.
Hope all this helps someone out there,
Detlef
|
|
¡Versión en Español!
