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Earliest flight time from FLL


Fred567

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I'll be disembarking from Ft Lauderdale and flying out of FLL. I know the drive time is around 15-20 min but am unsure which flight I should book that I will make without outright running.

The ship docks at 7:00 - the 1st flight out is 10:30 and my preference as its also the shortest flight back home, but then they space out about 2.5 hours after that with much longer flight/layover times. I'm not sure how long it takes to actually get on the shuttle and get moving or how long TSA at the airport will take, so apx what flight time should I realisticaly shoot for?

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IMO, 10:30 is way to soon! I have done this many times from the port to FLL and I personally would not do anything before 12:00. If just one thing goes wrong, you could have a nightmare on your hands. I also look for flights between 12:30 to 4:00 as we live in the DC area so that is not a long flight.

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1 hour ago, Fred567 said:

I'll be disembarking from Ft Lauderdale and flying out of FLL. I know the drive time is around 15-20 min but am unsure which flight I should book that I will make without outright running.

The ship docks at 7:00 - the 1st flight out is 10:30 and my preference as its also the shortest flight back home, but then they space out about 2.5 hours after that with much longer flight/layover times. I'm not sure how long it takes to actually get on the shuttle and get moving or how long TSA at the airport will take, so apx what flight time should I realisticaly shoot for?

I agree with CJS2766. Done this many, many times. Keep in mind...it's you and probably over 10,000+ other people disembarking from cruise ships at the same time. Without any delays of the ship docking (seen that a few times), it is not uncommon to require a significant amount of time to get to the gate. A 10:30 flight means the doors close at 10:30. Boarding starts closer to 10:00...which means you should be at the gate by 10:00. Budget 1.5 - 2 hrs to get to the gate after you get to the airport plus the wait for transport and delays getting from the ship...oh, and customs!...I would be budgeting to get off the ship before 7:00, probably 6:30. Your ship is not scheduled to dock until 7:00.

12:00 or after...if it was me.

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@Fred567 I have not experienced myself yet but I am hearing ( the snow birds are here) the TSA lines are taking a bit longer also, staffing issues, lots of people travelling again forgetting about 3-1-1 and taking off shoes etc. The long snaking line to get over to your gate might just crush that cruise vacation after feeling, to many things you just can't control. I personally would not feel comfy with such an early flight. book a bit later & have a leisurely go of it. What ever you decide I wish for you safe travels, enjoy that cruise!

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One quicker way to avoid the long lines at the TSA security line is to have a TSA Pre-check number.  The cost is $85 for 5 years.  What you get is being able to go through the Precheck line at security (much shorter and quicker moving)...and you do not have to remove things from your bag (not even liquids) and also no removal of shoes, jackets, etc.  Just simple security check through.  Anyone who travels by air at least a few times a year should consider this.  I absolutely will keep renewing mine every 5 years...it's a small fee to pay for not having to wait in long lines at security check throughs.

But I agree with the others on here...would never book a flight before Noon!!

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I have booked earlier (before noon) flights out of FLL and always made it BUT I spend the entire last few days of the cruise stressed about getting off the ship and to the airport as quickly as possible.  It is very frustrating when you book a later flight and then arrive at the airport early enough that you COULD have made the earlier flight but I would rather deal with that frustration than the stress of trying to run to catch an early flight.

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7 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

I have booked earlier (before noon) flights out of FLL and always made it BUT I spend the entire last few days of the cruise stressed about getting off the ship and to the airport as quickly as possible.  It is very frustrating when you book a later flight and then arrive at the airport early enough that you COULD have made the earlier flight but I would rather deal with that frustration than the stress of trying to run to catch an early flight.

Great perspective, and it's the same thing I'd be doing to myself in terms of worrying about making the flight. The stress just isn't worth it.

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