American Airlines First Class: Houston, Texas to Tortola, British Virgin Islands
Getting up at 2:30 am to catch an early flight sucks! I do NOT like early morning flights! I rarely take them if there is any other choice. In this case, however, it was the only way to get to the BVI in a single day with enough of a layover that I didn’t risk getting stuck in Miami if there were any delays…and to avoid a segment on Silver Airways (which I’m never doing again. Also, they declared bankruptcy recently, leaving more travelers stranded than usual…). There was a United Airlines option from Houston, but it was ridiculously overpriced for business class, so I ended up choosing American Airlines for the first time in many years.
I used to fly American all the time when I lived in Austin. Before that, I flew Delta most of the time to the West Coast from Virginia. When I moved to Houston, I found the AA flights to Dallas cumbersome, and after getting stuck in Dallas one too many times due to weather (Dallas Fort Worth Airport closes frequently due to thunderstorms in the summer and ice storms in the winter), I decided to write a letter to at then Continental Airlines asking if they would match my status on American. They did, and I have flown Continental, now United, almost every flight since then. I do miss the hamburgers Continental served for free in economy! United has started offering a hamburger and fries in domestic first-class recently, though I have not tried it yet, and I just pre-ordered a new Beef Melt and Fries for my flight to Puerto Rico this Sunday! I’ll report back.
Alas, that morning, I reluctantly got up at 2:30 am and was in the car with my bags, ready to head to the airport by 3. The drive from my house usually takes about an hour, though in the middle of the night, it was more like 40 minutes later when I pulled into the remote parking lot. I was a bit worried about getting a shuttle to the terminal in the middle of the night, but it wasn’t a problem. No sooner had I gotten my bags out of the car than a shuttle pulled up, and we were off. We did have to pick up a bunch of other people on the way…the bus was almost full when we finally pulled out of the lot. I was amazed at how many people were up this early!
Because I had a connecting flight outside the US and hadn’t shown my passport to American for years, I was not able to check in online, so I had to go to the counter. It was no big deal since I was checking a bag anyway, another thing I rarely do, but for a week of sailing, I have a lot of equipment to bring…too much to carry on.
TSA PreCheck wasn’t busy that early, so I was through security fairly quickly and headed straight to the Starbucks right across the hall. They were open, but online ordering wasn’t working, meaning I had to stand in line like it was 2019, then stand there and wait for my coffee with everyone else! I usually order just before going through security, or even on the shuttle to the airport, so it’s ready when I get there, and I grab it and go.
Coffee in hand, I headed to the gate. Since I was in Terminal A, it wasn’t far. After briefly verifying the boarding gate and scouting the area, I decided to walk a bit. I would be sitting enough that day; there was no need to sit more while waiting for the flight to board.
Boarding started right on time and went smoothly. As usual these days, the plane was completely full. I did notice that, compared to United, the pre-boarding process was simpler, and there were far fewer frequent fliers with all the statuses boarding. On United, on nearly every flight, half of the plane or more has boarded before general boarding begins, and the first class upgrade list has 60 or more people on it hoping for that one available seat! I thought it might just be the early departure time, but all my American Airlines flights were that way on this trip.
My primary worry when booking this particular flight to Miami was that it would be delayed, and I would miss my connection to Tortola. Since there are very few flights to that small island airport, any missed flight or cancellation would likely mean arriving the next day instead. To my relief, we backed out and departed within a few minutes of the scheduled time.
Breakfast was served not long after departure. It was not a bad spread: No hot food, but a bagel, lox, egg slices, and fruit. It was perfect timing, too, as the sun was just rising, and I hadn't eaten as it was too early when I left the house, and I knew this meal would be served on the plane.
The flight to Miami took just about 2 hours. In fact, we arrived about 20 minutes early, which meant I had time to head to Starbucks again…for tea this time…as I had had enough coffee already! This also gave me a few minutes to walk some more.
The fight to Tortola left from the lower section at the end of terminal D via the outside stairs and ramps. Fortunately, the weather was nice that day, so the outdoor boarding was pleasant and went smoothly.
Once we were at cruising altitude over the Bahamas, the view was amazing. Wispy clouds floated over blue and green water, and at 35,000 feet, the sky was as black as could be. It reminded me of videos out the window of spacecraft in orbit! I got a bunch of pictures, and many of them came out quite well!
This time, the meal, if you could call it that, was more of a snack box… literally. It consisted of a cold selection of cheeses, fruit, and meat. That was fine, really, since it was still early in the day. I had just eaten on the last flight, and I could eat more later when I arrived in Tortola.
A short time later, we began our descent. I followed along out the window as we passed recognizable islands and anchorages. First up was Jost Van Dike, with White Bay and Great Harbor clearly visible. We made a large sweeping circle around it so I could view it from all angles. Then, we headed south over Norman Island before turning back North toward Tortola.
The airport is situated in a flat area right between Tortola and Beef Island, with tall hills all around. It’s actually a bit scary as the pilot expertly banks and turns and suddenly lands, slamming on the breaks and stopping in a very short distance for such a relatively larger jet. We then turned completely around in place at the end of the runway, drove back to the center, turned left, and then parked near the terminal. Seeing the mountain at the end of the runway after we landed was a shock as well!
Because it was a remote stand and an active taxiway, we all had to deplane down the stairs and wait inside the painted lines. We then walked as a group to the terminal and Customs and Immigration to queue up. I wasn’t given a custom form on the plane and forgot to ask, figuring I could get one in the terminal. However, once there, it was clear they didn’t have any set out…and almost everyone else had theirs…go figure. I got to the window and told the agent, but he just handed me the form and asked me to go fill it out and return it. When I did, he looked at it, stamped my passport, I paid the $10 entry fee, and I was in.
No big deal, though it was a bit stressful after having traveled to places like Canada, where the immigration officers often ask intense questions of Americans and have pulled me aside for more questioning many times…not sure if I got on some list or what, but nothing ever came of it…They always let me in eventually…
Once in the airport proper, it was a simple matter to grab a taxi and head to Nanny Cay. Well, simple in that it wasn’t difficult to get a taxi…the roads, though…oh boy…THAT was an experience! I don’t get seasick, but I swear I was about to get CAR sick that day! Finally, after about 45 minutes of traveling for about 10 miles, we arrived at the marina, hoping the sailing part would be more relaxing!
BVI Charter Flotilla Series:
- Next Post: Sailboat Charter Flotilla: BVI — Arrival [Coming Soon]
- Back to the Beginning: Sailboat Charter Flotilla: British Virgin Islands — Introduction
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