My arrival at V.C. Bird International Airport was a smooth process. I had completed the immigration form online beforehand, which was very simple to do. Upon arrival, we walked downstairs, where a staff member asked to see the immigration form or barcode (if completed online). I showed my barcode, and she directed me to the immigration line. I scanned the barcode at the machine, handed my passports to the officer, and within five minutes the process was complete. We then went to collect our luggage, which took a little while to arrive.
After retrieving our bags, we noticed a sign for “Nothing to Declare,” but when we attempted to go there, we were redirected to a single line for all passengers. Fortunately, the line moved quickly, and we were soon outside. An officer directed us to the taxi stand, where we easily secured a taxi to our resort. The fare was $50 from the airport to the resort.
Departure, however, was a very different experience. We arrived at the airport and checked in at the kiosk. When printing luggage tags, the machine instructed us to go to the desk. The agent checked our passports and boarding passes, printed the tags, and placed them on our bags. Surprisingly, she told us to drop them off in the oversize luggage line, even though these were standard suitcases we use regularly for both domestic and international travel. She offered no explanation other than “that’s where you need to go.” The line was slow, and to make matters worse, staff frequently escorted other travelers to cut ahead, which delayed things further.
After dropping off our luggage, we went upstairs for immigration. The line was long but moved steadily until we reached two officers who checked our passports and directed us to another line. There were no clear instructions or staff guiding passengers, so we simply followed the crowd. At the next checkpoint, I scanned the same form I had completed upon arrival and handed over our passports.
Next came the security line, which was the worst part of the process. The line was extremely long, poorly organized, and moved painfully slow. There was no air conditioning, and many passengers, after finishing immigration, simply cut into the line wherever they could. We stood there for nearly an hour. To make it more frustrating, several airport staff escorted travelers directly to the front without any explanation.
This was a Thursday afternoon—not what I would consider peak hours—yet the process felt chaotic, disorganized, and inefficient. Because of the long delays, I didn’t have time to visit the lounge. By the time I reached my gate, boarding had already begun.
Overall, while arrival was smooth and straightforward, the departure experience was frustrating and poorly managed. The airport would benefit greatly from better organization, communication, and fairness in how passengers...
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