Cyril E. King Airport

Cyril King was okay. I mean for a small airport it had the essentials. Probably a good 3.5. I was there at about noon on a Monday and cleared both customs and TSA in 28 minutes. Easy to find a seat and a beer took only a couple minutes (and 6 bucks). I read several bad reviews about leaving via this airport and since my departure was on a Monday maybe I got off easy but no complaints here. Additionally, the arrival there was pretty cool with the free shot of rum and the stair car they use instead of a jet-​way.

I love this airport. Not only is it totally clear «We are in the tropics now!» but they serve a rum shot on arrival. This really helps if you feel the baggage is slow coming out. I am fascinated watching everyone remove their top layer after they deplane as if taken by surprise that it is warm. I prize tropical airports where you walk in over the tarmac instead of through a stuffy or cold jetway. I enjoy the controlled apparent chaos of being sorted by destination for shared taxis around the island. I cherish arriving to suddenly see new faces and new accents that you sometimes can hardly understand. I joyfully anticipate the shock or reminder that we are driving on the «wrong» side of the road which so clearly underlines «We are not in Kansas anymore.» You get it all here and for the faint of heart: it is all in English! No trying to figure what signs mean from their Latin roots or your distant high school language class! (That is, if there are signs, they will not be modern electronic ones probably.) Whether you are arriving for a break in paradise or you have finished your break and must head home, this is a good port of transfer on your passage. I think it is just what it should be.
Parking seems adequate (pay parking close in, free lot further away). Taxis are plentiful. The taxi concierge is efficient, trust him. The overall size is small and the plan is «open» and airy. There is a duty free shop to be carefully avoided or entered for a laugh. There is some food, but eat before you go!
Departures are slow and torturous with few seats to rest in at peak departure times. But are you really in such a hurry to get back to the rat race? Keep the island spirit and relax. While waiting to depart you will find few power points as you rush to reconnect to the outside world. The few present are under pressure from many travelers. If it is important to you, consider traveling with a multi plug outlet.
Oh, and another thing which tells me we are not in Kansas or most of the rest of the world: My wife left her shoulder bag in the taxi. Half an hour later the airport taxi concierge figured which taxi it probably was, put out a radio request to that company and the driver of the cab met us at our hotel to return the bag. Cap that in most of the third world!

Such a tiny, yet efficient airport. Food options are very pricey, eat before you go.

From a single security line, bossy TSA agents, no place to charge your devices (grabbing a plug was like playing musical chairs! When someone pulls their plug, you better RUN!!! food choices super limited and the place was also pretty dirty. Not that you have any other options if you’re coming to the USVI, but I would think the islands would make half an effort to present well.

The arrivals board at this airport is a whiteboard where some nice gentleman takes a marker and makes a check next to the flights that have landed.
What I’m trying to say here is that it’s not the most modern of facilities.
Security is slow (although you don’t need the three hours everyone seems to recommend you arrive before departure), shopping is limited, and there’s one spot to buy food where they will price gouge you, and your best bet is the chicken fingers that my friend recommended by way of saying, «Prepare to feel TERRIBLE.»
But there’s free rum samples and you’re in the Caribbean, so it’s kind of all OK.

The porter’s were good and relatively cheap. It will charge you two dollars per piece of luggage. The porter pushed me quickly through all of the different long lines. My wife and I were charged $ 6, I paid the porter $ 20, the $ 14 tip was well worth i! Food is awful here.

Arriving at Cyril E King is a different experience. I haven’t been to an airport in a while that doesn’t have the jet bridge to get on and off the plane. It’s amazing of how lazy people are because so many passengers complained about it. It’s not like the airport is asking us to run a mile, although those complaining could probably benefit from that. Being greeted by free shots of flavored rum may be the distraction from the lack of a jet bridge and it’s a pretty awesome welcome gift. Although, the last time I arrived they were serving blueberry lemonade rum shots, it’s a very different flavor, maybe I don’t have the complex palate for it. All rum samples are from Cruzan a local producer on nearby island St. Croix and they don’t question you if you have more than one shot let alone ID anyone.
Arriving has always been fun and quick, departing is just expensive and slow. Even though this is a very small airport, arrive 2 hours ahead of departure time, because you never know between TSA, Customs, or your airline check in desk of who is going to be having a bad day. The last two times we departed there was no one around and it took over an hour to get checked in, through customs and TSA. Even though this is a US territory, have a passport with you, you’ll get through customs faster. It’s also a good idea to eat before you get here. This place practices unbelievable price gouging with its one and only food outlet that serves really, really, really small sandwiches for $ 10.50, bland breakfast for $ 9-​$ 14, bad salad for $ 14-​$ 13, and alcohol. The staff is quite rude and the place reminds me of a middle school cafeteria.
The gift shop should be avoided like the plague, they mark everything up by about 40%. Your hotel gift shop is definitely cheaper. I bought rum cakes at the Marriott hotel gift shop for $ 8 each, the airport sells them for $ 15! Duty Free here is 30%-50% more expensive. Alcohol is cheap at Cost U Less, Price Smart, Kmart and Walgreens. We bought Appleton Estate Rum for $ 11 per bottle at Kmart and duty free here sells it for twice as much.
Overall it’s not a bad airport, and my husband says this is one of the best he’s seen in the Caribbean region.

Get off the plane: hey, stair car! This was a new experience for me. I had my eyes peeled for a Bluth. Free rum! Wow!
There is a taxi stand outside the airport that is actually pretty well organized. Just tell the person behind the podium your destination.
Departing from the airport was actually pretty stress-​free for me, which could have been because I left on a 9 AM flight– one of the first of the day, it seemed. The airport wasn’t crowded at all, despite it being January. So maybe early morning flights are the way to go, here. You will need to go through customs– I was perfectly fine just having my license, though I brought my birth certificate for backup had I needed it (I don’t have a passport), which for me only took a minute. This is considered an «international» destination for American flights, so if you’re flying to anywhere stateside, airlines generally recommend arriving a rather harrowing three full hours before departure.
No free rum upon departure. But you can make your last go at underpriced jewelry and cheap bottles of rum (and other touristy items) before you fly away home.

I think they will win the award for the rudest airport/​cafeteria staff ever!
I have been flying from there 8 years in a row now and hardly ever have I been treated with a smile, kind word or friendly service.

We were pleasantly surprised at our experience here, both arriving and departing.
There was a steel drum band playing in the entry way when we arrived, which was kind of neat. What wasn’t were the drunk people hanging right there waiting for people to walk in.
Bags showed up very fast, and the pick up area for taxis and drivers worked petty well.
On the back out the check in counters did not have very long lines and security moved along fairly well. Our flight was at 1445, which we were told was the busy time.
Overall better than what we expected from an airport in the islands.

Waited in line for over 2 hours and almost missed our flight.
They kept stopping the lines because they were «backed up” — wouldn’t tell us what was going on, didn’t care if we missed our flight, and were incredibly rude.
Half of the workers kept goofing off and not paying attention which made the lines even slower.
We were told to arrive 90 minutes before our flight but planned for 3 hours instead. If we had arrived 90 minutes before we would have missed our flight.
The women working the gate to let us onto the plane didn’t care if we missed our flight and were very hard to understand and speak to.
My family and I will not be returning to the Virgin Islands as the travel going and coming from the VI is ridiculously inefficient.

Too many people bitching about walking from the plane to baggage claim or across the Tarmac… Really? Everyone needs to get off their high horse, why not work a little hard burn a few calories than complain and not have everything handed to you on a gold platter! No wonder the island folks can’t stand snobby American attitudes I don’t blame them! Everyone acts like they have a million dollar, and deserve royal treatment, but took a loan out to come here for a week vacation lol! Not the best airport in the world… But it does the job! Who cares though? Just get here, put ur flip flops on and just lime and enjoy the island mon! so much to do you’ll forget everything else, been coming here for the past 6 years have nothing but respect for the island, and the island folks. Folks here enjoy a stress free life you ppl could learn a lot rather than bitching about simple non-​irritant and useless things.

Though we were headed to the British Virgin Islands (BVI), the prices to fly into Tortola were ridiculous. Enter the St. Thomas Airport (STT), only a few miles from a ferry terminal that would take us to our final destination. And flights here from Miami were $ 200 cheaper per person than to the BVI. WTH?
Like many small, tropical airports, there were no jetways at STT. So we exited the plane into warm sunshine via a stairway; a nice start to our vacation. It was also a short walk to baggage claim, where we were offered complimentary micro-​shots of local rum. Things were getting better by the minute!
Sadly though, my bags didn’t make it from Miami. That was American Airline’s fault, not STT per se. But it turns out this is a fairly common occurrence for this airport, since paid freight to the islands wins out over passenger bags every time. Let’s just say I was not the only one in line at the AA bag claim. (I eventually got my bag a day later). Word to the wise: pack a swimsuit and extra pair of shorts in your carry-​on, just in case.
The return trip wasn’t nearly so quick as the arrival. First, we had to go through several lines just to get bag tags. Then we had to go through U.S. customs, even though we were supposedly on U. S territory. Next, we had to navigate a maze to drop the bags, then another maze to get through security. When we finally entered the main gate area, it was chaos. As in: super crowded; long lines; no seats available; lots of cranky tourists. Not the ideal setting for a vacation closure.
Tips and tricks:
— When departing, leave extra time for U.S. customs
— To avoid the departure crowds, make base camp at the Gate 2 area just after security. No food options here, but there are bathrooms and more peace and quiet.
— A taxi to or from the local ferry terminal is $ 10 per person and about 10 minutes. Every taxi charges the same price, and it’s been that way for the last 10 years (per our driver)
Dan’s Airport checklist:
– Free Wi-​Fi: Nope! (1)
– Logistics and getting around: Easy for arrivals; a long maze for departures (3)
– Shops and amenities: One food option (sandwiches), but three locations; One large shop for very touristy souvenirs (2)
– Beauty and art: Utilitarian (2)

Had a horrible experience with American Airlines check in and the TSA here. No clear signage for TSA or customs process.
The airline check in folks expect you to have already filled out your form when the form is past the check in. There are no pens. A pen salesman could make a killing here, just stand by the customs forms and make 100 $ in just a few minutes selling pens.
They charge crazy prices for a bottle of water in the terminal. I don’t like this airport.
Rental cars are parked up a steep set of stairs and across a busy street so don’t bring any luggage you have to roll. When I rented the car the lady was adamant that I bring the gas receipt and keys to the counter, but when I arrived to return a very nice man in a Budget polo greeted me at the parking lot and asked if I had dropped my bags yet. I hadn’t so he said drive down to the airline gate and he’ll meet me down there and help me unload my bags and I can return the car to him there! That was the only nice part about this airport departure.
Wilbur 5stars

A lot of people hating on this place — must be a mad house during peak tourism season. That complimentary solo rum shot isn’t soothing enough! It’s a modest airport on an island — those expectations!
For departure, first you go through customs. Fill out the customs form before jumping in line. There’s a counter area in the lobby to do so. Having a US passport gets you out quicker through customs, but not necessary. Next is TSA screening. Same setup just like the main land: shoes off, liquids out, etc etc.
I was warned to go 2 hours before departure, but was fine with just 1 hour for a slow day.
Make sure to get window seats for your flights, because you will get some nice photos of the island from above!

1. Baggage claim takes forever in this overcrowded very warm space.
2. At departure you will need to carry your luggage through to customs in a very long queue just before getting to security. No one takes your bags for you when you get to the check in counter.
3.The waiting areas at the gates are too small and congested.
4. Service is very slow.
5.Complimentary rum shots upon entry was nice.

Brutal customs lines in high season! We arrived over 2 hours before our flight thinking we’d have tons of time to kill before boarding. By the time we made it through customs and security, our flight was boarding. The airport was overcrowded, and every passenger and employee seemed to be thinking the same thing; «Get me out of here.»
On a positive note, landing here is always fascinating, as the plane seems to touch down right at the end of land. Not for the faint of heart.

If you’re arriving here, five stars! Free rum, and a seamless transition to a tropical paradise by giving you one last taste of the hectic insanity before going on island time.
If you’re departing here, no rum. Chaotic customs even though you’re on a US territory, and the shops in the terminal are modest at best.
But, still. St. Thomas.

Long lines and very crowded on a Saturday but they moved fast. Arrive 2 hours before your flight. No water fountains past security and long lines at all the food service.
Super cheap duty free liquor!!!

As far as Caribbean airports go, this one is average. The good news is they finally upgraded the bathroom facilities and spruced up the corridor area around where arriving visitors walk to baggage claim. For many years, the bathroom facilities were deplorable and the area in general, a big eye sore. Things look good over there now.
I’ve always liked the fact that planes disembark on the ground, so that visitors can feel the sun hit them as soon as the cabin doors open. It adds to the experience, and with the recently completely corridor in the airport, this airport is well on its way to improving.
That are a few food options, none of them being anything special. However, there is a very nice duty free shop by the departure gates with a great selection of spirits and colognes/​perfumes.
Overall this airport has improved and is looking better than it has in years. The majority of it is still old and can use some sprucing up, otherwise it’s average and does the job.