Port Everglades to PBI

[Corfe Mixture]

Hi all,

 

I'm thinking of flying home from PBI on our next cruise on the basis that business class fares from PBI to LHR (via DFW or PHL) are $280 per person cheaper than FLL (via DFW / CLT or PHL) and $480 per person cheaper than the direct flight from MIA.

 

Having thought it through, I am almost certain to fly via DFW departing PBI at around 13.30, though I haven't completely excluded departing FLL at a similar time to make the same flight out of DFW.

 

The basis of my decision is that:

 

a) I much prefer the idea of getting rid of the bags by 11am and then passing four hours in a reasonably comfortable AA domestic first class seat with an easy transfer in DFW than to have to hang around at MIA waiting for check-in to open.

and

b) Whilst we both sleep well in a decent international business class seat, I find the flights from CLT and PHL too short to get a good night's sleep.

 

I have done my research and at the moment I am looking at booking a private sedan transfer (not shuttle) from GO Airport Shuttle for around $130 (including driver gratuity - but excluding meet fee?) leaving Port Everglades at 09.30 and arriving at PBI around 10.30.

 

I will probably not elect to go for a shared shuttle as I don't wish to be hanging around for late-comers.

 

I have also looked at simply picking up a cab at the terminal which I estimate would cost me around $120 - $130 and this is currently my fall-back strategy.

 

I am very familiar with the car rental arrangements at FLL and have used National / Alamo on many occasions and can get very attractive all inclusive rates, not available to US / Canadian licence holders, if I book and pre-pay from the UK (indeed I will be using this method to get from Key West to Fort Lauderdale the day before the cruise). However, in the case of the trip up to PBI, I am coming to the conclusion that the hassle associated with getting the free shuttle to FLL, topping up the tank before drop-off and the time needed to drop off the car doesn't justify the savings.

 

I have not considered Uber as I have heard reports that some of their suppliers are not that familiar with Port Everglades and whilst they are OK for drop-off, they sometimes have difficult finding the correct terminal for pick up.

 

As I say, I am familiar with the whole area and more used to getting around than most foreign visitors, but I would be interested in comments on my thought process and reports of experience with GO Airport Shuttle and / or alternative suggestions and also whether or not, if my planning all goes wrong I would have any problems in finding a yellow cab willing to take me to PBI from the rank.

[JohninDC]

I would take another look at Uber. I've never had an issue with the driver not being able to find me - at crowded airports, etc. they usually call to verify your location and how to pick you out of the crowd. Remember, the neon pink Hawaiian shirt that stands out everywhere else will just blend into the crowd in South FLA :rolleyes:

 

Fare for UberX from PE to PBI should be about $50

 

If any of this helps, you owe me a pint. Bitter, please!

Edited January 8, 2017 by JohninDC

[Lido_Deck]

Have you considered flying into Gatwick instead of LHR?

 

You can get pretty cheap one way fares (right now as low as $219 in October) on Norwegian from FLL to LGW, but they fly from FLL to LGW on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (nonstop, 8 hrs 25 minutes). Spend the transfer money to PBI on a Ft Lauderdale hotel and enjoy our beach for a day or two before flying back to the UK.

 

Also, I'm assuming you will be on a Princess Cruise so I strongly suggest you check Princess Air.

[thinfool]

Have you considered flying into Gatwick instead of LHR?

 

You can get pretty cheap one way fares (right now as low as $219 in October) on Norwegian from FLL to LGW, but they fly from FLL to LGW on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (nonstop, 8 hrs 25 minutes). Spend the transfer money to PBI on a Ft Lauderdale hotel and enjoy our beach for a day or two before flying back to the UK.

 

Also, I'm assuming you will be on a Princess Cruise so I strongly suggest you check Princess Air.

 

OP is flying Business Class and apparently prefers AA.

Edited January 8, 2017 by thinfool

[Lido_Deck]

OP is flying Business Class and apparently prefers AA.

 

That's not the way I interpret his "reasoning."

 

If what you say is true, he is trying to get to PBI in order to fly to DFW just to sit in Business Class. That sure seems to be pretty inconvenient and the long way around the barn when he could fly nonstop to the UK in less time (8 hours and 25 minutes) than it would take to get to PBI and then DFW.

.

Edited January 8, 2017 by Lido_Deck

[Corfe Mixture]

I would take another look at Uber. I've never had an issue with the driver not being able to find me - at crowded airports, etc. they usually call to verify your location and how to pick you out of the crowd. Remember, the neon pink Hawaiian shirt that stands out everywhere else will just blend into the crowd in South FLA :rolleyes:

 

Fare for UberX from PE to PBI should be about $50

 

If any of this helps, you owe me a pint. Bitter, please!

 

Yup, aware they call if they can't find you, but that is of no use as, whilst there is calls from my phone to phones in US are included in my phone package, there is no way a taxi driver is going to be prepared to make an international call to a UK mobile in order to be talked to my location.

[Corfe Mixture]

That's not the way I interpret his "reasoning."

 

If what you say is true, he is trying to get to PBI in order to fly to DFW just to sit in Business Class. That sure seems to be pretty inconvenient and the long way around the barn when he could fly nonstop to the UK in less time (8 hours and 25 minutes) to the UK.

 

Norwegian don't do business class and I am not planning to travel to DFW just to fly business class.

 

I am flying business class whether or not I leave from MIA, FLL, or PBI, but I am looking for a good deal and a good night's sleep.

 

BA fly business direct from FLL from LGW but that is no good to me as outbound we will be leaving from LHR as we are flying to EYW via MIA, (no routing from LGW to EYW via FLL), and I need to use the same UK airport in both directions.

 

Home bound my business class options are

Direct from MIA with a 9 hour wait for departure and up to $480 per person more

versus

From FLL or PBI via either PHL or DFW..

 

DFW may seem out of the way to you, but but you are forgetting that great circle routing means that flight duration from DFW is very similar to MIA and, given flight times out of DFW are similar to MIA, the only practical difference is that, irather than hanging around all day waiting for check in to open at MIA, we instead use three hours of that time to fly in comfort from either PBI or FLL to DFW and save between $600 to $1,000.

 

Prefer DFW to PHL as the PHL to LHR overnight sector is too short to get a decent night's sleep.

 

Leaning towards AA as we tend to use Oneworld airlines and prefer the 1-2-1 business class layout and, in particular, the Zodiac Cirrus seats used by AA and Cathay Pacific to the BA Yin-yang layout.

 

Hopefully that clarifies my decision making process for flights, and why I don't regard routing via DFW as going out of my way (it is all about being well rested when we arrive in LHR) which I thought I had explained in my opening post.

 

Issue I am trying to finalise is FLL versus PBI and cost / issues associated with choosing PBI in preference to FLL.

Edited January 8, 2017 by Corfe Mixture

[Lido_Deck]

OK...

 

If I understand you correctly, you want to fly to Key West before your cruise?

 

If so, how are you getting from Key West to the port? Which port?

 

Are you cruising on Princess?

[thinfool]

OK...

 

If I understand you correctly, you want to fly to Key West before your cruise?

 

If so, how are you getting from Key West to the port? Which port?

 

Are you cruising on Princess?

 

Key West? No...PBI is Palm Beach International Airport. About 45 minutes north of Port Everglades/Ft Lauderdale.

[Lido_Deck]

Alright...

 

I went back and re-read your posts and I think you are making everything more difficult than it needs to be.

 

1. Take a look at Princess Air. I am not able to do a faux search from the US web site because it will not let me use LHR or LGW as starting points. You can choose business class with them if you want and you can add cities (i.e. EYW) in your routing. Also, try booking two one way routes instead of one round trip.

 

2. I don't think you understand how easy it is to catch a car rental shuttle at Port Everglades compared to locating your Uber or private car driver, especially with your phone situation.

 

3. You will pass right by a BP Petro Station on Belevedere Road at Bristol Drive (just west of I-95) on your way to the Alamo location at PBI.

 

4. If you can find a good, one way fare into MIA and a good return from FLL with Princess Air, perhaps you should consider hiring a car at MIA, drive to Key West and then return to a Port Everglades drop off (or FLL in the case of Alamo). Half the charm and beauty of going to Key West is the drive there...The 7 mile bridge, the giant lobster photo op and driving through all the keys.

 

[Lido_Deck]

Key West? No...PBI is Palm Beach International Airport. About 45 minutes north of Port Everglades/Ft Lauderdale.

 

You are very confused and don't understand what the OP wants to do and are not helping.

[Corfe Mixture]

Actually, I think it you who is confusing matters. I am not looking for cheap uncomfortable flights. I have fown in and out of US numerous times before, but not done transfer from PE to PBI before.

 

You say you have gone back and re-read my posts but then tell me that I don't understand how easy it is to pick up a rental car shuttle when I have quite clearly stated that I have used Alamo / National on many occasions.

 

I also don't understand your fascination with EZAir, as if they come up with a better deal it will be the first time ever as their search algorithm is far too narrow (eg doesn't check to see if there is a benefit of flying out a day early).

 

Also they won't let me fly out to anywhere other than FLL or MIA I am going to EYW

 

Seems to me that you are only interested in end running my flight selection process rather than answering my simple question about ways of getting from PE to PBI.

Edited January 8, 2017 by Corfe Mixture

[Lido_Deck]

Actually, I think it you who is confusing matters. I am not looking for cheap uncomfortable flights. I have fown in and out of US numerous times before, but not done transfer from PE to PBI before.

 

You say you have gone back and re-read my posts but then tell me that I don't understand how easy it is to pick up a rental car shuttle when I have quite clearly stated that I have used Alamo / National on many occasions.

 

I also don't understand your fascination with EZAir, as if they come up with a better deal it will be the first time ever as their search algorithm is far too narrow (eg doesn't check to see if there is a benefit of flying out a day early).

 

Also they won't let me fly out to anywhere other than FLL or MIA I am going to EYW

 

Seems to me that you are only interested in end running my flight selection process rather than answering my simple question about ways of getting from PE to PBI.

 

Never mind. I am Elite on Princess, I was just in the UK this past April for the 5th time in the last 4 years and I was in the group travel industry for more than 25 years so I thought I would try to help you rethink your pre-conceived ideas. I can see you are not an open minded person and my efforts are wasted.

 

And you are incorrect about EZAir. You can book weeks before an after. Well...at least I did last April.

 

Have a good day.

.

Edited January 8, 2017 by Lido_Deck

[Corfe Mixture]

 

If you can find a good, one way fare into MIA and a good return from FLL with Princess Air, perhaps you should consider hiring a car at MIA, drive to Key West and then return to a Port Everglades drop off (or FLL in the case of Alamo).

 

 

You clearly do not understand business class airline ticketing.

 

MIA is a premium destination whilst EYW is not. As a result, it is often cheaper to fly business class LHR-MIA-EYW than flying LHR-MIA using the same aircraft.

[Lido_Deck]

You clearly do not understand business class airline ticketing.

 

MIA is a premium destination whilst EYW is not. As a result, it is often cheaper to fly business class LHR-MIA-EYW than flying LHR-MIA using the same aircraft.

 

OK, I understand that, but with American Airlines...LHR to EYW, all I see is switching planes to an Embraer RJ-175 after a layover of several hours at MIA before continuing on to Key West. That's not using the same aircraft and I thought you didn't like sitting around MIA waiting for a flight?

 

On my TA last April I found one way return fares to MIA on EZ Air as low as $325 US. I ended up not booking through them because I procrastinated too long in booking my return since I didn't need a flight into FLL to take the cruise. So instead, I took 8 days meandering around the UK from Southampton to Salisbury, West London, Windsor Castle for the Queen's birthday, back to West London, York and then flew from Manchester to MIA (nonstop) on Thomas Cook Airlines.

 

Again, I cannot access EZ Air initiating from the UK, but I am again considering taking another Princess TA to Southampton (same itinerary, different ship) so if I do a faux business class return booking on EZ Air from LHR to EYW I get a business class one way fare a little over $1,300 US, while LHR to MIA is a little under $1,300. The prices and airlines vary depending on which departure date I choose. And yes, you can choose different departure dates on EZ Air, just left click on the date and a calendar will pop up. That's all in late April, though, so I don't know what you could find for your dates.

.

Edited January 8, 2017 by Lido_Deck

[zoncom]

Miami, as you know, is our International port with the most flights. I would avoid PBI since 1-95 can get closed down.South Florida Limo is good affordable alternative to shared shuttle which can take hours. I always got best pricing Internationally when I lived on MB from Lufthansa. Goes out daily 5:30 ish .Nice business class too.

Edited January 8, 2017 by zoncom

[Corfe Mixture]

OK, I understand that, but with American Airlines...LHR to EYW, all I see is switching planes to an Embraer RJ-175 after a layover of several hours at MIA before continuing on to Key West. That's not using the same aircraft and I thought you didn't like sitting around MIA waiting for a flight?

 

On my TA last April I found one way return fares to MIA on EZ Air as low as $325 US. I ended up not booking through them because I procrastinated too long in booking my return since I didn't need a flight into FLL to take the cruise. So instead, I took 8 days meandering around the UK from Southampton to Salisbury, West London, Windsor Castle for the Queen's birthday, back to West London, York and then flew from Manchester to MIA (nonstop) on Thomas Cook Airlines.

 

Again, I cannot access EZ Air initiating from the UK, but I am again considering taking another Princess TA to Southampton (same itinerary, different ship) so if I do a faux business class return booking on EZ Air from LHR to EYW I get a business class one way fare a little over $1,300 US, while LHR to MIA is a little under $1,300. The prices and airlines vary depending on which departure date I choose. And yes, you can choose different departure dates on EZ Air, just left click on the date and a calendar will pop up. That's all in late April, though, so I don't know what you could find for your dates.

.

 

Oh dear. Read my post carefefully. I never said you couldn't select a different date on EZ Air simply that the search algorithm doesn't check (whereas airline sites will display 7 day price comparisons).

 

Let me explain by example. This year Cathay offered deals LHR to Sydney if you left before 1st Dec which saved $1950 per person return with free stop over in HKG. This was clearly visible if you looked to book on 2nd Decemder on Cathay site. The reduced price was pay up front but flexible / cancellable subject to a fee of around $300

BUT

if you looked on EZAir for 2nd December it showed just the price for that day. and did not advise of the benefits of leaving two days earlier. Worse if you changed the date to 30th November it still did not show the discount. This was because the ticket did not fit in with the EZAir definition of flexible, in that it was pay up front nor their definition of non-refundable.

 

Sureky as an experienced travel expert, when I referred to the same plane for LHR - MIA - EYW v LHR - MIA, You understood that I was referring to using the same aircraft for the transatlantic sector (AA57 ticketed as a BA codeshare) and not suggesting that the same aircraft continued to EYW.

 

I would also, as you are a travel expert, have thought that you know that I have to clear immigration at MIA before continuing on to EYW and assume that your observation about me hanging around for 3 hours after arriving at MIA is just some childish attempt to score points in your view that my preference for sitting in a first class seat for three hours from PBI to DFW rather than hanging around for over nine hours waiting for an evening flight to LHR from MIA is not a sensible strategy.

 

To be brutally honest, all your controbutions are doing are to convince me that you are not the 25 year experienced travel professional you claim to be.

 

Whatever, thank you for destroying the chances of someone answering my question by hi-jacking my thread simply to prove how much you know about travel, but I guess with over 800 posts in four and a half months you do know more about this subject than the rest of us.

 

 

 

Goodbye.

Edited January 8, 2017 by Corfe Mixture

[Corfe Mixture]

Miami, as you know, is our International port with the most flights. I would avoid PBI since 1-95 can get closed down.South Florida Limo is good affordable alternative to shared shuttle which can take hours. I always got best pricing Internationally when I lived on MB from Lufthansa. Goes out daily 5:30 ish .Nice business class too.

 

Thanks for that information. Tends to push me towards the idea of routing out of FLL.

 

Will check out Lufthansa but a little nervous of using them as they currently have major ongoing industrial relations problems.

[thinfool]

To the OP...are you fixed on AA or Lufthansa?

 

I say that because flying FLL>JFK and then JFK>LHR, with Delta as a carrier for the transatlantic was more cost effective than the AA combinations that I saw earlier.

 

WAit..sorry...i missed your earlier post about AA and oneworld. Carry on...

Edited January 8, 2017 by thinfool

[Corfe Mixture]

To the OP...are you fixed on AA or Lufthansa?

 

I say that because flying FLL>JFK and then JFK>LHR, with Delta as a carrier for the transatlantic was more cost effective than the AA combinations that I saw earlier.

 

WAit..sorry...i missed your earlier post about AA and oneworld. Carry on...

 

:):) No problem, suggestion appreciated, but Zoncom's response is making me think about the margins for a 13.30 departure from PBI and is pushing me towards FLL > DFW > LHR

 

To be honest I tended to exclude routing via JFK, ORD, CLT and PHL as we find the transatlantic sectors tend to be too short to get a good night's sleep even if we skip the meals.