Departing Bermuda by Air
Finally it's time to move on and say good bye to Bermuda. But luckily for us, we have been able to come back to Bermuda over and over again. In any case, we would plan every step of our airport departure. This is not just to have a smooth exit, but also to best utilize our time at the airport.
So here is all the information that you need to plan your departure out of Bermuda airport.
Keep in mind that you should ideally check-in before two hours of the scheduled departure time. This is to avoid any last minute rush. Bear in mind that over one million passengers pass through Bermuda International Airport every year. At times, particularly during the high summer season, Bermuda airport could be heavily crowded.
Airport Shuttle Services are offered by several operators for both 1-way and 2-way transfers and it can be prearranged. Call up one of them and preferably book your transfers in advance. Otherwise
taxis are always available. You can not carry luggage in buses and therefore bus service can not be availed for such transfers, unless you are traveling light.
You can check in online. Usually this service is available 24-hours before your departure. Once you arrive at the airport, there are kiosks where you can print your own boarding pass. However, this facility may not be available for all journeys. Only one hand baggage is allowed. Do not carry stuffs like scissors, knife, liquids or gels (of more than 100 ml/gm) in your hand bag. They won't be allowed. The check-in area is common for all departing flights. All the airlines operating out of Bermuda have offices at the airport pre-departure lounge for ticketing or resolving any problems that you may have.
Once you have checked in, you can take a look at the different gift items at the nice shop in the concourse area. For snacks and beverages, you can visit Cafe Boulevard at the lower Concourse area.
Next you will be required to complete the green I-94 form and write your destination details. There are two departure areas - one for the US and one for Europe and Canada.
US Departure
If you are travelling to the US, after the airline check in, you need to carry your checked in luggage to US customs for inspection. All the duty free items need to be kept into your checked in luggage. You can't hand carry them.
Now it's time to get through the customs. You need to keep your passport, tickets and all travel documents ready. After passing through customs, you will then need to pass through the security. If you are wearing a jacket, you will be asked to remove that, and even your shoes. Your hand baggage will now be screened. Once the security is completed, all the hassles are over. You go up the escalator and now you are in the departure lounge.
Browse Pulp & Circumstances store for some wonderful gifts and souvenirs, or scan jewelry and apparel stores, children's toys etc. Or enjoy a drink or have some snacks. Trattoria Cafe & Sports Bar is a full service bar and offers sandwiches, subs, sushi, juices and beverages. Island Coffee & Bistro serves nice coffee and snacks. There is also a children's area here. The Tucker Art Gallery displays local artwork. Free Wi-Fi is available to access internet from your own laptop. If you don't have a laptop, there are free internet kiosks to access internet. There are ATMs here dispensing US currencies.
Europe and Canada Departure
If you are travelling to UK or Canada, your baggage will be checked in at the airline check-in counter and you won't need to carry them to the customs. Like the US bound passengers, you will need to go through the same formalities.
For the British Airways passengers, there is a BA executive lounge for those who are eligible. There is no other restaurant or bar here. So Cafe Boulevard at the check in area is your last chance to have some food and drinks before you board the flight. There are of course duty free shop, gift shop, jewelry and clothing store, free wi-fi, etc at the departure lounge.
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 By Raj Bhattacharya
Raj, a seasoned travel writer and Bermuda destination expert, has extensive global travel experience. This website reflects his profound insights, garnered over nearly two decades of dedicated findings and research on the island. Raj has assisted countless Bermuda-bound visitors by providing direct, personalized responses to their queries and imparting his wealth of knowledge through this platform. This site serves as an indispensable guide for those seeking informed and reliable insights into Bermuda's treasures.
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Visitors' Reviews and Comments
Rich Waters (July 2018)
If you are departing on a Sunday afternoon from Bermuda I recommend allowing a minimum of 2 hours at the airport. You will possibly find 6 planes leaving between 3 and 4 PM. You will have 6 queue lines to navigate:
1 - Get your boarding passes and luggage tags.
2 - Check in at the airport ticket counter.
3 - Line for Passport review.
4 - Line for Customs interview.
5 - Line for checked luggage scan.
6 - Line for security screening.
One suggestion is to arrive 3-4 hours before departure so that the lines are much shorter. The staff does a good job, but the volume presents about two hours to get through the different lines. The new airport might help provide additional space for the many travelers. Thought this review would help prepare visitors with what to expect and to allow the necessary time to prevent missing any flight.
M Evans (October 2016)
There's several places to buy food nowadays and the lounge is no longer AA/BA affiliated. It's just a "members only" lounge. I had a first class ticket to the UK but couldn't use the lounge without paying!! (Naturally, I didn't pay, ridiculous.)
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