Printable View
We are thinking of using TimAir to CN for our 2013 trip. What is the normal cost for two couples? If we reserve ahead of time how do we pay. I read someone about a high debit card fee? Also do we ask for couples to have a taxi at the airstrip or just take one that is there. How much is it? Thanks all for your help!
Go to www.timair.com and click on the rates link. You'll have to submit your information and will receive an email response with the current rate.
You make a reservation on that same website by clicking on the reservations link. Once you arrive in MoBay, check in at the Couples lounge and ask the Couples agent to call Tim Air. Someone will come to escort you to the TimAir Counter, where you'll pay for your flight. We always pay by credit card.
After you land in Negril, you can ask the TimAir employee to call Couples Negril for you, or you can accept a ride from one of the several drivers awaiting the arrival of guests. CN is right across the street (you could actually walk). We usually accept a ride from one of the drivers, who have charged us either $5 or $10.
We have used timair twice and have already reserved a flight for our third time this july. I would suggest going to their website. It's very easy to reserve a flight there. You just need all of your arrival and departure information. I don't remember a charge for using our credit card. The rates did go up a little since last year. I think the rate for two is around $440 roundtrip. It's well worth it to us, so we just go ahead and figure it into the cost of tour trip. You get to Couples in about 15 minutes as opposed to 1.5 hours. Plus, you get an incredible view of the island! Don't worry about the taxi, there's always someone waiting or will arrive shortly after you land. Have fun- you will love it!
We have flown TimAir roundtrip twice, and on this most recent trip in February, we took the shuttle bus to CSA, and TimAir back to MoBay. In all instances, I received a quote ahead of time from TimAir and paid with a credit card. I don't know if they even accept debit cards. There are always plenty of taxis waiting at Negril airstrip to take you to the resort. Or you can call Couples when you arrive and they will send a van over. The cab ride to CSA was $10 with tip (probably less for CN).
You can reserve ahead of time or not. Either way is ok. After obtaining your luggage you proceed to the Couples lounge to let them know who you are and that you will not be taking the Couples transportation to the hotel and that you will be using TimAir instead. Once they have checked you in, the TimAir representative will walk you outside and over to the check in desk. We paid via credit card without any issues. The cost was somewhere around $200 for both my husband and I and then a tip to the pilot $20-30. Once you pay the fee, they walk you to the security check and out you go to board the plane. We loved it and wouldn't go any other way on arrival. The view is absolutely wonderful and we have beautiful aerial pictures of CSA. Let the pilot know which resort you will be going to and he will fly over so you can get some really good pictures. The person that sits behind the pilot will be able to get the best photos based on the flying pattern. Enjoy!
I am looking into using Intl. Airlink for traveling back to Mobay from Negril. The quoted price is significantly cheaper than what Timair sent me, but they are on a scheduled flight plan which will only put us at the airport about 2 hr 15 min before our flight. I am a little concerned about cutting the timing close as some say to arrive 3 hrs in advance (but almost just as many say 2 hr). We are departing on a Tuesday at 11:45 am and cant imagine it would take longer than 2 hrs to get through immigration/customs.
And guidance on this would be greatly appreciated.
That's interesting. I suppose we're just too antsy to get to Couples because we split up - one of us goes to the Couples lounge to get the check in done while the other stops at TimAir (or IAL) to check with them in parallel.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pamela
This might only save us 5 or 10 minutes, but with the variables in actual flight arrival time, deplaning, clearing immigration, claiming bags, and clearing customs, TimAit/IAL never know exactly when we'll be there. We've had them hold a plane for 5 minutes or so for us to get over to the domestic counter and our theory is the sooner we check with them the more likely we'll not have to wait.
Monurse - the TimAir counter is at the end of a line of for local transportation/excursions/etc. counters that you'll pass (it will be on your right) on your way to the Couples lounge.
If you're not comfortable seeking them yourself, ask one of the many people milling about or take Pamela's advice and have Couples call them over for you.
I'm not aware of any high debit card fee, but years ago IAL would charge more for using Amex (as opposed to Visa or Mastercard), where TimAir never has charged us more.
Quote:
Originally Posted by E$
Well after checking further into it, the price is about the same after taxes (thought the inital price from Airlink had everything included)
Now looks like we just have to choose to spend the money or take the shuttle?! hummm
Personally we'd be fine with 2 hr 15 min ahead of time for early Tue AM. We've done 2hrs on a weekend as well, but we know exactly where we're going, have access to priority check in lines, etc.Quote:
Originally Posted by E$
Disclaimer - we've also had to spend the night in MoBay - though that had much more to do with AirJamaica's incompetence than our arrival time at MBJ.
Definitely recommend that you check in online and print your boarding passes at CN ahead of time (assuming your airline allows this). Most airlines (e.g. Delta) have a separate line for just dropping off your checked luggage at the counter (if you have it), allowing you to bypass what can be quite lengthy check in lines.
Rudi, since the TimAir counter has moved and you can walk to it, we check in at Couples and then just walk over to the terminal, but for first-time flyers, I think it's probably easiest to simply check in at the lounge. I know the desk to which you're referring in close proximity to the Couples lounge, and it must just be our luck, but there's never anyone there when we land.
take the van, I became interested in TimAir after reading on it here. to save maybe an hour, they just sent me an email quoting 1052.00$US to fly round trip!!! thats more than I am paying to fly from Philly to MBJ!!! its just not worth it.
I think something happened with your quote. (unless it's for small group) We're flying in from Philly on MayQuote:
Originally Posted by lmoench
5th, and I got a quote of $448 round trip for 2 people.
We used Timair our last 3 trips but most likely won't anymore. We paid $230 for one way. Some details are in our review(CSA 4/6-4/14). We are hoping it is not the norm, but what happened to us has soured us on Timair. Happy travels:)
We just returned from 10 days at CN and used Timair and for my wife and myself our roundtrip cost was $460 total.
here is the email quote I got...Quote:
Originally Posted by jimbo248
Dear Laura Moench,
Thank you for your e-mail. TimAir Limited provides air taxi charters to the
Boscobel airport, Ocho Rios (not a scheduled service). Flying time is 30
minutes.
Fights are only available during daylight hours.
The one-way price is US $526.00 in total for two passengers, inclusive of all
fees and taxes.
The round trip price is US $1,052.00. These rates are valid for 14 days only
so please check with us again closer to the date of travel. (Please note that
this is to charter a plane for yourselves; TimAir does not offer a scheduled
service where you buy seats on a plane.)
If you would like to make a reservation, please let us have the following
additional information:
1) The names of all passengers;
2) Which airline, flight number and the expected arrival time of your
international airline into Montego Bay;
3) Which hotel you will be staying at in Ocho Rios.
We would then send you a confirmation of your reservation with some simple
instructions for your arrival in Montego Bay.
We look forward to having you fly with TimAir Limited when you visit Jamaica.
If you have any questions, please let us know.
Sincerely,
TimAir Limited.
P.S. We usually wait until you arrive at our check in counter and then we will
call your hotel so that they can have transportation waiting for you at the
Boscobel
airport when you land. Some hotels offer this free of charge and others may
charge for it.
Please note that TimAir is not responsible for your ground transportation.
Jimbo's quote was for travel from MoBay to Negril, while Laura's is for travel from MoBay to Ocho Rios. Ocho Rios is further away from MoBay than is Negril. The flight is therefore twice as long and costs twice as much.Quote:
Originally Posted by lmoench
I agree with louieandsusie. We used TimAir for the first time this last trip to CSA at the end of March. We were really excited at the idea of getting to the resort in a short 15 minute flight and loved the idea of getting to see the island from the air in that way. I made our reservations about a month ahead of time. Remember, the idea of TimAir is that it is a charter and so leaves when you get there, in theory anyway, versus Airlink that has set times for departures. We checked in at both counters (husband went to Couples and I stopped at the TimAir counter) and were off to the Tim Air terminal. The employees were very helpful and fun. However, the fun stopped when they told us to go have a seat while they checked "to make sure there was gas in the plane". We proceeded to wait 25-30 minutes. It turned out they weren't checking the plane. They were waiting for another couple who was going to CN who had arrived on a different airline than ours. As the time ticked by I was more unhappy. Especially since they had not told us the truth about the delay. So much for our charter flight. The pilot Curtis was fun and, despite flying through a rain storm that was a little scary, the flight was enjoyable.
Upshot: Not sure it's worth the money, especially since no guarantee that you will leave asap as everyone claims they do, but probably was fun to do once. We paid $230 for two people one way.
lalaillinois:
We too shared the plane with another couple unknown to us until we boarded the plane----only more questions and curiosity about the whole experience. Gonna save our money:)