Owen Roberts Airport departure lounge opens

[caydiver]

Cayman Airways had the only private lounge which while small was comfortable and and had a bar, snacks and all the normal goods. The new airport will have an upper class lounge that some carriers will share. Doubt that Priority Pass will have its own or even rights at busy times just like the AirFrance Lounge in Terminal 1 at JFK. Don’t expect anything like the incredible spaces in places like Singapore but this is still a small airport on a small island which in no way is an international gateway. I think expectations of what is and will be available need to be somewhat in line with the location. With regard tio what is happening with the ongoing construction I guess it is a personal choice if you choose to travel while it is ongoing. Only those who live here and have a need to travel have no choice but to deal with a temporary situation

 

[kelemvor]

When is construction supposed to be complete?

 

[Snoweman]

Cayman Airways had the only private lounge which while small was comfortable and and had a bar, snacks and all the normal goods. The new airport will have an upper class lounge that some carriers will share. Doubt that Priority Pass will have its own or even rights at busy times just like the AirFrance Lounge in Terminal 1 at JFK. Don’t expect anything like the incredible spaces in places like Singapore but this is still a small airport on a small island which in no way is an international gateway. I think expectations of what is and will be available need to be somewhat in line with the location. With regard tio what is happening with the ongoing construction I guess it is a personal choice if you choose to travel while it is ongoing. Only those who live here and have a need to travel have no choice but to deal with a temporary situation

Heck, even Cozumel has a Priority Pass lounge.

 

[muzikbiz22]

calling it a 'lounge' is generous... it's a big room with a couple of vending machines, a bunch of hard chairs and some bathrooms

No gift shops or anything

 

[sara v]

a 'few' gifts for sale at food counter - nothing to write home about - MUCH more available in Brac than inside security at GCM

but no - no actual gift shop at present - my understanding is that they are letting bids for vendors for the new airport - looks like it will be great when finished - but that's a long way off - they say end of the year - I'd bet end of next year

 

[caydiver]

Mexico is a little bigger and handles a few more people that The Cayman Islands

 

[kelemvor]

Mexico is a little bigger and handles a few more people that The Cayman Islands

Really? I always thought the Cayman Islands were more popular than Cozumel what with all the big hotels and all. I guess I'll get to see for myself next year when I go!

 

[Testudo]

Best I can find is that both GCM and COZ have ~.6 million passengers (both arriving and departing).

 

[sara v]

I will say this - IF the airport is not finished next time I go, I will do everything in my power to fly directly into Brac and do customs there - when we flew from Brac back to GCM the customs lines were out the door - and there was not good signage about what to do/where to go - lucky my husband and I are fairly familiar travellers and knew that we did not have to go through customs again as we had not left the country of Cayman Islands - we were 'in transit' -

leaving was a breeze - customs in ATL was awful

there are very few comforts inside the GCM airport at present - even less than compared to how it was before construction started - there were at least a few shops in the terminal

 

[Damselfish]

Really? I always thought the Cayman Islands were more popular than Cozumel what with all the big hotels and all. I guess I'll get to see for myself next year when I go!

For the most recent year I could easily find both - 2015 - 4 million visitors Coz (554k by air), 2 million visitors Cayman (385k by air).

Coz has a bunch of big hotels too. Both got lotsa cruise ships...