Departing Aruba

You know when they say get to the airport three hours early?  They really mean it at Aeropuerto Internacional Reina Beatrix.

If your flight is during peak flight times, generally between 11 am and 4 pm, or during holidays the official recommendation is three hours and you should heed the warning.  Seriously.

The first line you will meet in a long line of lines will be your airline's check in line, this can be an almost walk through process or be a tedious long wait as your boarding passes are issued and they take your checked luggage (don't worry you will meet up with your bags again soon). 

After you complete your airline check in, you will then meet all of your fellow passengers in an even longer line, sometimes snakink around the airport terminal, to have your passport and boarding passes reviewed by Aruban Security.  This line can take upwards of an hour.

From this point you are approved for processing through Aruban Immigration (Departamento di Integracion, Maneho y Admision di Stranhero or DIMAS).  After DIMAS you will go through Aruban security screening and into the terminal.

In the terminal you will find duty free shopping and food courts. You will also find more lines.  Oh you just only completed Aruban processing now you are in the hands of the US Customs.

You will find your checked baggage, each airline is kept separate so there should not be an issue.  You and your bags will then join a line for US Customs processing.  The one great thing about this is there is no customs once you get back into the United States. 

After clearing customs you, your carry on bags and your checked bags will go down a hallway and at this point you will deposit your checked bags onto a conveyor belt to meet you in your airplane.

Your lines are not done because you then have to go through US security screening.  This is your final processing line.

So to review you have the following lines:

• Airline check in for you and your bags
• Aruban passport and boarding pass review
• Aruban Immigration
• Aruban Security Screening
• United States Customs
• United States Security Screening

I am tired just typing it out.