JTL for Airport Transfers

[Angel]

Go for it Mike use JTL you have it booked. Maybe Chris can take you somewhere else while you are there.

[Mike_D]

Thanks Angel. I think that's going to be our plan. I am hoping that we can have Chris take us to Mayfield Falls or Pelican Bar, sometime during our reach.

On my last trip to Ochi - about 6 years ago - I took a similar transfer service, arranged by a travel agent. However, I was travelling solo at the time. Don't remember if it was JTL or not, but I didn't have any complaints. As jasperpso said, I think it's worth the few extra bucks for a private transfer (especially travelling as a couple), so we will definitely explore that option in the future.

[Mike_D]

I've been meaning to dig up this thread and post our experience with JTL's airport transfer.

To sum it up: Never again.

Well, to start off, we had a slightly delayed flight and by the time we landed in Mo Bay we had last eaten 6 hours earlier at PHL. Needless to say, we were a little cranky. I kept telling my wife, "Don't worry, we'll be stopping for jerk chicken and Red Stripes soon. Everything will be irie!". After we grabbed our luggage and cleared customs, we entered the transportation hall. As I watched guests of the AIs going to their respective lounges and others with private transfers meeting their drivers, I spotted the JTL Tours desk in the corner. We made our way over to the desk and proceeded to join a mob of people in line waiting to check-in for their transfer. 25 minutes later we were checked in and my wife and I received wristbands. We were then guided to a medium size bus that seated approx 25-30 people. We then sat on the bus for at least another 30 minutes, while we waited for additional passengers. Frustrated, I couldn't help thinking that if we had reserved a private transfer, we would be half way to Negril by now. Our driver is nowhere to be found and finally one women sticks her head out the window and yells to a JTL employee,"Go get our driver. We gotsta go!" Now, my wife is feeling fatigued, practically passed out in the bus seat, and it becomes apparent that we will not be stopping for jerk chicken, because 90% of the passengers are anxious to get to the Rius and Couples resorts. By now it is 3:30 and we sit through constant traffic until we get out of Mo Bay. Since we were staying on West End, we were the last ones to get dropped off. Although there was one other couple staying at the Rockhouse, they got dropped off before us because the driver said the bus would not fit in the Home Sweet Home driveway. After he turned around at the Rockhouse, he was able to pull over at the gates to HSH as we were now on the right side of the road. We finally arrived after an almost 3 hour drive.

At least our frustrations melted away once we checked-in and were able to grab some awesome curry chicken and a couple rum punches, just in time for our first sunset at HSH. The transfer back to airport was not nearly as bad. We were picked-up on time, the bus made the usual stops along the beach road and we arrived at the airport with plenty of time to kill. This part was relatively painless, or maybe that was due to the piece of Jenny Cake that we saved for the trip home.

In summary, the JTL transfer from airport was frustrating, to say the least. I can now see the value in hiring a private transfer, and will definitely be doing that on our next reach.