Questions and Answers

On a recent trip from Cozumel, MX to Charlotte, NC, our flight was diverted to Miami to switch out a crew which was over the fly-time limit. Already almost an hour late departing, we then had to go through customs in Miami. This caused considerable delay. A flight which should have arrived in NC at 6:40 pm landed at 10:24. Connections to Newark, JFK, and Chicago were long gone by then.

Since the only problem was the need for a new crew, it would have made sense for the passengers to stay on the plane and go through customs in Charlotte. More of the passengers might then have made their connections. Would the FAA, Homeland Security, or TSA ever allow this?

On a related note, we were able to breeze through customs using Global Entry, and had time to book ourselves onto a direct Miami-to-Newark flight. We worked this out on our own. Why wouldn’t the airline have tried to offer this type of option to other passengers for whom Charlotte was not the final destination?

Because the crew’s time limit issue related to weather problems on a previous flight not related to this itinerary, I’m guessing no overnight accommodations were offered to those stuck in Charlotte. Unconscionable.