Sangster International Airport (MBJ) serves as Jamaica’s main tourist gateway to Montego Bay’s beaches, resorts and cruise ports on the north shore of Jamaica. Huge high-season crowds and an ongoing multi-year airport construction project means transiting the airport could potentially be a stressful start or finish to your vacation. But follow these expert tips, and you can make your airport transit as smooth as the Caribbean Sea.
How to get to and from MBJ and Jamaican destinations
There’s nothing quite as stressful as exiting a terminal on your vacation only to find a waving, shouting mass of locals trying to hustle you to hire them for a ride. Touts often do mob the hot, humid exit area at MBJ, but you can completely avoid this hassle by arranging your ride before your trip, or even inside the terminal after you clear customs.
Shuttle services at MBJ
I’d say the best transport option is a free shuttle service. Many Montego Bay resorts offer pre-arranged shuttles, and major chains like Couples, Half Moon, Sandals, and Hyatt have hospitality lounges in the Ground Transportation Hall where you can wait with a cool drink. Check with your resort ahead of time to see what they offer.
If your resort doesn’t provide shuttle service, it’s worth splurging for a scheduled shuttle (usually comfortable vans or buses). You’ll find transfer and tour operator desks in the Ground Transportation Arrivals Hall after customs where you can arrange rides.
Taxis and rideshare services at MBJ
While you won’t find traditional Uber or Lyft rideshare services in Jamaica, you can now request local taxis through the Uber app at MBJ. The airport also has two official taxi services (JUTA and JCAL) where you can sign up for a ride at their common desk just outside customs.
These authorized airport taxi services operate with standard rates to specific destinations, so you can be confident you’re getting a legitimate transfer. Check ahead of time to see how close your resort is to the airport.
Most resorts in Montego Bay proper (such as those on the “Hip Strip” or in Rose Hall) are just 10-20 minutes from the airport, though resorts in the wider area like The Tryall Club (about 35 minutes) or Grand Palladium (45-60 minutes) take longer to reach. For these farther destinations, I’d recommend joining a group shuttle for the value.
Rental cars at MBJ
Multiple rental car companies operate in the Ground Transportation/Arrivals Hall. You can book on arrival, but reserve far ahead during high season since cars sell out during holidays.
I’d be hesitant to rent a car in Jamaica unless really necessary. Jamaican traffic can be difficult, roads are of variable quality outside the cities, and local drivers can be aggressive.
Book a car only if you’re confident in your driving abilities (note it’s on the British left side of the road in Jamaica), or if you need to travel far outside the usual tourist zone. Some more remote villa rentals may recommend 4-wheel drive vehicles for hilly dirt roads and occasional gaping potholes en route.
Departure terminal layout
The airport terminal is divided into two sections, East and West, so be mindful of where your gate is if you’re enjoying a few rum punches in the lounge. Even with these two sections, the airport isn’t huge, so you just need to account for an extra ten minutes or so to walk to your gate if it is on the opposite side of the airport.
Immigration at MBJ
MBJ uses automated immigration kiosks and electronic gates to handle busy tourist seasons. Complete the Electronic Passenger Declaration (C5) form online at enterjamaica.gov.jm before your trip (or on your inbound flight, where you’ll often find a scannable QR code). This is now mandatory for all arriving passengers, and the service is free.
Even with the automated system, delays happen when multiple flights arrive simultaneously. Allow buffer time if you have a prearranged ride to meet you at the airport.
Baggage and customs at MBJ
Baggage carousels are readily accessible in one main arrivals hall, and I’ve found customs to be a fairly straightforward process of dropping my bag on a conveyor belt through a scanner. Once you clear customs, Red Cap baggage handlers (literally wearing red caps) are available with carts to take your bags to your ride. Red Cap porters are posted at the departures terminal as well.
Departures and security
MBJ advises arriving three hours before your flight. In my experience, two hours has been plenty of time to get through security and reach the gates at this relatively small airport.
During holiday season or when multiple cruise ships arrive, it could take longer. If you’re worried about security time, Club Mobay offers VIP service with fast track security lanes (more details in the lounges section below).
Terminal food and shopping
MBJ has a good-sized duty-free area with decent deals on Jamaican rum, plus plenty of touristy souvenir shops lining the terminal hallways. For more legitimate souvenirs, I’d recommend Island Chic local handicraft store, the Coffee & Spice shop, either of the two Reggae Marts, or Tuff Gong Traders for reggae and Bob Marley merchandise.
For dining, the Bob Marley One Love Restaurant is a solid sit-down option. I enjoyed their spicy jerk burger, and they offer vegetarian and “Ital” (plant-based) options too.
Lounges at MBJ
Club Mobay operates the VIP lounges at the airport (multiple in departures near Gates 7 and 12, plus one in arrivals). Access can be reserved in advance or purchased on a walk-in basis, space permitting. Club Mobay partners with Priority Pass, Lounge Key, and Diners Club, plus airlines like Virgin Atlantic, Air France, and KLM for eligible passengers. Check the Club Mobay website for current pricing and partners.
The MBJ terminal has decent food, drink and seating options, so lounge access isn’t critical. That said, I found it a very nice, relaxing way to finish my trip and worth the money for a quiet area with a full meal and drinks.
The departures terminal can get a little crowded and hectic at times, and the departure lounges offer a peaceful respite. The lounges provide a complimentary buffet featuring Jamaican specialties like patties and tapas, along with light snacks. A complimentary bar serves alcoholic beverages including tasty rum punch cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks.
The lounges feature designated areas including an adults-only lounge and a family-friendly “Pickney Place” with children’s activities to cater to different customers.
A bonus of booking the Club Mobay lounge is that departing passengers will have access to a dedicated Fast Track lane through immigration and security that I’ve found to cut a few important minutes from the departure process, or even save more time during peak travel periods.
MBJ’s arrivals lounge
Something most travelers don’t know is that Club Mobay also has an Arrival Service that includes a personalized meet and greet upon disembarking, escorted and expedited service through immigration and customs, plus access to their VIP Arrival Lounge.
If you’re in a rush to meet a cruise ship or catch a ride, I’d say the VIP arrival lanes and escort are worth the price. And if you have time to kill before your ground transfer, or if you’re waiting to meet other friends arriving at the airport, the Club Mobay arrivals lounge is a relaxing place to hang out, complete with wifi, food and drink. You can even buy a Bundle Service combining arrivals and departure lounge access to save a few dollars and streamline both ends of your trip.
Airline connections between MBJ and other cities
While MBJ has plenty of international flight connections, domestic air connections within Jamaica are limited to services like TimAir and International Airlink. The good news is that ground transport has improved significantly - it’s now only about a 2.5 to 3-hour drive from MBJ to the capital of Kingston via the North-South Highway (Edward Seaga Highway), making cross-Jamaica travel much more feasible than before.
Inter-Caribbean flight options from MBJ have historically been limited, often connecting back through Miami to reach other islands. However, regional connectivity has improved significantly with LIAT Airlines now offering direct flights to destinations like Antigua and Barbuda, plus a revived domestic link to Kingston.
This KAYAK-commissioned article is presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up-to-date. The opinions contained in the article are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others.
