Ko Phi Phi: difficulty of connecting flight to Phuket/Krabi with ferry

I'm trying to arrange travel to Ko Phi Phi in January, but it seems that
1. the last ferries to Phi Phi from Phuket and Krabi are at 1pm and 3pm respectively (it's not clear how reliable these times are, as they differ from one website to another),
2. a good fraction of the flights into these two airports arrive too late to be able to rely on getting to the ferry terminal in time for the last ferry, and
3. the only option other than the regular ferry is a very expensive speedboat or seaplane.

Can any regular Phi Phi visitors comment on how they deal with these complications? Have I overlooked any other options? Is the standard approach just to either take an early flight or stay overnight in Phuket or Krabi?