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Word is floating around that St Barth will begin charging a 20-euro departure fee to help pay for the new x-ray screening machine they are installing at the airport.
Winair is allowing you to check one suitcase at no charge but has begun charging $25 for each additional checked suitcase. The weight limit is 44 lbs.
Delta has announced that they will be adding a second Saturday flight to St Maarten starting on December 20 from Atlanta, with connections from most cities in the Delta network.
With gas prices rising every week, the airlines are in the news more and more.
American Airlines has announced that they are adding two new direct flights out of Miami and New York for the upcoming tourism season. The new twice-weekly New York flight starts in December and will go increase to five flights per week in January. The second direct flight from Miami is scheduled to start in November. It will leave Miami at 5:15 pm and arrive in St. Maarten at 9:10 pm. The aircraft will stay overnight there and leave the next morning at 9:10 am, arriving in Miami at 11:30 am.
Air Caraïbes has announced that it will again offer flights between St Barth and St Maarten starting on July 15 in partnership with Tropical Airlines.
ST. BARTH'S, French West Indies -- I have found paradise all over again. Just when I thought I had already seen the most beautiful beaches in the world, I arrive at the French West Indies island of St. Barth's, and I am instantly awed by its natural beauty. Now, getting here is another story.
Last week, it was reported that Air Caraibes, who provides commercial flights and charters between St. Maarten and St. Barth has ceased all operations of flights and the handling of flights and charters until further notice due to financial losses. Those with confirmed tickets are being accommodated by other airlines, notably Winair. It is expected that in early July the airline will resume operations in conjunction with a third-party, most likely Tropical Airlines, which is also known as Air Antilles Express.
Spirit Airlines recently announced it would close its San Juan hub.
JetBlue Airways Corp. plans to add daily flights to Puerto Rico from New York, Orlando and Boston starting this fall. However, in September, they will cease their daily flights to St. Maarten and offer flights only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. In early October, daily flights will resume except for Tuesday and Wednesday. They expect to resume daily flights again on October 30.
St. Barth Properties is offering a "Deals on Wheels" special from June 16 to October 31. If you make a reservation during that time at one of the villas or hotels that they represent, you can rent a car for $175 per week, with a $25 rate for each additional day. A normally good rate for this time of year is 25 euros per day, which at current exchange rates is $39.50 per day! These rates are good for a Suzuki Ignis hardtop sedan or a Jimny soft-top convertible Jeep, both with automatic transmission. For further details and to book your reservation, visit their website at www.stbarth.com.
Working in collaboration with NewTec Assistance, Dufau Establishments is anticipating the arrival of electric scooters very soon. These 3000 and 3500 watt scooters have a range of 100 to 150 km and a speed of 50 to 80 km/hour. The lithium batteries can be discharged and completely recharged 3000 times. They have also been "tropicalized": The scooters are painted with an anti-rust paint, all of their electronic components are sealed and the screws and bolts are made of stainless steel. Visit Dufau's shop near the gas station in St. Jean or call him at 0590 27 54 83. To learn more about these environment-friendly scooters, go to www.newtecassistance.com.
Air Caraïbes is one of the small airlines that provides commercial flights and charters between St. Maarten, St. Barth and Guadeloupe. Princess Juliana International Airport in St Maarten was just notified that Air Caraïbes has stopped all operations of flights and charters until further notice due to huge financial losses. They've stated that passengers with confirmed tickets will be accommodated by other airlines, mostly Winair.
The airline hopes that by the end of June or the first week of July they will resume flights in a joint effort with Tropical Airlines (also known as Air Antilles Express), but as of yet, there has been no official confirmation of this partnership.
Due to ever-increasing gas prices, American Airlines has announced that they are ending service between Puerto Rico and St. Maarten in September. They also plan to reduce their daily New York flights to St Maarten to three times a week. For now, daily service between Miami and St Maarten remains intact.
The Voyager, one of the catamarans that travels between St Barth and St Martin, is reducing the number of departures from three per day to two per day until July 14. The schedule in effect from May 20 until July 13 is below.
As reported in the St Maarten newspaper the Daily Herald on June 4, Winair is facing a shortage of pilots and has been forced to reduce the number of its flights to all destinations. The airline needs five more pilots to supplement its pool of 25 pilots in order to maintain its previous schedules. Because of a shortage of pilots from the Antilles, Winair has been trying to attract foreign pilots. However, the process to acquire the mandatory employment documents is lengthy. Documents from the pilot must be submitted to the Island Labour Office. Once they are verified, Winair must pay the processing fee to the Island Receiver. This initial process takes about three days if all goes well. Normally, once Winair has provided proof of payment to the Labour Department, it takes a week to process the paperwork and send it to the Executive Council for approval. At the same time, all documents are sent to Police Affairs for a residence permit. After these steps are completed, an appointment must be made to process "the declaration act of guarantee" and the paperwork is sent to the Lt. Governor and the Immigration Department for approval. Winair reports an incident when paperwork for a pilot was begun in January and by the end of April was still not completed. The airline is appealing to the Central and Island Governments to streamline the process so that it takes only two weeks from when the documents are submitted to obtaining the permit. Winair's management requested a meeting in April to discuss these issues. As of today, no meeting has been set.
As of May 1, the Rapid Explorer is again based in Philipsburg at Bobby's Marina. This is a high-speed catamaran with airline-like seats and air-conditioning. The Rapid Explorer departs Philipsburg every day at 7:15 am, 9:30 am and 5:00 pm, except for Tuesdays and Sundays when there is no 7:15 am departure. The boat departs St Barth every day at 8:15 am, 10:30 am and 6:00 pm, except for Tuesdays and Sundays when there is no 8:15 am departure. The crossing takes 45 minutes.
For information or to make reservations, call 05 90 52 45 06 or visit the office in St Barth or St Maarten where the boat departs.
According to the Daily Herald of St Maarten, Winair will begin adding a fuel surcharge of $12.50 on one-way tickets and $25 on round-trip tickets to all fares beginning May 1. As Winair is the most popular airlines for flights between St Maarten and St Barth, this will affect most people traveling to this little piece of paradise.
The Rapid Explorer, a high-speed catamaran with airline-type seats and air-conditioning, resumed service between St Maarten and St Barth on February 11 after a hiatus of 18 months. It will depart from and arrive at Captain Oliver's Marina at Oyster Pond, which is about 25 minutes from the airport. The marina is home to Captain Oliver's restaurant as well as a bar and grill, which makes waiting for departure a relaxing experience and a chance to grab a bite. Tickets are for sale at the travel agency Saint Barth Tours and Travel in Gustavia. You can also contact them by phone at 590 590 52 45 06, by fax at 590 590 52 41 38 or by email at sbh.ferry@orange.fr.
Pure Rental, which is located on Rue du Roi Oscar II in Gustavia, is offering exclusive rentals of Mini Cooper convertibles with free delivery to the airport, your villa, hotel or boat. Visit their web site at http://www.st-barths.com/pure-rental/index.html, email them at contact@purerental.com, or call them at 590 590 27 64 76 or 590 690 45 75 55. You can expect to pay around 120 euros per day, depending on the season.
With the holiday celebrations in full swing, be careful of drinking and driving. The penalties are stiff. Recently, an American citizen was stopped for an alcohol test while driving a rental car. She tested positive with 0.50 mg of alcohol per liter of air exhaled. The penalty? She was asked to pay the fine of 800 euros and to leave the island if she didn't want to go before a judge. That's one fast way to ruin your vacation! Under French law, the legal level of alcohol in the blood is 0.5 grams per liter of blood. If you have up to 0.8 grams, you risk a fine of 135 euros. Higher than that level, if there hasn't been an accident, you must pay a fine immediately. If there has been an accident, you must go before the judge. The sentence for drunk driving can be up to two years in prison and up to 4500 euros in fines. Think before you drink!
Options for getting to St Barth seem to be increasing daily. Linear Air is offering flights from San Juan to St Barth until April 8, 2008. Their 8-passenger Cessna Grand Caravan holds the highest safety record in its class and their operation maintains an ARG/US Gold safety rating. While on board, you'll enjoy air-conditioning, oversized leather seating, complimentary drinks and snacks and unparalleled luggage capacity. For additional information, contact them at 877-2-LINEAR (outside the U.S., call 1-781-860-9696), visit their web site at www.linearair.com or email them at info@linearair.com. The one-way fare is $475, which includes all fees and taxes. They seem to be offering this service only during the high season, but perhaps it will prove profitable enough to continue longer.
Wimco Villas, the leading villa specialist company, is pleased to announce that a villa holiday on the beautiful island of St Barths is now even more accessible from the UK thanks to the introduction of daily connecting flights from Antigua with Caribbean airline Win-Air.
The Win-Air flights are scheduled to start on 3 December 2007 and are positioned to connect with Virgin Atlantic and British Airways flights from the UK. Prices for the Antigua - St Barths flight will start from £250 one way and Wimco Villa clients in the UK will be able to book both legs of the journey (UK - Antigua - St Barths) through Wimco Villa's reservations department (www.wimco.com / tel: 0870 850 1144).
Jet Blue just started accepting ticket reservations from JFK (New York) to SXM (St Maarten) for flights starting on Thursday, January 17, 2008. You can make reservations well into April of next year. As of now, flight 787 leaves JFK at 9:35 am and arrives at SXM at 2:40 pm. Flight 788, the return flight, leaves SXM at 3:35 pm and arrives at JFK at 7:05 pm. The round-trip airfare on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, traditionally the cheapest days to fly, is only $318, plus taxes and fees. Round-trip airfare on Thursdays is $498; $568, on Fridays; and $638 on Saturdays.
The Voyager, the ferry between St Barth and St Maarten, will increase its number of daily trips starting on October 28. Because of the ever-increasing price of gas, they have also slightly increased the fare as of October 1. Prices for adults are 55 € for a round-trip ticket for the same day, 76 € for a round-trip ticket on different days, and 48 € for a one-way ticket. For more information and to make reservations, please visit www.voyager-st-barths.com .
Easyway, NV, which is based in St Martin, announced that effective last Tuesday they will make an inaugural trip with their new freight line from Philipsburg, St Maarten to Gustavia. Four trips per week are planned, but they anticipate adding a fifth trip for high season. The ship will arrive on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays around 2:30 pm. On Thursdays, the ship will be in Gustavia at 6:00 am before continuing on to St Eustatius and Saba. The Monday arrival allows products that arrive on Air France on Sunday to be delivered to St Barth. Overall, it is anticipated that 25% more of the cargo that arrives via Air France can be transported to St Barth.
Air France to Fly From Miami to St Maarten
Starting in November, Air France will start service between Miami to St Maarten, via Pointe- à-Pitre, Guadeloupe. Although this is a bit of a roundabout way to get to St Maarten (and, finally, to St Barth),
it's always helpful to have a Plan B or C. For details, visit the Air France web site.
Tradewind Aviation Rates Until November 1
Tradewind Aviation offers daily direct flights from San Juan, Puerto Rico to St Barth with the comfort and convenience of a private charter. The current discounted fare for tickets for the 2007/2008 season is $350. However, beginning November 1, the price will increase to $495. See their website for flight information.
Caribbean Sun Airlines to Resume Flights
Caribbean Sun went out of business a while ago, but is planning on resuming flights between San Juan and St Maarten. This time, the airline will be flying 737 aircraft instead of the little puddle jumpers it used before. They are expected to resume business before the coming high season. See current details here.
We all know that to get to the island paradise of St Barth, you have to show you're worthy by successfully passing through Princess Juliana International Airport in St Maarten. American Airlines is making it easier by drastically cutting the air fare on flights from a long list of American cities to St Maarten. Tickets must be purchased no later than 11:59 pm, July 17 (if you act fast, you still have time!). Fares are valid for outbound travel from September 4, 2007 through December 11. Return travel must be completed by December 13, 2007. A two-day minimum stay is required and a 30-day maximum stay is allowed. Below are a few samples of the incredible air fares.
Round-trip Air Fares to St. Maarten:
Atlanta - $258
Baltimore - $268
Boston - $359
Chicago - $338
Los Angeles - $458
Miami - $178
New York - $238
The operations of Princess Juliana International Airport were affected on the evening of July 3 due to the outage of the runway lighting. One flight was cancelled, two flights were delayed and one flight diverted to Anguilla, Princess Juliana International Airport Operating Company informed on Wednesday.
The outage was due to damage done to the electrical cables for the runway lighting. The cause of the damage is being investigated and measures will be taken to prevent a similar situation from happening again.
At approximately 7:30pm, the outage of the runway lighting was noticed and reported. "Our technical department investigated the matter and repairs started soon thereafter. At approximately 8:50pm, one phase of the runway lighting was repaired and operations of the airport resumed as normal," the press release stated.
Due to expectations of high passenger traffic this summer, American Airlines enforced an embargo on boxes and additional baggage on June 9 for those traveling to and from many Caribbean destinations. The baggage embargo applies to Santo Domingo, Santiago, Puerto Plata, Port-au-Prince and Kingston as well as all American Eagle flights to and from San Juan. While St Maarten is not listed, it would be prudent to check with American before heading to the airport. In addition, American has imposed a year-round box embargo for flights originating from and passing through New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to all Caribbean and Latin America destinations.
Oversize, overweight and excess baggage will not be accepted for flights to the targeted destinations. Passengers may check two bags weighing a maximum of 50 pounds each at no charge. The maximum weight for cities on the embargo list is 70 pounds. Bags weighing between 51 and 70 pounds are subject to a $25 fee. One carry-on bag will be allowed with a maximum size of 45" and a maximum weight of 40 pounds. Sports equipment, such as golf bags, bikes and surfboards, will be accepted as part of the total checked bag allowance; additional charges may apply. Walkers, wheelchairs and any other assistive devices are welcomed for customers with disabilities.
As reported by St Maarten's newspaper The Daily Herald, Princess Juliana International Airport will introduce an Airport Improvement Fee (AIF) effective July 1. This fee is meant to help offset the cost of improving the infrastructure and services at the airport and is expected to be in effect until December 31, 2011. The AIF will be charged to all departing passengers and will be collected by the airport as part of the price of airline tickets. The termination date of December 31, 2011 assumes that passenger traffic will have increased enough by then to sustain the investment that has been made in the new airport. The projected increase in passengers is 3% per year. If passenger levels increase substantially more than 3% per year, the AIF will be withdrawn earlier. Just under 1.7 million passengers used the airport in 2006.
Tradewind Aviation provides first-class, nonstop air service between San Juan, PR and St Barth. They have recently announced a special fare of $350 (one way) for bookings made before November 1, 2007. With the regular price of $495, this is a savings of $145. In addition, they offer a special rate of $200 for residents of St Barth. Tradewind Aviation is a U.S. carrier whose planes are jet-prop powered, air-conditioned and are flown by two fully qualified crew members. You can make reservations on-line at http://www.tradewindaviation.com.
It's a mystery. Last Sunday evening, a man jumped from the Voyager when it was about 15 feet from the dock and swam the rest of the way. No one knows why he did it, but is it that hard to understand?! I'd guess that after a long, arduous day of traveling, he saw St Barth within his reach and just couldn't wait any longer!
A company called Fly Tampa makes "airports" for flight simulation. Their newest package is for St. Maarten, and includes the infamous St. Barts airstrip - check out the computer image (click it for a bigger version) - pretty cool.
On Friday, April 20, Spirit Airlines Airbus 319, named "Spirit of St Maarten/St Marin," landed at Princess Juliana International Airport at 1:30 pm. Round-trip airfare between Ft. Lauderdale and St Maarten was a mere $178. While Spirit Airlines currently only has three scheduled flights per week, there is talk of daily flights in the near future.
Depart
Arrive
Flight
Number
Frequency
Ft. Lauderdale -
St Maarten
11:00 am
1:50 pm
100
Fri/Sat/Sun
St Maarten - Ft.
Lauderdale
2:40 pm
5:55 pm
777
Fri/Sat/Sun
There was some concern last week when the air-traffic controllers at the St Maarten airport went on strike. However, it turns out that if there is ever a problem with air-traffic control in St Maarten, the air-traffic controllers in San Juan, Puerto Rico take over. Don't you just love having a Plan B!
New nonstop service between Fort Lauderdale and St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles starts today
Celebratory Fares Starting at $99 Each Way*
Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (April 20, 2007) - Spirit Airlines today inaugurated nonstop service between Fort Lauderdale and St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles. Service will be offered three times weekly on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
In addition to nonstop service from Fort Lauderdale, Spirit also offers connecting service from its domestic network. Spirit serves all routes with its fleet of Airbus aircraft, the youngest in the Americas.
To celebrate the new service, Spirit Airlines dedicated one of its A319 aircraft to the region by naming it "The Spirit of St. Maarten/St. Martin". The aircraft arrived on the island today to highlight the celebration.
"This is a very exciting day for us as St. Maarten marks our 14th Caribbean destination served," said Mark Kopczak, Senior Director of Network Planning for Spirit Airlines. "We proudly dedicated one of our new Airbus aircraft to this island paradise to show our commitment to providing ultra low fares and reliable service to the region."
"It is said that air service is a lifeline to tourism growth for emerging islands like St. Maarten/St. Martin, and we are elated that Spirit Airlines is now operating three weekly year-round direct flights from Fort Lauderdale to St. Maarten," said St. Maarten Tourism Director, Regina LaBega.
You don't have to be wealthy or famous to enjoy St. Barts, but it helps
by donna m. airoldi / metro new york
APR 11, 2007
ST. BARTHELEMY. The food! The shopping! The beautiful beaches! Friends of mine have raved about Saint Barthélemy, better known as St. Barts (or St. Barths, depending on how much of a Francophile you are), for years. Friends, that is, who have money. As a writer who lives in New York, particularly without a trust fund, I tend to be more judicial in choosing vacation destinations. Plus, I had no interest in dabbling in the playground of the rich and famous.
US Airways The recent merging of US Airways with America West has created some temporary problems at the airport in St Maarten. As reported by a traveler to St Barth, this past Monday, all technology was shut down. As a result, hundreds of passengers missed flights and waited in lines at the confirmation desk for up to 3 hours. "The airline has adopted the computer system from America West and the ticket agents at SXM have not been properly trained how to use the system. There was frustration all around, with people outraged, screaming, being taken aside, and removed from planes." If you're flying US Airways to get to St Barths soon, call ahead and plan for some extra travel time.Spirit Airlines
Spirit Airlines is scheduled to begin service from their Ft. Lauderdale hub to St Maarten at the end of April.
Restrictions on Baggage Handling In the past, St Barth Commuter staff could retrieve its passengers' yellow-ribbon tagged checked luggage when they arrived in St Maarten and transfer it to their plane to St Barth. However, procedures at the new airport now require that all baggage handling must be done by the groundhandling company, Menzies. St Barth Commuter customers will now have to go through immigration, retrieve their luggage and take it to the transit check-in counter. However, passengers flying to St Barth on private charters or shared charters can still go straight through the transit security checkpoint to the Departure Lounge as long as they escorted by an official agent of the chartered plane. These agents are also allowed to collect and transfer their luggage to the chartered plane.
There is good news and bad news regarding WinAir, currently the most important carrier between St Barth and St Maarten.
WinAir recently announced an agreement with the U.S. carrier Continental Airlines in which passengers of both airlines will be issued one e-ticket and their luggage will be checked through to St Barth. WinAir also provides e-ticketing agreements with KLM, Delta, US Airways and Air France. The International Air Transportation Association requires that the airline industry be 100% e-ticket compatible by the end of 2007. WinAir will comply with this requirement by the end of April 2007, allowing them to save money on the costs incurred by the conventional paper ticket.
WinAir continues to have financial problems and employee dissatisfaction. The Parliament in St Maarten will meet today or tomorrow to discuss issues of safety, staff turnover and the reason for the recent increase in ticket prices. Because of financial problems, staff turnover has been high in key positions such as pilots, mechanics, passenger handling, maintenance and accounting. Also, luggage is frequently left behind, especially in Saba and St. Eustatius. Because of the shortage of pilots (the airline has 32 of the needed 37), the flight schedule has been modified and some routes have been outsourced. Thus far, flights to and from St Barth have not been affected. Managing Director Edwin Hodge assures everyone that safety is not being compromised, noting that WinAir is constantly being audited by the Antillean Directorate of Civil Aviation and is audited every two years by its code-share partner US Airways. US Airways rates the maintenance procedures and inspections "as good as any major airline." He also states that the higher ticket prices are due to the increased costs associated with the new airport in St Maarten. We can only hope that WinAir can straighten out its financial problems and continue to remain the airline of choice between St Maarten and St Barth. As always, its employees on St Barth continue to be helpful and polite.
St. Maarten/St. Martin's only helicopter service, Heli St. Martin, has been operational since August 2006 and celebrated its official opening in early November 2006, with service seven days a week from the airport in Grand Case. Before offering the service, Heli St. Martin acquired all necessary permits and certifications to comply with the rules and regulations of the relevant international and local authorities. The helicopter, a Eurocopter EC 120-B Colibri, is a newer and quieter model. However, because it is a single turbine helicopter, it can only fly the short distance between St. Maarten/St. Martin, Anguilla and St Barth. The company hopes to purchase a twin turbine helicopter within a year and a half that will be able to fly longer distances. Although this is an expensive alternative to the ferry and the normal flights to St Barth, it is another option. For more details, visit http://www.helistmartin.com/islandtours.php and http://www.airsxm.eu/page.php?page=35.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Spirit Airlines announces non-stop service between its Fort Lauderdale hub and St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles beginning April 20, 2007. Service will be offered three times weekly on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
In addition to non-stop service from its Fort Lauderdale hub, Spirit will also offer connecting service from its domestic network. Spirit serves all routes with its fleet of Airbus aircraft, the youngest in the Americas.
"We couldn't be happier to have St. Maarten in our 2007 expansion plans," said Barry Biffle, Chief Marketing Officer of Spirit Airlines. "This is a beautiful destination with no shortage of demand for travel. Whether it's a vacation in one of the Caribbean's most unique settings, or a shopping spree in South Florida, Spirit's plan is to offer an affordable option for travel to great destinations."
Spirit Airlines, Ft Lauderdale's largest international carrier, has filed with the US Department of Transportation for permission to fly from Ft Lauderdale to St Maarten. The request is to begin nonstop service twice a week beginning in April. Fares have yet to be published but are expected to be as inexpensive as flying to Puerto Rico. The airline has recently acquired a new Airbus fleet and will use a 140-seat Airbus 8319 for the flights. With Southwest Airlines also flying into Ft Lauderdale, this may provide a less expensive and easier route to the final destination of St Barth.
The Voyager has stopped service to St. Martin due to technical problems. They expect to resume service within the first week of November, predicting November 4 or 5. You can contact The Voyager's office at 05 90 87 10 68 for more information. With the Rapid Explorer still out of service, there remains one (non-chartered or private) boat that travels between Simpson Bay, St Maarten and St Barth - The Edge. For details, visit www.stmaarten-activities.com.
Princess Juliana International Airport opened on Wednesday, October 25 with Winair's flight to Saba. The new US $87 million terminal has state-of-the-art facilities for checking-in, handling baggage, screening systems, departure gates with jet bridges and buses to the airplanes, a food court with 12 restaurants, international shopping among 27 boutiques, escalators - a first in St. Maarten - and, last but not least, air-conditioning.
However, as reported in St. Maarten's Daily Herald, the Managing Director of Winair stated that the new airport has more than doubled Winair's cost of operating out of St. Maarten. The check-in counters at the new airport are not designated to a specific airline. Instead, the counters rotate among different airlines depending on the current need. Winair does not agree with how the airlines are being charged for use of this system and the communication lines among the airlines. In addition, some delays may be expected since Winair's personnel are working with a completely new reservation and boarding control system. The airline suggests that passengers arrive 1.5 hours before departure time until their staff is more familiar with the new system.
The old airport is scheduled to be demolished before the end of the year, and already there is talk of selling momentos on e-Bay!
About two weeks ago, St Maarten lifted the ban on liquids and gels in carry-on luggage. But, there are restrictions. You can carry on up to 90 milliliters of liquid, but only if it was purchased in a secure area of the airport and is packed in a transparent, plastic bag (for example, a ZipLoc bag). It will be necessary to await the opening of the new terminal in order to purchase duty-free liquor or perfume in a designated secure area. Until then, the liquor and perfume shops in the current airport will remain closed.
Below is the schedule for the opening of the new airport according to a vendor who will have a business in the new terminal:
October 10: Provide plan to migrate on October 15
October 15: New terminal completed
October 16: Access control operational
October 18-19: Dry run for 2 days with a small airline
Newport, RI (PRWEB) September 28, 2006 -- Wimco, the Newport, RI, villa rental and hotel reservations company, announces new scheduled daily inter-island air service between the San Juan and St. Barts, dramatically improving access to this formerly hard-to-access island.
Wimco is the authorized air charter agent for Tradewind Aviation that will operate the scheduled daily inter-island service departing San Juan at 3 p.m. and St. Barts at noon. Tradewind is the only US turbine air carrier certified to fly commercial flights into St. Barts.
From now to Nov. 15, 2006, Wimco and Tradewind are offering an introductory rate of $350, a 29 percent savings off the posted fare of $495 one-way.
Tradewind Aviation will launch daily, scheduled service between San Juan and St. Barts on Nov. 1. The 60-minute flight will depart San Juan at 3 p.m. and St. Barts at noon.
Service is aboard an eight-passenger turbo-prop plane with executive club seats, laptop power outlets, in-flight phone and data links and DVD players with wireless headphones.
Through Nov. 15, introductory rates are $350 one way or $700 roundtrip; after Nov. 15, the fare increases to $495 one way or $990 roundtrip.
Wimco, a Rhode Island-based villa rental and hotel reservations firm, is the authorized air charter agent for Tradewind. The air service is available through Wimco to anyone wishing to fly between San Juan and St. Barts, not limited to villa/hotel clients.
For further information on Wimco and Tradewind Aviation, call (800) 932-3222.
According to the Daily Herald of St Maarten, the opening of the new Princess Juliana International Airport has been postponed from September to November. Plans are that Her Majesty Queen Beatrix will conduct the inaugural ceremony. Several concession stands have already stopped operating at the airport in preparation for its closing.
easyCruise is one of the most recent ventures launched by Stelios, the company who started Europe's low-cost airline easyJet in 1995. The company is targeting travelers in their 20s, 30s and 40s and will allow passengers to embark or depart at any port so long as they stay on board at least two nights. The ship has a capacity of 170 passengers with a crew of 54. During the summer of 2006, easyCruise was based in the French and Italian Rivieras. During the winter months of 2006 and 2007, it will be based in the Caribbean, making 40 port calls to St. Barth, Anguilla, Antigua, St Kitts and Nevis and returning to its home port of St. Maarten twice a week. Below is the three-day weekend itinerary that includes St. Barth. The lowest-priced cabins start at 44£.
Because the Rapid Explorer is temporarily out of commission due to mechanical problems, the Voyager has decided not to suspend its service as it normally does during September. Instead, they have actually added trips between St. Barth and St. Martin. The schedule from September 4 through October 1 is as follows:
St. Barth ->Marigot, St. Martin
Monday, Friday, Saturday
7:15 am and 4:30 pm
St. Barth -> Oyster Pond, St. Martin
Wednesday
7:15 am and 4:30 pm
St. Barth -> Oyster Pond, St. Martin
Sunday 5:30 pm
Marigot, St. Martin -> St. Barth
Monday, Friday, Saturday
9:00 am and 6:15 pm
Oyster Pond, St. Martin -> St. Barth
Wednesday 9:00 am and 6:15 pm
Oyster Pond, St. Martin -> St. Barth
Sunday 6:45 pm
Beginning October 2, the Voyager will resume its normal schedule of two daily trips between St. Barth and St. Martin.
Special rates can be found throughout the Caribbean during low season and St Barth is no exception. Below are two "high-end" specials.
Tradewind Aviation is offering direct flights from San Juan to St Barth for $350 per person if you book before November 15. The regular fee is $495 per person. You can call 800-932-9222 or book your flight online at www.wimco.com/charter.
The Hotel Guanahani & Spa is offering a one-euro-to-one-dollar exchange rate until the end of October. This is a savings of 20% to 25% over their normal rates. Two popular packages are the Spree package and the Romance package. The five-night Spree package includes daily breakfast, daily lunch or dinner, car rental, airport transfers and a choice of two of the following activities: two facial treatments, two windsurfing or tennis lessons, jet skiing for two or a beginner's scuba lesson. Rates start at $2,875. The 7-night Romance package includes includes extras such as a lunch of langouste, a gourmet dinner, massages, a cooking class and wine tasting, and either a half-day cruise with picnic or a sunset cruise with champagne. Rates range from $4,144 to $6,895. For complete details, you can contact the Guanahani at 590 590 27 66 60 or visit their web site at www.leguanahani.com.
On Sunday evening, August 6, the Rapid Explorer left Gustavia at 7:30 p.m. headed for Oyster Pond. Not far into the crossing, the crew discovered a leak and issued a "May Day" call for help. The Voyager altered its course to come to the rescue and tried to transfer the 24 passengers from the Rapid Explorer to the Voyager; however, the seas were too rough. A short time later, the rescue boat SNS280 arrived, and the decision was made to tow the Rapid Explorer back to Gustavia, where it arrived around 9:45 p.m. Meanwhile, the Voyager altered its schedule to go to Oyster Pond to pick up the passengers who were waiting to return to St Barth. As a result of the problem, the Rapid Explorer's crossings have been temporarily suspended while they are awaiting mechanical pieces.
As of May 1, the Rapid Explorer is again based in Philipsburg at Bobby's Marina. This is a high-speed catamaran with airline-like seats and air-conditioning. The Rapid Explorer departs Philipsburg every day at 7:15 am, 9:30 am and 5:00 pm, except for Tuesdays and Sundays when there is no 7:15 am departure. The boat departs St Barth every day at 8:15 am, 10:30 am and 6:00 pm, except for Tuesdays and Sundays when there is no 8:15 am departure. The crossing takes 45 minutes.
The Rapid Explorer, a high-speed catamaran with airline-type seats and air-conditioning, resumed service between St Maarten and St Barth on February 11 after a hiatus of 18 months. It will depart from and arrive at Captain Oliver's Marina at Oyster Pond, which is about 25 minutes from the airport. The marina is home to Captain Oliver's restaurant as well as a bar and grill, which makes waiting for departure a relaxing experience and a chance to grab a bite. Tickets are for sale at the travel agency Saint Barth Tours and Travel in Gustavia. You can also contact them by phone at 590 590 52 45 06, by fax at 590 590 52 41 38 or by email at 
Pure Rental, which is located on Rue du Roi Oscar II in Gustavia, is offering exclusive rentals of Mini Cooper convertibles with free delivery to the airport, your villa, hotel or boat. Visit their web site at 
It's a mystery. Last Sunday evening, a man jumped from the Voyager when it was about 15 feet from the dock and swam the rest of the way. No one knows why he did it, but is it that hard to understand?! I'd guess that after a long, arduous day of traveling, he saw St Barth within his reach and just couldn't wait any longer! 
Because the