Flights Cancelled

[krand1]

I was just relating all this information to my husband and I told him that if this happened to us, there ain't no way I'm getting on a helicopter. I will stay on St Barths or wherever I am until the all clear! I am scared silly of those whirly birds, for no good reason. I don't have any problems with the landing at SBH in the small planes. But he has now been duly forewarned!

 

[davesmom]

I think this may be about the 7th day this season that flights have been "cancelled" for one reason or another. I place cancelled in quotes because it is noteworthy that some flights do make it in and out, contrary to the "all flights cancelled" announcements. Some are private. Some are chartered. Some scheduled.

We received a TW text that there was a possibility that there may be weather disruptions on our scheduled day, so we moved our flight a day earlier. Did not have the luxury of staying past our original departure date. About 4 hours before our new scheduled departure, we received notification that all flights were "cancelled," for that day, as well as the next two days after that.

We called, and then went to the airport, confirming there would be ("absolutely") no flights that day and beyond.

Ended up cancelling the overnight SJU hotel reservation we had made, reserved after rescheduling our departure day/time, as advised, canceled our SJU/JFK flight tickets, booked a new flight, and arranged to take the helicopter to SXM to connect to the new flight to get home.

As we sat there waiting for the $$$ helicopter ride, we observed 3 TW flights arrive and depart. As it turned out, there were 7 TW flights in and out that ("all flights cancelled") day, including 4 after we had received notice our flight had been cancelled. In fact, one departed right around our scheduled departure time.

Overall a disappointing experience, to say the least. (P.S. this was our first experience booking TW to get home.)

In over 30 years of SBH travel, have never seen anything like this, let alone the most recent of SXM jet destination flights being diverted.

I feel terrible for you and the stress you were under. I agree, I had not put a helicopter in our plans..also there were a couple of TW flights that departed on our day but we were not going to SJU. (Next time!) Our last 2 trips were Dec. 2022 and Jan. 2024, and that's it for winter trips. We had a lot of too much wind and not enough wind for little planes and the lack of ability to put a kayak in the water most of the time, not to mention a stand up paddleboard. (Dave had the same problem on his Dec. honeymoon in Jamaica, too..did not even get out to go boating.) The problem for us is that the planes returning to the US tend to be filled and if you miss it in SXM, there is no telling when you will get out. I hope things went well on the rest of your trip home.

 

[davesmom]

I was just relating all this information to my husband and I told him that if this happened to us, there ain't no way I'm getting on a helicopter. I will stay on St Barths or wherever I am until the all clear! I am scared silly of those whirly birds, for no good reason. I don't have any problems with the landing at SBH in the small planes. But he has now been duly forewarned!

Honestly, the experience was fantastic and so simple! It was a beautiful windless day and I would do it in a minute again since you avoid the inevitable chaos of Winair loading a bunch of people milling around in SXM, trying to get on an earlier flight to SBH where it was a zoo in a long hall before getting on the bus to take you to the plane. Not really the way to start your vacation after 20 hours of flying. (TW would be a much better choice, I imagine, though; a long slog of travel either way for us.)

 

[Izzy]

Looks like something is rotten in D..., well not Denmark, but rather somewhere in the Caribbean.

Wouldn’t you still rather bear those ills we have than fly to others that we know not of?

 

[amyb]

Wouldn’t you still rather bear those ills we have than fly to others that we know not of?

Yes, our search has ended. Here is where our hearts are,

 

[cec1]

. . . Here is where our hearts are,

D’accord!

 

[krand1]

Honestly, the experience was fantastic and so simple! It was a beautiful windless day and I would do it in a minute again since you avoid the inevitable chaos of Winair loading a bunch of people milling around in SXM, trying to get on an earlier flight to SBH where it was a zoo in a long hall before getting on the bus to take you to the plane. Not really the way to start your vacation after 20 hours of flying. (TW would be a much better choice, I imagine, though; a long slog of travel either way for us.)View attachment 68532

I have no doubt you are right but still...I'm not doing it! Luckily nothing at home can't wait a day or two if we had to wait out the wind. think scaredy cat emoji.