Flights Cancelled

[marybeth]

Well, it’s official. St. Barth Commuter has cancelled all flights for tomorrow. They’re offering rebooking, credit, or a refund.

Fortunately (on not, we’ll see) we grabbed ferry tix yesterday. This will be the first time ever us so please send positive vibes. We did get helpful reassurance from a well know restaurant owner and lifelong resident that the trip TO St. Martin is better. Hopefully the lack of wind will make it even more so. Getting Dramamine regardless.

 

[cec1]

Well, it’s official. St. Barth Commuter has cancelled all flights for tomorrow. They’re offering rebooking, credit, or a refund.

Fortunately (on not, we’ll see) we grabbed ferry tix yesterday. This will be the first time ever us so please send positive vibes. We did get helpful reassurance from a well know restaurant owner and lifelong resident that the trip TO St. Martin is better. Hopefully the lack of wind will make it even more so. Getting Dramamine regardless.

Agree, Marybeth . . . ferry trip TO St. Martin is more gentle than other direction. I think that you’ll enjoy it. (Maybe not so much for the taxi ride to SXM!)

 

[Jim Kelly-Evans]

Sorry to read about the cancellations. Hope you have a smooth ride!

 

[amyb]

Safe travels Marybeth and Randy.

 

[cassidain]

Dennis, as a long-timer (I avoid saying old-timer) do you recall these occurrences of winds being too weak and/or from the wrong direction to enable safe takeoffs/landings being as frequent as we've seen recently ?

 

[cec1]

Dennis, as a long-timer (I avoid saying old-timer) do you recall these occurrences of winds being too weak and/or from the wrong direction to enable safe takeoffs/landings being as frequent as we've seen recently ?

Not at all . . . in 46 years, I recall it occurring no more than once or twice until the past two years, when it’s still not a frequent occurrence — but one that has become a known, remote inconvenience. By contrast, I remember multiple occasions in the past when Brook Lacour, co-founder of Sibarth, called me or — in days of “Sorry No Telephone” — came to the villa where I was staying to announce, as a storm threatened, “I’ve booked you on the ___ PM flight . . . you have to leave, it’s going to be the last flight!” Those days are pretty much a long ago memory!

 

[Saline Man]

Many flights to SXM were diverted today.

 

[cassidain]

Meaning flights unable to land at SXM and had to be diverted to other airports?

 

[Saline Man]

Yes, due to the wind direction.

 

[cassidain]

Wow !

 

[Dennis]

 

[Dennis]

 

[Jim Kelly-Evans]

Anguilla Air observed landing and taking off from SBH late afternoon 3/28, also several private aircraft and helicopters.

 

[marybeth]

Hoping we don’t survive the ferry only to be stuck in SXM overnight. Would just as soon stay here. No word from AA at this point.

 

[KevinS]

Your well known SBH restaurant owner and lifelong resident knows what he is talking about. The ferry is going to be fine. From SXM to SBH you’re usually going into the prevailing seas, which can make for a rougher ride. Going the other way, SBH to SXM, it’s usually smoother.

 

[Saline Man]

The Atlanta Delta flight (DL1894) diverted from SXM to SJU, then tried again for SXM and had to divert back to SJU.

 

[davesmom]

Oh my, I am so sympathetic! We had the same issue coming back on Jan. 30 and had to get a helicopter from SBH to SXM, just so we did not miss our Delta flight home from SXM; a lot of scrambling around. In 20 years, (not as long as some of our members here), I do not remember such air problems, and most definitely not a problem to land in SXM! It's almost like you have to make contingency plans and contingency costs ahead of time, just in case there is no wind...or too much. I hope your trip on the Ferry was at least pretty!

 

[noel]

"No plane on Sunday, maybe one come on Monday ...."

 

[debd]

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.

 

[amyb]

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 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.

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