Quote: PHILIPSBURG--JetBlue is expected to be the next low-cost carrier to service St. Maarten from the United States. According to information for the tourism stakeholder, negotiations about the daily service from New York are in the final stages. Once negotiations are concluded successfully, the daily direct service should start on January 17, giving the island its first low-cost carrier for the New York area. Cost for a round trip ticket is expected to be about US $350. The Daily Herald learnt that an official announcement of the new service could come as early as Thursday. Talks with the airline have been ongoing for some time now, but partners involved have been reluctant to reveal details until solid decisions are made, due to the “delicate nature of the talks.”

Full Article: http://www.thedailyherald.com/news/daily/k125/blue125.html

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Hopefully an official announcement will follow this soon.

JFK-POP to be announced tomorrow as well, too.

I've also been hearing that FLL STI is imminent.

SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So are THESE routes the big announcement rumored to happen in October?

bb

Quoting MAH4546 (Reply 2): I've also been hearing that FLL STI is imminent.

This makes sense and as said before, we plan to expand in the D.R.

Quoting FLYB6JETS (Reply 3): SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Exactly!

Quoting SANFan (Reply 4): So are THESE routes the big announcement rumored to happen in October?

No no no. This is hardly a "big" announcement.

Quoting SKYYBLUE (Reply 5): Exactly!

Start making those hotel reservations!!! Non rev to Maho sounds like a great idea!

I'm still hoping for a PWM-MCO direct.

Check out the Jetblue Website.. The cities arent on the map, but you use the pull down to find POP and SXM.

Quoting Whappeh (Reply 7): I'm still hoping for a PWM-MCO direct

January 10, 2008. Says it right on the website below the route map.

Now that is good news. If it were to be timed with the European arrivals it would provide a good scheduled alternative to KL/AF to get there. Hopefully with it being an LCC then it would bring the cost down a bit, as JFK flights aren't too expensive. CDG-SXM and AMS-SXM are pretty expensive, especially if you are connecting from the UK.

I plan on using my TruePasses for a trip this March if anything is open. I heard it's beautiful there.

It's nice to see JetBlue continue to expand its international presence.

JetBluefan1

http://investor.jetblue.com/phoenix....-newsArticle&ID=1061594&highlight=

A couple of snips:

NEW YORK, Oct. 11, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- JetBlue Airways (Nasdaq:JBLU), the low-fare, low-cost airline with the most flights to the Caribbean, today announces it will add new service this winter to two more island destinations: St. Maarten in the Netherlands Antilles and Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic. The award-winning airline will offer one daily nonstop flight between Puerto Plata and New York/JFK effective January 10, 2008, and one daily nonstop flight between St. Maarten and New York/JFK effective January 17, 2008*.

St. Maarten

JetBlue's new service between New York and St. Maarten's Princess Juliana International Airport, with fares starting at $159(a) each way:

--------------------------------------------------------------
New York, NY (JFK) to St. Maarten, Netherlands
St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles (SXM) to
Antilles (SXM) New York, NY (JFK)
--------------------------------------------------------------
Depart - Arrive Depart - Arrive
--------------------------------------------------------------
9:35 a.m. - 2:40 p.m. 3:35 p.m. - 7:05 p.m.
(eff. Jan. 17, 2008) (eff. Jan. 17, 2008)
--------------------------------------------------------------


Puerto Plata

JetBlue's new service between New York and Puerto Plata's Gregorio Luperon International Airport, with fares starting at $109(a) each way:

---------------------------------------------------------------------
New York, NY (JFK) to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic (POP)
Puerto Plata, Dominican to
Republic (POP) New York, NY (JFK)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Depart - Arrive Depart - Arrive
---------------------------------------------------------------------
10:30 a.m. - 3:20 p.m. 4:15 p.m. - 7:05 p.m.
(eff. Jan. 10, 2008) (eff. Jan. 10, 2008)
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Good Stuff indeed!!!!

Craig
MKE

Quoting Noelg (Reply 10): Now that is good news. If it were to be timed with the European arrivals it would provide a good scheduled alternative to KL/AF to get there.

Based on Vivavegas' post, it doesn't look very good for timing to European flights, at least not westbound. I guess there are worse things than spending a night or two in NYC Noelg, especially with the dollar being so weak. Going back to Europe looks OK based on that schedule.

Both flights will perform poorly....I can guarantee this. Two destinations that are NOT particulary popular out NYC.......

My aunt is a travel agent and she has stopped recommending POP and SXM. Of course the returns are timed perfectly for a nighmareish of a return flight into JFK when all the European departures are leaving.......They never learn.

Aren't AA's half empty flights good enough (2x a day at certain times a year) on a 75. Is this seasonal service or will it run by trial and error and see how it should proceed in the future. I dont see it, sorry folks...just more planes on routes....about it.

SXM is pretty popular with New Yorkers. Puerto Plata isn't popular with Americans, at all. AA dropped their service about two years from JFK, only serves it from MIA and SJU now. POP is only about 24 miles from STI. It is fairly redundant serving both, even though CO/AA/DL do it.

Quoting AAJFKSJUBKLYN (Reply 14): Of course the returns are timed perfectly for a nighmareish of a return flight into JFK when all the European departures are leaving.......They never learn.

The problem isn't arrivals at 7pm. The problem is departures. That being said, these flights are very well timed to cater to the leisure crowd.

Both flights should do well - SXM is pretty popular overall, and I think it will become even more popular since the fares are so low. NYC's large population of Dominicans should also help fill that POP flight. The STI flights are packed almost daily, so this could help relieve the loads there.

JetBluefan1

Quoting MAH4546 (Reply 15): POP is only about 24 miles from STI. It is fairly redundant serving both, even though CO/AA/DL do

I've never been to the DR but I had heard that the road between Santiago and Puerto Plata is not very fast and it takes a long time to get from STI to the beach resorts near POP. Besides, B6's STI flight seems mainly for Dominican locals and not tourists... the POP flight looks to have much more tourist friendly times.

Quoting JetBluefan1 (Reply 16): Both flights should do well - SXM is pretty popular overall, and I think it will become even more popular since the fares are so low.

It's going to be interesting. I think AAJFKSJUBKLYN is taking a very pessimistic view of SXM as I think it can work. One flight a day is not risking a lot on JetBlue's part, and if their other tourist ventures (NAS, CUN, Aruba) are anything to go by, they seem to do quite well on these flights. I have never been to SXM but I personally know a lot of people who go frequently... now they have another airline to choose from.

Quoting JetBluefan1 (Reply 16): SXM is pretty popular overall, and I think it will become even more popular since the fares are so low.

Low fares? The introductory fares are $318.

Quoting JetBluefan1 (Reply 16): NYC's large population of Dominicans should also help fill that POP flight.

No, it won't. Puerto Plata is very close to STI, about the same distance as MIA and FLL. Tourists use POP, and locals use STI. The airports, while close, are not very quickly connected by ground, and STI is in the residential/business area, while POP is almost exclusively tourist-related. And Puerto Plata is not at all popular with American.

I'm not saying that POP and SXM won't do well, but I am saying that if they do well, it won't be for those reasons.

Interesting that SXM is only available from the following cities:

BOS, BTU, BUF, CLT, LAS, JFK, PVM, RDU, RIC, SYR and IAD.

Why is that?

And Exactly who are the other low cost carriers that service SXM from the US ?????

Quoting JetBlueAUS (Thread starter): PHILIPSBURG--JetBlue is expected to be the next low-cost carrier to service St. Maarten from the United States. According to information for the tourism stakeholder

Quoting MAH4546 (Reply 18): Tourists use POP, and locals use STI. The airports, while close, are not very quickly connected by ground, and STI is in the residential/business area, while POP is almost exclusively tourist-related. And Puerto Plata is not at all popular with American.

You're right on. The road between the two cities is definitely slow and the two cities cater to different kinds of traffic.

Puerto Plata gave me the impression of a run-down, used up kind of resort town. I was there in May, which is not the high season by any means, but it was dead. I really don't see how this route will work. FLL-STI, on the other hand, should do well with Dominicans.

Spirit serves SXM out of FLL, and Sun Country does seasonal MSP-SXM. They're both LCCs (Spirit's fares into SXM are much more reasonable)

-A

Quoting MAH4546 (Reply 18): Low fares? The introductory fares are $318.

And AA is asking for $402 the week before JetBlue starts service. While not significantly lower, some type of increase in traffic will occur (basic law of economics: all other things equal, lower prices yield higher demand). Maybe a family of 4 will choose SXM this year because airfare alone will cost $300 less than it did a year ago.

Quoting MAH4546 (Reply 18): No, it won't.

It could possibly. If fares to POP are cheaper than to STI, Dominicans may choose that flight instead. Or if the schedule is more convenient, or if their final destination is closer to POP. There could be a whole array of reasons.

That being said, I'm not too familiar with DR demographics, but factors such as the ones I listed are valid in all markets.

JetBluefan1

Quoting JetBluefan1 (Reply 23): And AA is asking for $402 the week before JetBlue starts service. While not significantly lower, some type of increase in traffic will occur (basic law of economics: all other things equal, lower prices yield higher demand). Maybe a family of 4 will choose SXM this year because airfare alone will cost $300 less than it did a year ago.

SXM isn't a family vacation, nor is it popular with Americans. Low-fares aren't going to nesseciarily spur much demand here. I think jetBlue will do fine, but they won't have a fare advantage. AA will match.

Quoting JetBluefan1 (Reply 23): It could possibly. If fares to POP are cheaper than to STI, Dominicans may choose that flight instead. Or if the schedule is more convenient, or if their final destination is closer to POP. There could be a whole array of reasons. That being said, I'm not too familiar with DR demographics, but factors such as the ones I listed are valid in all markets.

The drive from Puerto Plata to Santiago can take as long as two hours. Puerto Plata has less than 140,000 residents. More than 1,000,000 live in greater Santiago. They are separated by only 24 miles, but, like I said, it can take as long as two hours to drive between them. They will not be getting Dominican VFR on this flight. The times even show that they know it won't be the case.

Thats great news. Ive always wanted to go to SXM since first seeing pictures from there on this website and now I have a reason to  And also POP is a good choice to. I know a lot of people around here that go to the Dominican Republic on vacation so they should do well on both routes.

B6jfk

Quoting Richierich (Reply 17): NAS, CUN, Aruba

Those are all larger destinations that are alot more established in the NYC community. SXM is not.

Quoting JetBluefan1 (Reply 16): NYC's large population of Dominicans should also help fill that POP flight. The STI flights are packed almost daily, so this could help relieve the loads there.

Yeah right  

When going to the North Coast, Dominicans will go to Santiago/Bibao region, POP is only for tourists staying in all-inclusives.