Caribbean Travel

The Nation Newspaper SATURDAY'S CHILD: Come fly with me : "I remember going on a Caribbean Star flight from Trinidad, island-hopping my way to Antigua. There was only one bottle of water on the flight and we drank it out on the only 'leg' that was long enough for a 'beverage service'. I remember asking myself if this was owned by a billionaire and all it had on board was one solitary bottle of water, what would have happened if he was a mere millionaire? " There is, of course, the old saying that if you want to become a millionaire you first become a billionaire and then buy an airline. Clearly that is not a mere flight of fancy since Caribbean Star proved that BWIA, Air Jamaica and LIAT were not the only Caribbean airlines that were leaders in losses.

: "“Fares in some cases have almost doubled since 2006 and daily we are receiving email from perspective visitors who are concerned about this change at this time,” said Mr. Ambrose."

Breaking News - Caribbean Airlines Doing Well : "Following its launch at the start of the year, Caribbean Airlines operates a number of flights linking Trinidad and Tobago and many other Caribbean islands, including Barbados with North America, South America and the United Kingdom. Its international gateways are New York, Miami, Toronto and London, with service to and from Trinidad, Tobago, Barbados, St. Lucia, Jamaica, Antigua, St. Maarten, Guyana and Suriname."

Off-peak Caribbean bargains from $625 - Travel Deals - MSNBC.com : "Spring is the ideal time for a Caribbean vacation: The weather is glorious, the crowds are few, and the prices are reasonable. There's a Caribbean island to suit every beach bum, but we’ve found discounted vacations – all with superior accommodations and airfare included – that make four islands especially appealing for a spring getaway. Four-night holidays on Grand Cayman or St. Lucia start at $625, a week-long sojourn at a top-rated Barbados resort costs just $1060, and a five-day, all-inclusive stay at an upscale Antigua property sets you back only $1,025. "

American Airlines to announce scheduled flight from New York’s JFK into St. Kitts : "More good news for the tourism industry in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. American Airlines is to officially announce Monday night, the introduction of direct service from New York’s John F. Kennedy International into St. Kitts’ Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport. According to well-informed sources the New York-St. Kitts service is to commence on Sunday November 18th 2007. American Airlines already operates a direct flight between St. Kitts and Miami."

Breaking News - Almond Resorts: Air Jamaica Key to Caribbean Growth : "'Air Jamaica is a very significant player for our business from the US market,' said Cole, who is particularly encouraged by new business at Almond's newest property in St. Lucia, Almond Smugglers Cove which opened this year whose success she hopes to replicate in the new property, Almond Casuarina Beach Resort in Barbados, which will be unveiled later in the year. 'Air Jamaica continues to be a key component for the success of the Almond brand and I hope to see continued growth, not only as we expand, but as Air Jamaica expands its Eastern Caribbean operations,' she said."

World Cup blog: The joys of travelling in the Caribbean - 22 Apr 2007 - Cricket News - New Zealand Herald : "Note to wealthy businesspeople with penchant for aviation; if you set up an airline in the Caribbean that regularly runs on time and doesn't change destination mid flight, you'll make a mint. We've now had our last (hopefully) experience with Liat, the Caribbean airline. I'm not sure what Liat is supposed to stand for but the variations include Leave Islands Any Time, Luggage In Another Territory, Look Its Another Timezone? the list goes on. So you'll be getting the gist that this is not the most reliable airline. Today we were expecting a pretty standard journey, Grenada to Barbados in 30 minutes. Silly us!"

Beacon Journal 04/22/2007 Unknown Caribbean : "Curacao is an island of cactus forests and oil refineries, lizards and stray goats, 38 secluded beaches and world-class diving and snorkeling, a little-known slavery museum and a historic synagogue, casinos and nighttime partying. It features 360 days of sunshine a year, gentle trade winds and water temperatures from 75 to 82 degrees. The island even produces its own citrus liqueur: Curacao of Curacao."

US and Caribbean discounted by Virgin Atlantic : "For bookings made by April 24, the following Caribbean destinations are on offer: Antigua (£406 in Economy, £746 in Premium Economy), Barbados (£406/£746), Grenada (£397/£737), Havana (£401/£741), Montego Bay (£412/£752), St Lucia (£406/£746) and Tobago (£388/£728)."

Travel & Outdoors Good deals on cruises, especially in Caribbean Seattle Times Newspaper : "But the big loss leader for the industry is the Caribbean, and that means deals abound. Carnival Cruise Lines has already had two one-day sales featuring Caribbean voyages. Among the bargains: a four-day cruise for $299, including a shipboard credit of $50."

The Nation Newspaper Good times for Air Jamaica : "AIR JAMAICA'S new schedule to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean routes is exceeding expectations. "

Dominican Today : "Santo Domingo.- International flights between Dominican Republic and New York are operating normally today, after the storm that battered the United States northeast yesterday affected some of them. There was a decrease in the flow of departing passengers this Monday morning, whereas others who could not leave yesterday did so aboard American Airlines flights, which has the most operations."

RadioJamaica.com : "A call has been made for governments across the region to cut back on the escalating cost of air travel or face the inevitable decline of tourism in the Caribbean. "

BBCCaribbean.com Government charges inflate ticket prices : "The chief executive officer of LIAT and Caribbean Star has pointed to government taxes as one of the reasons why travellers are paying more for their airline tickets."

Broad Street Journal Online - THE WIND BENEATH ITS WINGS: Air Jamaica to get another US$124 million from the Jamaica Government - Top Stories : "The Jamaican Government will guarantee Air Jamaica's efforts to raise J$8.4 billion (US$124 million) this year to finance the struggling carrier's long-term development, says minister of finance and planning Dr Omar Davies. But Jamaica is not the only Caribbean country spending heavily on its airlines: Trinidad & Tobago has budgeted US$250 million for the transformation of BWIA into Caribbean Airways, while Barbados, Antigua and St., Vincent & the Grenadines have guaranteed a loan of US$55m to refinance Liat as it merges with Caribbean Star."

Caribbean Net News: "Air Jamaica operates daily Airbus A-320 service between John F. Kennedy International (JFK) Airport in New York and Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados with 138 seats in Economy and 12 in Executive Business Class. This service continues to St. Lucia four (4) days a week and to Grenada three (3) days a week. This new schedule also offers daily direct service to Montego Bay, Jamaica via St. Lucia or Grenada, offering further connections to and from Air Jamaica's US gateways in Atlanta, Baltimore/Washington DC, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, Miami, New York (JFK) and Philadelphia. "

The Nation Newspaper Airlines cut fares, add flights : "EXTRA FLIGHTS and special promotions are the way to go for regional airlines in an attempt to boost travel for Cricket World Cup. LIAT (1974) Ltd launched a last-minute Easter promotion from Thursday, while Caribbean Airways (formerly BWIA) has put on extra flights in response to demand. "

Jamaica Gleaner News In recent months, the Caribbean aviation sector has once again been in a state of flux: BWIA, Trinidad's state-owned national airline, has been replaced by a slimmed-down variant in the shape of Caribbean Airlines; LIAT, also government owned, has merged with a private sector-owned rival, Caribbean Star; Bahamas Air has returned from private hands to government control; and the future of government-owned Air Jamaica has once again become the subject of speculation.

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday : "CARIBBEAN AIRLINES yesterday announced that it will be adding flights on the domestic airbridge to facilitate persons wanting to attend the Plymouth Jazz Festival in Tobago from April 27 to 29. In a statement yesterday, Caribbean Airlines corporate affairs manager Dionne Ligoure said the airline will be operating several 737-800 jet services between Trinidad and Tobago from April 27 to April 29. "

Klassic Grenada : "LIAT PILOTS THREATEN STRIKE ACTION OVER OUTSTANDING MONEY. There is a possibility that Grenada could be affected if a threatened strike action by LIAT Pilots becomes a reality. According to reports, industrial unrest is brewing among the more than one hundred Pilots at the Antigua based regional airline LIAT, over a pending million dollar severance payout to two members of the airline’s management. The pilots, under the leadership of the Leeward Islands Airline Pilots Association, LIALPA, are angry that money owed for the Provident Fund, which has been a source of contention and was the centre of a court challenge, is being overlooked in favor of two company officials. "

Antigua Sun : "Tomorrow was identified as the deadline for the completion of the merger between regional airlines LIAT and Caribbean Star, but LIAT’s CEO Mark Darby now says that a more practical deadline would be the end of April. In a recent interview with the Antigua Sun, Darby made it clear that the end of March is merely a deadline to get the legal aspects of his airline’s purchase of Caribbean Star complete. It is not yet clear if this aspect of the merger of the carriers will be wrapped up before the month ends, but Darby indicated that, having implemented a commercial alliance in February and successfully merged the operations of the airlines, there is no great rush to resolve other organisational issues this month."

Stabroek News : "An 11.45 am Liat flight bound for Barbados was grounded at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) as a result of a hydraulic leak, forcing stranded passengers to wait until after 8 pm for another flight. Stabroek News understands that the 11.45 am Liat Star of the Caribbean flight was almost full to capacity when the mechanical problem was discovered."