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Re: Air port repairs
[Re: DICKG]
#152649
01/17/2018 10:45 AM
01/17/2018 10:45 AM
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 14,671 Brookfield, CT.
pat
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 14,671
Brookfield, CT.
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Like everyone else who loves this Island, I’m glad they were able to reopen and get the airport functioning as soon as they did since the life blood of the island depends tremendously on its ports but, IMHO, ............tents and temporary structures are NOT going to do the Island any favors long term.
The most lasting travel impressions for most vacationers are their first and last experiences and sadly, they are the ones that currently need a lot of room for improvement. Most long-timers and repeat visitors will be happy just to be there, but new-comers and first-timers will be appalled and most will be lacking the comprehension of what had recently happened across the Island (and to what degree!) to be patiently tolerant of the current situations.
As long as there is only one big plane at a time things might be okay, but I can’t imagine the chaos of three or four fully packed arrivals or departures all at approximately the same time frame and all those people milling around with their luggage and trying to cope with getting to their cabs, cars or vans or the various departure check-points.
There are many beautiful Caribbean islands with great resorts and beautiful beaches along with airports that make their access easy and welcoming. Sadly not the case right now on St. Maarten, and unfortunately, these are the memories too many newcomers are most apt to carry away with them.
It is imperative the terminal structures be repaired (or rebuilt?) and reopened ASAP and to fail to do so will continue to give the Island a big black eye to too many visitors.
Respectfully,
pat
"Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them."
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Re: Air port repairs
[Re: DICKG]
#152654
01/17/2018 11:36 AM
01/17/2018 11:36 AM
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 18,591 St Maarten
BillandElaine
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 18,591
St Maarten
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Playing devils advocate here, and I agree mostly with your post. But if the airport were to be fully functional, there is still very little accommodation open. And the majority of the BIG places are close to six months, a year away, if not longer. Planes are expensive and don't meet travelers expectation of convenient routing. But none of this will be fixed until the rooms are available. And most STILL waiting for insurance.
What is happening at the airport is happening everywhere here. Those in charge have not a clue. If it were not for people helping people we would be nowhere.
Elaine ********************************* God Bless the broken road....
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Re: Air port repairs
[Re: BillandElaine]
#152655
01/17/2018 11:56 AM
01/17/2018 11:56 AM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 83,552 Central Florida!
Carol_Hill
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 83,552
Central Florida!
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The airport is going to take a LONG time to be fully functional and I am with the others, I do not understand how they can have done NOTHING so far...
Carol Hill
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Re: Air port repairs
[Re: BillandElaine]
#152657
01/17/2018 12:12 PM
01/17/2018 12:12 PM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 83,552 Central Florida!
Carol_Hill
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 83,552
Central Florida!
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I have often said that living in the Caribbean takes a certain kind of fortitude to put up with STUFF, that I most definitely do NOT have.
Carol Hill
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Re: Air port repairs
[Re: DICKG]
#152663
01/17/2018 01:02 PM
01/17/2018 01:02 PM
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 18,591 St Maarten
BillandElaine
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 18,591
St Maarten
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Yep, and then I get up in the morning and sit on my balcony. Feel so privileged. And then the water goes out.
Elaine ********************************* God Bless the broken road....
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Re: Air port repairs
[Re: DICKG]
#152880
01/20/2018 12:20 AM
01/20/2018 12:20 AM
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,909
Bahston
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,909
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At this point, IMHO, the terminal building should be stripped to the steel and rebuilt, which is a 2-year project at best. If it isn't, there will be perpetual problems, some of them health-related. The outfall from a 2-year project will limit flights to SXM for years to come, and will present price and capacity challenges for visitors who would like to return sooner.
I leave any questions as to whether or not damage, reconstruction, and recovery could have been limited by earlier intervention to the people of Sint Maarten. They're the "boots on the ground" who know better than any of us what was possible, and what wasn't.
And then there is the discussion of Hotel/TImeshare reconstruction...
Last edited by Bahston; 01/20/2018 12:22 AM.
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Re: Air port repairs
[Re: Bahston]
#152894
01/20/2018 09:57 AM
01/20/2018 09:57 AM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 83,552 Central Florida!
Carol_Hill
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 83,552
Central Florida!
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I agree with you Bahston, that the building should be stripped to the steel, or perhaps even bulldozed, especially since they claim they are going to build it back stronger. However, I continue to be amazed and stunned that nothing appears to be happening. Next high season is going to be a cluster f*ck at the airport, as they most assuredly will still be operating out of tents by then. Tourists will be coming back in droves and it will not be a happy experience at the airport..
Carol Hill
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Re: Air port repairs
[Re: DICKG]
#152963
01/20/2018 06:13 PM
01/20/2018 06:13 PM
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 716 People's Republic of Md
dannan
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 716
People's Republic of Md
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I don’t know what the deal is here. The building structure survived the hurricane, I can see them perhaps reroofing it where necessary, and redoing the facade, but a total rebuild is ridiculous. The interior work is just cosmetic and realistically should have been done by now. The last large hurricane was 20 years ago, so the chances of another storm like this in the near future are not great. So if they take “island time” to mess around with the rebuild, they won’t need to worry about tourists, because there won’t be any. From my experience of trying to get things done at my villa, the contractors are clueless, rarely show up when they say they will, and seem like they just don’t care. There are some good ones, but few and far between. Empty promises are a dime a dozen. I’ve said many times, if they tried to conduct business like that in the U.S. they’d starve to death.
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Re: Air port repairs
[Re: dannan]
#152972
01/20/2018 07:36 PM
01/20/2018 07:36 PM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 83,552 Central Florida!
Carol_Hill
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 83,552
Central Florida!
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Actually, the interior work is NOT cosmetic, not at all. All the interior drywall, all the electrical, etc., is toast, because they have let water come in for close to 5 months now and everything is mold infested.
Carol Hill
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Re: Air port repairs
[Re: dannan]
#152990
01/20/2018 09:51 PM
01/20/2018 09:51 PM
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Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 4,958 Portland, OR
jazzgal
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 4,958
Portland, OR
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The last large hurricane was 20 years ago, so the chances of another storm like this in the near future are not great. I don't know about that. The only major hurricane-predicting organization that correctly identified 2017's activity is predicting 2018 to be "somewhat of a repeat" of 2017. Global Weather Oscillations
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Re: Air port repairs
[Re: DICKG]
#153011
01/21/2018 08:48 AM
01/21/2018 08:48 AM
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 18,591 St Maarten
BillandElaine
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 18,591
St Maarten
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The airport is full of mold and not safe to enter. Seems the biggest problem once they stop the water coming in is the basement. All the electronics and mechanicals used to run the airport including computers, baggage handling etc are there and under water - salt water.
Elaine ********************************* God Bless the broken road....
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