TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin What’s up with Jet Blue?

Just for kicks, we looked up the schedule for Jet Blue flights out of JFK NY for next March when we go back to St Maarten. To our surprise, they are leaving at 11:30am, 4 hours later than when we used to leave. Anyone know why they would change the flight after years of departing at 7:30am?

Not really, but it could be to accommodate connecting flights into JFK for those going on to SXM. At least that sounds good. I would now be able to fly from Buffalo to JFK in the morning, have time to grab breakfast, and make an 11:30 a.m. flight to St. Martin.

Sounds like the opposite of what they are doing in Ft. Lauderdale, allowing for connections. Makes sense to me, then people won't have to overnight in order to make a connection there. I really wish Jet Blue would do that in FLL, as that 7 AM flight from FLL is a PITA, to me...

I guess the reason would be for connecting flights. Leaving at 7:39am left quite a few empty seats. Looks like they want to start filling them up. Now with the late flight, most of the day is gone. Usually we got there for lunch and some beach time. Oh well, all good things must come to an end. American is even worse for us New Yorkers with their connecting flights. Maybe we’ll look into Delta.

Airlines are in business to make money. I wish they would go to a much later schedule for FLL, as we have to drive 3 hours to get there, so if we decided to take that flight, we would probably have to overnight in FLL, even here from Florida.

I see what you mean Carol. We’ve been very fortunate being 30 minutes from JFK here on Long Island. So I guess we have been spoiled. Looks like now we can sleep later, no more getting up at 4am. Arriving in St Maarten at 4:30 in the afternoon isn’t the worst. We just can’t wait to get to our paradise!

I personally am NOT a morning person, so any schedule that involves me getting up at 4 AM just wouldn't be my optimum schedule! The good news is that you will have longer on SXM on your last day, so it kind of all works out..

For those of us who have to get up at 2:30 am to catch those those 7 am JFK departures, I think the later departure is great. Travel day is always a wasted day in my book but the truth is, I think the airlines reasons for the changes have more to do with their bottom line than anything to do with their customers conveniences. Just a guess but I’m thinking those full flights are more likely than not the reason for the changes.

That’s true Carol, a few more hours in Paradise on our leaving day.

Speaking of Jet Blue, anyone have a guess when they will extend their schedule? I'm trying to decide whether to go ahead and book for June on AA from Miami or wait till the JB schedule comes out and think about FLL...

The next extension should be at the end of September and will only cover the first half of June.

Well, cr*p.. Then I would need to wait for TWO extensions. Not sure I want to wait that long...

The next extension after that should be November.

OK, that solves that, as there's no way I'm waiting until November!! They are booking almost through April now. They only extend 45 days at a time??

they will probably go back to the early flight, I had booked a later flight in the past than they changed it back to the 7:30 flight a few weeks before leaving

That's really not fair on their part, if they do. Of course, if they change the time by several hours, one could cancel and get all your money back.

June of next year? With AA? God only knows what the future holds for that airline. I'd wait for JetBlue. They typically extend their flight schedules roughly every two months, and cover about eight months into the future. So, as of today I'd assume they have flight schedules through April, 2020. So, my guess is right around October 1st they'll have it extended into June to some degree. Plus, you fly out of Ft. Lauderdale rather than Miami which is more preferred IMO.

Sorry, I think that people beat up AA much more than is necessary. And if your post is intended to say that AA is going under, I would say 'no'. The nonstop from Miami on AA has been pretty darn solid for us for the past 10 plus years. I don't really know, but according to what eightzerobits posted, I'd have to wait until November to book, and I don't want to wait that long... The price right now on AA is $360 r/t, which is a GREAT price, versus prices in the past, and I am loathe to lose that price, with waiting that long.

Agreed....this particularly flight with AA has a great track record and would jump at that price...Booked and done and what happens later good or bad with another airline is irrelevant. You know what you are getting.

You got it, bran.

When we book with AA 331 days in advance, because I want to lock in a great price, I can count on my scheduled flight times changing at least once. But I consider that before I book. I have even had the route change but always worked out to my satisfaction.

Just noticed JB prices in March BOS to SXM have increased over $1000.00 since they opened up their schedule.

Yup...we like that N/S Saturday return to BOS but the price has become ridiculous and close to $900 one way for the Extra Room seats in January. As mentioned previously we went with Delta Comfort+ with a no rush stop in ATL for much less than half the JB fare.

Even the JFK connection return on Sunday was very close to $700 for the Extra room seats one way

here is what i am looking at for 17-24 March and am considering booking departing from Boston and ther layover is JFK

5:40 AM
BOSBoston, MA (BOS)
Flight number 917, With layover Aircraft E190 View seats for flight 917 Amenities for flight 917
6:53 AM
JFKNew York-Kennedy, NY (JFK)
1h 13m
Layover: 3h 26m

10:19 AM
JFKNew York-Kennedy, NY (JFK)
Flight number 787 Aircraft A320 View seats for flight 787 Amenities for flight 787
2:17 PM
SXMSt. Maarten (SXM)

I was debating that flight for our January departure but cringed at the 0540 departure and a 3+ hour layover. Went with United leaving around the same time (6am) but only a 90 minute layover...a bit less in price but basically the same cost. (used miles)

thought you were from Mass. If so, why not the 7:15 am from BOS on Saturdays in March?

Yup, from MA but on the RI line (Seekonk).....so prefer PVD but won't do AA unless I have to

....January trip...not March

...departing on Sunday...not Saturday..and there is no 0730 JB departure Saturday or Sunday (12th) in January

....commented on your mention of the 0540a flight in March which also is live in January

WE are in RI and have given up on connecting flight from here because we seem to always be delayed or worse, miss connection and lose a day sometimes it was two.

2020 we're taking the Sunday direct on JB early morning. We drive uo night before and stay at Hilton Garden Park/Stay /Fly

Maybe Miami does work for AA ... I don't really know because I've never made that particular flight from that airport to SXM. But, Philadelphia has been nothing short of a disaster to many, many people over the years and personally I have never had a flight go smoothly with AA thru that hub. I will no longer give them that opportunity to ruin my vacation plans. And, the prices thru Charlotte -- another AA hub -- are approaching the ridiculous point not to mention the significant number of changes they are making weekly to their flight schedules. For those folks who have flown AA in the past with good results, great and keep doing it if it works for you. But, I would be very wary of making future plans with this particular airline until they get their act together better and especially the mess that presently exists with the Boeing 737 Max jets.

Sammy, Miami's D Concourse is literally 1.2 miles long, with 51 gates and a Skytrain with 4 stops. AA has the entire D Concourse, as well as gates in the E Concourse. The E concourse has two sets of gates, High E and Low E, which are connected by a train. The question is, where do you arrive, and where do you depart? Sound appealing?

I agree regarding AA at PHL. I've been lucky the last two times I transited there, but everything prior to that was a cluster.

boucharda I just checked again for that Sunday in March Non-stop BOS SXM and it's $324 going and $400+ return so around $700 RT