TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin PJIA opens transit corridor

To help passengers, more of the airport is being open as a transit corridor.

https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/airport-opens-transit-corridor

Great news a little at a time.Truly Island time

Remember the previous airport in the 1980’s?

YEP!!

Yes and we loved it! True Caribbean feel when you stepped off of the plane. You knew where you were!

Glasses fogged and rum samples as you entered the arrival building.

Going OUTSIDE to the bar to get a drink and the last rays of sun and warmth, before going back to snowy climes!! Hauling two HEAVY carry-ons up the stairs to Juliana Café and watching the planes from there.

My one wish for the 'new' airport is that there will be a place to be able to actually SEE the runway and get a drink and have some food..

There used to be a very small bar at the one end where a lot of the taxi drivers would gather. $1 beers!

Don't remember that, but definitely remember that outside bar...

It was kind of tucked away. Junior took me there one time and we hit it many times after that.

We always looked forward to eating at Juliana Cafe, some of the best food. And the memory of stepping out of the plane and the heat hit your face like you'd just opened the oven door of a stove.

Juliana Café was great, yes. As far as the heat hitting your face when you land, you get that now. But I would MUCH prefer having jetways, as compared to having to climb stairs to the plane..

Didn't Bobby and Janea (who had Bajatzu) run Juliana Café?

We always ended sitting in the back of the plane for some reason. When the back door of the plane was opened to exit I always loved the warm air hitting me in the face as I exited. the reality that I was on island.


Wendell

The inside "outside" bar, open-air in the middle of the terminal, is my fondest memory. Bartenders Tony and Joe could spot me 3-deep behind a crowd, and would set me up with a round of ice-cold Heineken in a heartbeat.

Yes, I don't know about Janea, not sure who that is, but Bobby, who subsequently had Bajatzu, owned Juliana Café. I remember hearing a story at one point that politics was the reason why he couldn't get a restaurant at the new airport. It would be really nice if there were a GOOD restaurant at the new airport.. Pre-Irma, the shops selling perfume, etc., were beautiful, but there was not really a great place to eat..

She was either his wife or partner, I met her and him one night with Junior at Bajatzu.

The little bar made it pleasurable to wait for your luggage!!!

Yes.

I meant to post this yesterday and I guess I got sidetracked, but I believe Bobby was once upon a time the Beverage Manager/Coordinator for Mullet Bay Resort and Anthony, one of the waiters at Bajatzu, once worked at MBR&C, too, I believe in the Gourmet Dining Room.

[quote=Carol_Hill]Going OUTSIDE to the bar to get a drink and the last rays of sun and warmth, before going back to snowy climes!! Hauling two HEAVY carry-ons up the stairs to Juliana Café and watching the planes from there.

My one wish for the 'new' airport is that there will be a place to be able to actually SEE the runway and get a drink and have some food.. [/quote-d

Agreed. I miss Juliana Cafe'. Also the Executive Lounge. Hopefully if they re-do the lounge it might have a view of the runway, planes, BSV...the beach!
At the old one you saw the road and cliff....yucko view.

Hauling two HEAVY carry-ons up the stairs to Juliana Café and watching the planes from there.


We also enjoyed Juliana Cafe! Those stairs sure seemed steep and narrow.

Yes. Miss Juliana Cafe. I have a poster a friend gave me with me in there with my wife's hat on that she forgot in the rental car while I was dropping it off and the only way to carry it with luggage was to wear it. Got a lot of laughs when I walked in.

Can anyone who has experienced the departure area after the security check recently comment on the food or restaurant options are please?

As of October 2019, I think the best choice past security was the burger joint. Very good burgers. You also had Dominos and some type of a sandwich place, and the gourmet place, having a senior moment, can't remember the name. That was about it.

No Dear , we just had a meeting with the Airport Board two days ago at El Zafiro .

Okay great but pretty sad that after more than 2 years the opening of a hallway is HEADLINE NEWS when it should be the reopening of a new freaking airport! When will SXM every get a sincerely caring and competent government ? All the island seems to get is political lip service. The Island deserves better and its way past time to get a lot more done.

Love to see a slightly improved version of the old SXM airport, BUT with local duty free shops, not what they had before Irma. And be sure Jeff de Bruges chocolates is there!

I recall those Duty free shops were local shops.