TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin American Airlines

We were scheduled for two weeks in SXM starting 10/9. I called American last night to cancel and they did with no questions asked with full refund.

Thanks for posting. I have to assume other airlines will follow suit.

Our friends called Delta and was told their flight was still scheduled to leave SEA tomorrow and arrive Saturday. Our friends know that is not going to happen. They just want to get home. Our home is their home as long as they need to stay.

That's ridiculous. Did they ask to speak to a supervisor? The airport is not even open!!

AA appears to be cancelling flights one day at a time. DL may be doing the same.

This is really ridiculous. I just went to Orbitz and looked for a flight to SXM from Atlanta this Saturday and returning the following Saturday. There was only one flight available and guess who? Delta $313.00. They should follow all the other airlines and remove flights until the airport is open for operation. I just hope they follow in AA's footsteps and offer full refunds to all those they have flights booked. I like Delta, but they should know better.

American told me, they would not refund my 10/21 tickets...they would waive the 200$ change fee, but balance is a credit for 12 months. 12 months from date of ticket purchase- June, so really 9 months from now.

I called AA a couple of hours ago regarding our Nov. flight, was told that they are "assessing the situation" regarding SXM flights, and that they would have a formal policy announcement in the next day or two.

First got a recorded message when I called Jet Blue saying to "please call back at another time if our flight is more than 7 days from now." Ummmm, I don't think so....
So later on last night, I said the heck with it and called back and stayed on the line, and spoke to a wonderful customer service person. She refunded the tickets completely.

David, when was your JetBlue flight?

Ours is 10/28. I have come to the realization that we cannot go. There is not one single thing standing, or anyplace we go that is in tact.

We're wondering how American will handle flights booked with frequent flyer miles. Our flights are sixty days from now, but with Club O destroyed, we have no place to go to.

United Airlines will impose a fee of $200. per person to cancel our trip for the first week of Nov.

This is stupid. This is why they should start regulating airlines again. They are money hungry Bas***ds <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" />

I just checked out the "Irma" section on the AA website, and there is a link you can click that takes you to a page where you can enter your ticket number, and they will let you know if you can cancel with a refund or not.

They have some very ambiguous instructions on an automated refund process. They say you must first cancel your flight to initiate the refund process, but why would you do that unless you have confirmed it's refundable? It also says that if your fare is refundable, there should be a cancel flight/change flight link on your "my flights" toolbar. Again, not very clear and not worth losing your $...I'm waiting until better info is available. My flight is in December.

We have AA flights for early December and late February. I can't imagine that either trip will happen as Simpson Bay Resort appears to be in shambles. It will be interesting to see how AA handles it particularly the Feb. trip. My expectations are low. I'll settle for 12 months to use ticket value as long as they waive the change fee. Keeping it all in perspective, I'm just sick over what the residents are enduring.

What good is a airline seat if where your going has no rooms for you. Planes to no where.

We have reservations at Club O for March/April. I'm pretty darn sure that's not happening. We are also booked with AA and wonder how long to wait. If SXM isn't accepting tourists or even severely limited by then, i would think they should refund. I would at least accept a no change fee though.........But yes, at the end of the day i am sick for these people and their recovery is most important.

We were scheduled to arrive on 11/6 on AA. We rescheduled our destination to Curacao. There was a slight increase in price, but after speaking to a supervisor the change fee was waived.

We have flights in November, and I just went to the AA website to see if they are refundable. I clicked on the Irma section, but I don't see the place you're talking about. Can you provide a link?

I tried to cancel our tickets today--depart SFO for SXM 10/11, return 11/6. I was told that at present they are only allowing "free" cancellations through 9/30, and I should try back later. Maybe I'll have better luck if I exchange for another destination, but right now my alternative ideas are all over the world map and I'm nowhere near picking a spot.

I'll give management the benefit of the doubt right now, that they are scrambling with all the current Irma and coming Jose cancellations and schedule issues that they are trying to minimize current chaos.

Unfortunately, I legged into these tickets, having 2 PNRs, so the double cancel fee would amount to almost the entire ticket cost.

I'm not overly concerned. I knew the rules on non-refundable tickets going in, so if AA isn't going to be especially accommodating, I'm willing to eat the loss.

In the same boat with Jet Blue, and also indecision as to where/IF to go elsewhere. Considered Curacao but do not want an All Inclusive (RCI).
Jet Blue says won't refund late October/November tickets at this time.

Well I guess AA is only waiving changes to your tickets through 12/31/17. Ours is 2/18 and unless we have proof that our villas on Anguilla and St. Maarten are uninhabitable they are not allowing any changes at this time. Little frustrating with the AA as it seems to me they are looking to capitalize on a bad situation. Not only will they collect additional funds on ticket changes but other destination supplies will be short and capitalize there also.
Even with insurance we can't file a claim since its so far out.

Most insurance companies have a time limit to file claim ours is 30 days.... <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" />

We cancelled our April trip today with AA..no penalty...no charges. Full refund.

were they refundable tickets? When was your trip scheduled?

They actually refunded cash? Or points ?

We booked with points. All points were refunded back into our account and the cash portion (Taxes) were fully refunded to our credit card.

Did you call them directly or do some online form on their web site?

We booked the flight in may 2017 and it was for April 2018

Steve called them direct...by the way sphotovacations is Steve

I called AA on Saturday to cancel our 11/24 trip. I was told there would be a $200 pp charge on our first class tickets. After pre-emptively apologizing to the nice girl on the phone, I explained...in creative terminology...what has happened to St. Martin and to the condo in Orient Village. I said if this was a waiting game, I will wait for them to cancel so I don't take a $400 hit. She ended up cancelling my trip without my authorization, and accessed the penalty. I noticed this immediately, called back and spoke with a poor guy who ended up giving me a full refund. Moral of the story, keep trying!

We went to SXM 4 months after Cat 5 Luis in 1995 which also "destroyed" the island and had a great time. Same Sun same great beaches and many places reopen fairly fast. I would think the airlines will work with people but April seems a very long way away to expect a refund. Once they get moving things we start to get better day by day. It will take a long time but I have no doubt its still a lot better than minus -5. I have contacts on the Island and while it is very bad they also say lots of not true rumors or just fake news. Time will tell, we need to support them now more than ever.

They waived our change fee, but only after requesting a supervisor. Now, since we didn't use the trip insurance, we'll try to transfer it to our new destination (Curacao).

forever,

Yours is an interesting perspective. Very different from mine, but you know what, I hope you're right and I'm wrong.

In '95 we had an AA package tour booked for the very end of November and AA cancelled the whole trip because the island, in their words, wasn't open to visitors yet. We ended up last minute booking a stay in Aruba instead.

We returned the following April and were appalled by what we saw. We are not people who need to be catered to and one of our favorite 'other' pastimes is tent camping, if you get my drift.

But there was debris of every nature, from boards and corrugated to boats of every size and description laying on the sides of roads and some still over-turned in the water. There was a lot of small debris still in the seawater and imbedded in the sand, and you almost had to wear water shoes, the only time in 44 years we've ever had to do this. The majority of island friends I've spoken or corresponded with are telling me this storm damage, by all their accounts, is light years worse than Luis'.

My perspective is to give them time to regroup, clear their heads over what's happened to them and to their island and then to clear the roads and beaches, rebuild their homes, and get back on their feet at whatever their occupations.

Thus, my personal support, at least for the time being, will be in the form of donations and prayers and moral support for a while. The island friends I'm speaking with are not as optimistic as yours so I guess they must live in very different parts of the island.

We each have to do what we're comfortable with but I really doubt they'll be able to restart as quickly as you're suggesting. But again, I truly hope you're right and I'm wrong. Time will tell..... <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

Will PM our similar experience after Luis.

When Steve called he said i need to cancel my trip in April...she said oh st martin...I understand...so sad. Your miles will be put into your account and the taxes will go back on your credit card.

He looked ...the miles were back in his account. He immediately used them to book a trip same time frame only a week less to Jamaica.

End of story

Folks...I don't know if you listened to the video today by Steve Payne the manager of Club Orient...but this is not a matter of repairing to reopen. Most of Club orient is completely GONE. And It sounded pretty clear to me that Steve Payne wants to go home to the USA. He said he promised his wife they would only stay 6 months and that was 9 years ago. I think the man is exhausted....and i completely understand. If the owners of Club Orient not only have to rebuild the entire resort...but they have to find a new manager to boot...we could be looking at a really long recovery time.

I am a very optimistic person...and i am so hoping that Club Orient will be back in business in April 2019...but i am not sure that is realistic.

Look how long it took to build all the new little buildings on Orient Beach....

Now you are talking Cleanup...getting supplies...and rebuilding every single one of them....in addition to all the resorts and restaurants.

Look how long it took to rebuild the mini suite that burned down at Club Orient. One building.....

How many buildings does Club Orient have to replace?

I am not interested in going to another resort. I want club Orient....and when and if it gets rebuilt...we will be the first to go back.

but this is a huge job and it will be prolonged by insurance and owners and lack of supplies.

What an insightful post. I know nothing of Club O but I get what he's feeling and you're saying. I heard the voice of a normally strong and no nonsense Islander yesterday, and she, too, was just emotionally spent.

I don't think people are getting this is going to be a ground up restoration of much of the island.

Thank you for your post. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

thanks pat...I am not a debbie downer...

friends of mine said to me the other day...oh places will reopen in december

REALLY? Did you watch the video of Grand case? how in the name of God can anything REOPEN in December?
They wont even have the MESS cleaned up by December!

How many ships will it take to just haul off the trash???

How many ships will it take to bring enough supplies to rebuild the entire island?

How many WORKERS will it take to do that building?

Good grief...we had a hail storm and it took MONTHS for all the neighbors on our street to get new roofs....

We are talking about buildings that are GONE

Cathyg,

Where did you find Steve Payne's video? I just checked Club O's website and Facebook page and didn't see it.

right here on traveltalk

on page one http://www.kesq.com/news/former-palm-spr...artin/617720771

stephen payne club o interview