# St. Lucia - American Airlines cutting trips to Castries/Vigie from San Juan?!



## Judith Frye (Jun 3, 2008)

Hi everyone.  I have a week on hold at Windjammer Landing starting Nov. 8 but it seems I can't get to the Castries/Vigie airport anymore!  American has announced cutbacks on a number of routes.  Are any of you who were booked from San Juan to that small airport convenient to Windjammer affected, and has American contacted you or offered you any options?  American has also cancelled flights to Castries from other islands.  I don't want to pay the $120/person each way to take the helicopter from the Vieux Fort airport, nor do I want to take the long drive.  This will surely hurt the business of resorts like Windjammer in the north of the island.  Advice welcome!  Thanks a lot, Judith


----------



## Larry (Jun 4, 2008)

Judith Frye said:


> Hi everyone.  I have a week on hold at Windjammer Landing starting Nov. 8 but it seems I can't get to the Castries/Vigie airport anymore!  American has announced cutbacks on a number of routes.  Are any of you who were booked from San Juan to that small airport convenient to Windjammer affected, and has American contacted you or offered you any options?  American has also cancelled flights to Castries from other islands.  I don't want to pay the $120/person each way to take the helicopter from the Vieux Fort airport, nor do I want to take the long drive.  This will surely hurt the business of resorts like Windjammer in the north of the island.  Advice welcome!  Thanks a lot, Judith




I am going to windjamer in December and booked with AA flying into Vigie through PR and returning through Harrari airport but on a direct flight going home to JFK. Have not heard anything about cancelled flights from AA?


----------



## CapriciousC (Jun 5, 2008)

I would contact AA and ask them what their plans are.  My husband flies American several times a month and told me a couple of days ago that some of their routes are no longer showing up in the reservation system, particularly to areas that are considered "seasonal."  In some cases they will no longer fly to certain airports, in others they are decreasing the frequency of flights, so they might not fly to a particular airport 7 days a week, but perhaps only 3 or 4 days a week.


----------



## Larry (Jun 8, 2008)

Larry said:


> I am going to windjamer in December and booked with AA flying into Vigie through PR and returning through Harrari airport but on a direct flight going home to JFK. Have not heard anything about cancelled flights from AA?




OK just checked again and they changed my flight from 6:40 AM to 7:00 AM connecting on a later flight in PR so now I'm getting in at 2:44PM instead of at 2:13PM but I now have a 50 minute layover in PR instead of the rediculous 25 minute layover on original schedule. I'm fine with this but AA never contacted me regarding the change. I only found it by checking my reservation on line. Return flight is still the same a non stop which I wanted. Sure hope there are no drastic changes between now and December but I am sure they will so I will just keep checking.


----------



## DianneL (Jun 11, 2008)

We had a similar problem with AA in 2005 when we went to St. Lucia.  We were scheduled to fly into the smaller airport, however, prior to our trip AA flights were cancelled into that airport (I never did really know the reason) for a period of five days or so.  I found this out by checking, not by notification from AA.  They rerouted our inbound flight to the other airport and we took a LONG cab ride to Windjammer Landing.  Our outbound flight did not change and we left from the smaller airport.  We loved our vacation in St. Lucia.


----------



## MULTIZ321 (Jun 11, 2008)

Judith,

Here's a site with good info about Airports in St. Lucia
http://www.guidetostlucia.com/airports.html


Richard


----------



## gmarine (Jun 11, 2008)

AA is recently announced plans to cut 40% of its American Eagle flights from SJU, from 55 daily flights to 33. 

All service from SJU to Aruba and to Samana, Dominican Republic have been stopped. AA says it will cut back service to much of the caribbean with full schedules to be released shortly.


----------



## Judith Frye (Jun 12, 2008)

Thanks everyone.   It seems worth checking the situation continually.  Judith


----------



## Carolyn (Jun 13, 2008)

Thank you for the "heads up".  I checked our reservation from IND-SLU and it didn't even make sense.  I was leaving San Juan before our`connecting flight even got in   So I figured everything out, the way I wanted it and called AA.  After being on hold for eternity, they came back to me and approved everything.  Upside is I'm only using 25K FF miles per person (low season) and I exchanged into WJL with a "cheap" week.  Downside is 1 night in Chicago coming and going (will use Starpoints for free stay and complimentary transportation to and from the hotel).  Will also have to fly into big airport (UVF). We may do the helicopter thing to the resort and the taxi back...not sure yet.

Carolyn


----------



## dmharris (Jun 13, 2008)

I have read that over 20 regional airports in this country have had all flights pull out.  So what happens?  And with these Caribbean islands, how can they survive without tourism?  

What is the world coming to?


----------



## zoobiedo (Jun 25, 2008)

I go to St. Lucia yearly and own at Windjammer Landing.  I live out West.  My original AA reservation got me there and back in the same day and to the smaller airport which I was thrilled about as it's hard to do that from this direction.  I now have to overnight in each direction and arrive at the larger airport.  I called AA and switched my flights with them.  Since I love St. Lucia it's a small price to pay for 3 weeks in paradise.


----------



## Carolinian (Jun 25, 2008)

Maybe someone can set up a partnership arrangement with LIAT to give them a Carribean network.


----------



## gorevs9 (Jun 26, 2008)

gmarine said:


> AA is recently announced plans to cut 40% of its American Eagle flights from SJU, from 55 daily flights to 33.
> 
> All service from SJU to Aruba and to Samana, Dominican Republic have been stopped. AA says it will cut back service to much of the caribbean with full schedules to be released shortly.



AA also just dropped service from many airports in the US.


----------



## dmharris (Jun 26, 2008)

So how are we to get there?  Swim?  Row?


----------



## Dave M (Jun 26, 2008)

Judith -

AA still flies on your route. AA still lists nonstop flights from SJU to SLU on (for example) November 7 and 8 and returning on November 14 and 15.


----------



## Judith Frye (Jun 26, 2008)

Thanks, Dave, and everyone.  The one flight SJU to SLU on Nov. 8 (and back on Nov. 15) leaves too early for me to connect from O'Hare to SJU (and back) on the same day, so it requires a night in Puerto Rico each way.  But at least the flights still exist!  Judith


----------

