From personal experiences flying AA should be avoided if possible, especially to St. Maarten. They simply don't care who they inconvenience. I've been down this path several times with them in the past and it won't happen again. The three most reliable alternatives to SXM would be Jet Blue from JFK, Delta (if you can find an affordable fare), and WestJet from Toronto, Ontario if you don't mind going through Canadian customs. Delta (from Atlanta) will require almost daily monitoring, but eventually the fares should come down. WestJet only flies there on certain days of the week, but non-stop flights from Toronto are typical and can be economical given the present U.S./Canadian dollar exchange rate.