TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin AA Heads Up

If you’re flying AA in December you might want to check your reservations.

I just noticed another flight time change notification in our December flights home from SXM to BDL. The changes happened overnight so no personal notification yet but they are reflected in our AA record locator file.

What were the changes?

Nothing major for us as it actually results in our getting back to CT two hours earlier (and before midnight....) but when they make one change they often do them system-wide so they could impact others. This actually means we will be back at home and hopefully in lalaland by midnight - works for me! 😊😊

They changed our December flights out of and back into Charlotte. Just by a few minutes, though. We leave CLT 10 minutes earlier and then depart SXM 25 minutes earlier on the way home.

Hi folks, AA has been doing that for years. It has never been an issue for us but you need to keep your eye on it.

Our flights home have changed a few times, most recently shortening our layover in MIA to about 90 minutes, which is a little tight for there, IMO. Just checked, and we're back up to 2 1/2 hours. Who knows how it will end up? I just wish we'd have a little more time in CLT on the way down.

Thanks Pat, we just checked and our flight had changed to the point that we had 59 minutes to clear customs and get to our connecting flight in Charlotte on a Saturday night. They have now changed it back to where we have 1 hour and 45 minutes to connect.

WOW AA is quite the Fuster Cluck, had issues of a change for MY Nov 10 flite where they pit the magic +1 next to the date of arrival for connection, which i instantly cancelled and scheduled one way on 2 different airlines

We had that same thing happen, but with our Miami connection coming home. It's back to something reasonable now. Are you still on the earlier flight out of CLT going down? I sure wish we had more time to make that connection!

bizzottom--If you would take a look at the various threads here regarding ALL the airlines over the past few months since SXM opened up to visitors, you will note that it seems that EVERY airline has cancelled many flights, with several airlines not flying at ALL for a few months, even after announcing they were flying and accepting reservations. While changing times or routes is not good, just flat out cancelling flights like Westjet, Delta, United and Jet Blue have been doing, is worse.

What's the +1 mean? Am I missing something?

+1 = Next day.

Ok. Never seen that before and we always travel with an overnight and arrive next day on AA.

agree, as i had minor issues with JB, AA tried to change one of my reservations return times and i couldn't see where, until ilooked more closely and they lessened my return by 2 yes 2 days, but are correct in your descriptions

So I know this is always worth trying but for some reason I hadn’t bothered after the latest round of AA flight changes. In speaking with our limo driver to advise her of our arrival time change back into Bradley after our up-coming trip she asked, knowing how much we preferred HPN over BDL, if I had tried to change my flight home to our regional HPN airport instead of Bradley and I decided to give it a try today.

American was totally agreeable to making the changes involved so now, instead of a 12:30 am arrival at Bradley, and about an hour and a quarter drive home, we are now arriving into HPN at 10:30 pm with only a 25 to 30 minute ride. We save money on the deal, too, and we’ll be home and probably asleep before we were due to arrive at Bradley. We kept the seats we had originally reserved with the exception of bulkheads on the last leg and I was actually happy over that since they aren’t my preference. The CSR was as nice as could be and went out of her way to help me find other alternatives as well.

I know many go ballistic over all the change and cancellation stuff AA often puts us through but once again, they came through for me and gave me exactly what I wanted and on FF tix that weren’t available for purchase for those airports when we first booked our trip.

I hope I can still say that after the weekend which is when we usually find their latest changes. Keeping’ my fingers crossed! And thankful to the powers that be.

Sounds great!! Hope everything is smooth sailing from here!!!

Thank you, Carol, and so do I. But this really is the first change I’m totally happy about and I think it’s the fifth set of changes for this one trip.

Good for AA. 👍👏👍

So glad to hear Pat. Looks like the wind is moving in your direction.

Thanks, guys. We’re pleased with the outcome so far, but we also know, ‘all things are subject to change,’ and it could still happen here, but hopefully, NOT!

Pat,
I have given up on AA for trips to SXM. Horrible times long lines changing flights in Miami. So, now we have an option of changing in CLT
from BDL but, I guess i'm spoiled because I hate changing flights.
l like flying. no-stop out of JFK on JB. I usually start checking flight's about 6 months out and wait for a good price and book it. I will
never fly into Miami unless we are going on a cruise and always fly in the day before to enjoy a nice dinner and get up fresh the day of the cruise.
So, I love my AA credit card with miles and we use our miles for visiting friends or the kids in the USA and booked JB out of JFK to SXM which
means paying out of pocket. We postponed two on the island in May and re-booked SXM
in Oct and had to postpone that trip per doctors orders. Don't know when we will make it down but, this dam Covid will determine that.
Good luck to all who are on the island or in the process of heading down.

See, that’s why there’s both vanilla and chocolate!

I was always a huge fan of the JFK n/s flights when time was of the essence and our vacation time was limited and dictated by kids and work schedules but thankfully, those days are done and I would prefer to avoid JFK like the plague whenever possible. If I have to usecitvibeill but it’s not my first choice anymore.

If I can fly from our regional airport, even on a connecting flight through CLT at a reasonable price I’ll do so in a heartbeat, not to mention that JB has started to get pricey for their n/s flights, and to me, today, they’re just like every other airline. The craziness of JFK is just not worth it to me anymore but I fully respect the preferences of those who choose it.

Hope you can get back there soon.

Edited to add: you do realize JB offers a no fee Barclay cc that racks up points quickly? We do use it for some things and it’s pretty easy to amass points for flights.

We recently changed to the JB plus MC because of the free checked bag . 99 bucks a year is easily made up on one trip with two bags

I considered going that route but if I can avoid it I don’t fly JB that much. I still may upgrade my card between now and Spring when I may cash in some points that are piling up. That coupled with the higher point awards on dollars spent on JB for tix and such might make it worthwhile. All these big decisions.........

Just get a Chase Sapphire Reserve. Yes it’s expensive. 550 a year. 300 back on travel. Tickets, train luggage etc. GE or TSA every 5 years, access to many airport lounges via the priority pass. (It used to cover the lounge in (SXM). Many many other benefits and you can book tickets through them or move your points to your favorite airline. Or build up a balance and have the cash in points applied to your credit card balance. Great rental car program as well. What’s great is you are not tied to an airline. The Amex Platinum works the same with many of the same or close benefits.

Good for you , hence all set for December ?

Lesley - right now we are def coming 12/27-1/6!

Okay Dear thanks for the update.

Pat,
The main issue with me is a breathng issue and with a mask .No mask and I'm fine. I just want to get the on plane and get off on the island.
Until the dam Covid is gone we will just sit tight. As far as JFK goes I have no issues with that as we are always there way before before every flight
so we can sit down and have a nice breakfast.

I wish you a nice and enjoyable trip. Probably won't make it down until spring and hoping the island gets a lots of their issues resolved also.
Thanks for the tip about the JB card and I will look into that.
Good luck,
Bob