TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums British Virgin Islands Flight help to BVI

Hi! We have flown to BVI many times on Silver Airways from SJU (after flying from DC on Southwest or Jet Blue, etc)
Last year our Silver Airways flight was delayed 3-4 hours and we missed our connection home - it was a mess.

I was SO excited about the American flights from Miami. (I also am scared of flying so hate small planes)


However, the AA flight is so much more money... and I read a few posts about weight and wind issues. We would be on their newly added third flight - in between their first and last one.

I am considering Silver on the way down to have more options to BVI from SJU vs Miami and then AA home to hopefully get to Miami with more DC options if need be.

Thoughts on wind, weight, Silver Airways, or anything else? I am also a little worried AA won't end up needing that third flight..

this is for March- 4 people...

We have also done the STT ferry route and it was ok, but I am finding that's a hassle on the way home to get to STT so early for a 12:15 flight...

Thanks!

MBF--don't know anything about Silver in particular, but how full are the AA flights from EIS to MIA? If the load is fairly light for all of them, it could be they might cancel one and consolidate them.

We do Jet Blue DCA to SJU 800 am all the time...IMHO best flight. So many more options to get home and to EIS from SJU then STT We then do Island Birds charter as I got tired of the uncertainty with Silver or Caribbean

That Jet Blue flight back is 605 and we usually fly out of EIS around noon so plenty of time

The Miami flight is nice in concept but dont like price or customs in Miami

we used to do STT but getting out has been a PIA

Just a suggestion about the ferry. If you are catering a boat it is stressful and almost impossible to clear your boat in bVIs and grab a ferry to get to the airport onetime for your flight. (Island time issues). We have always just done our charter ending on Saturday and ferry over to ST Thomas around noon and we spend the night there in a hotel. We have one last big dinner and take our time stress free to the airport on Sunday and home that evening. Dont know if that works in your plans but a suggestion to make it a little less stressful and not having to fly on small planes or deal with multiple airlines with delays. Hope you have a great holiday.

Each way to and from Ca to Tortola I now overnight at The Emerald Beach Resort...great bar and Frenchtown is right around the corner..

Each way to and from Ca to Tortola I now overnight at The Emerald Beach Resort...great bar and Frenchtown is right around the corner..

We do basically the same except we stay at Olga's Fancy.

My 2 cents….if you have the extra days ( vacation time is precious , I realize) I would do as Mal suggests and stay overnight in STT. silver is very unpredictable and very strict with bags and weights for flights.

We had our bags delayed from EIS-SJU and saw them two weeks later . It was a heck of a racket.

For comfort and less stress pay the little extra for a nice stay in STT and enjoy . Going on vacation shouldn’t be this stressful but unfortunately these last few years have been difficult.

Hoping you find a solution that works well for your situation…and most of all have fun

Sadly we can't do any extra days as my kids are already missing high school...

Knowing that- would you do AA or Silver on way?

I feel like more options to fly out of SJU if there is an issue and AA flight is now empty for the way down..

Sorry meant to add- I would do Jet Blue/Silver on way there and AA on way back through Miami...

This is worrisome. I'm booked with Silver for the ends of a JetBlue connection in SJU. I did this specifically so I wouldn't have to play the ferry roulette (and didn't want to pay for a water taxi).

Was this a one-off or chronic?

It has happened a couple of times with us but the last one was more recent and was discouraging as silver was not very responsive. We flew EIS-SJU ( stayed overnight as planned ) then onto Boston. drove home to Eastern Canada from there.

It was the Jet Blue staff who finally found our bags out back in a store room. silver had sent them to San Juan at some point but not sure when. They then delivered them fed ex 2 weeks later.

If you don’t mind potentially not having your stuff after a trip it’s not an issue. Just plan accordingly . Going is not so much of s big deal as silver will send them eventually they just have to find you .

Really travelling these days is not great fun but so worth it. Carry on is the way to go if you can swing it.

On a separate and really funny note we actually had two bags go missing in June from the ferry from Road Town to Charolette.
A real mystery…Mr Hodge from Road Town fast ferry was fantastic and called us to report they had fallen into the bilge when they opened a hatch to check on a potential leak! Oh the stories he actually mailed them to us …for real

Thanks. Planning on carry on only so that makes me feel better. I didn't know if carry on on Silver meant they stayed in the cabin or not - I have no feel for the size of the plane.

Carry-ons fit on the newer Silver planes. We have never had a problem with our bags not making it. We check a lot of heavy bags going down, and they have occasionally been a day late arriving, usually on Cape Air. If all our flights are not on one ticket, we plan a night in San Juan.

Last month we tried the new Miami route, which for us reduced the trip to two flights. It was an early morning, but we were on Beef Island by 2:30, with our four checked bags, each 50-60 lbs. A quick taxi to Trellis Bay and we were back!

How wonderful . Was so lovely to meet you last year. We have a friend named Don Murney ( nicknamed cowboy) used to have a beautiful boat Mystery , contacted us to say he was on your island now. Have you run into him by chance?

We enjoyed meeting you and Ward, too! We have met Don and Marnie, but only chatted briefly.

Such a small small world.

So do you think it's a reliable route with the wind/weight issues, and the newly added third flight?

Seems everyone talks about Ferry Roulette, yet in all the years I have never found a time I have had a problem catching a ferry. Ironic since the problem seems to be the airlines reliability all the time...LOL

The first - and only - time I rode the Bomba Charger, after being hassled by shills, we finally left St. Thomas. The boat broke down at least a half dozen times en route. A crew member would descend into the bowels of the boat and get it going, but the engine would fail yet again, spewing horrid diesel smoke. A poor baby eventually barfed all over Ratman. We limped into West End, they cancelled the run to Road Town, and we were all left to crowd into taxis and pay the crazy fare to Trellis Bay. I will do nearly anything to avoid another ride like that.

Speedy's is another story - great service at a fair price. Aquatic Rentals is also very good.

This is true - Last May we planned on BOS->ATL->STT with Delta - then overnight and the ferry to RT. Delta was a nightmare with multiple canceled/late flights and a stay in ATL. I figured going home (same plan in reverse) would have to be better. I was so wrong. It was worse It should not take 3 days coming and going.

Delta - we are NEVER getting back together. Lost money on hotel, prepaid ferry (never doing again) and limo. And had trouble finding a limo company that could pick us up the next day.

Oh and the ferries were the only easy part of the trip

We gave up on Silver in 2022. For reference we are there many times each year and fly out of DTW so like it or not it is Delta for us (American is stupid ridiculous in pricing here). Delta does a one ticket with Silver which seems like a great idea. Ha. After multiple cancelled flights and lost luggage situations (Cape Air saved us each and every time with cancellations) we gave up and only travel through STT. We take a water taxi in (consider it part of overall trip costs) and typically ferry back (same day at as our flights leave late afternoon).

I am not sure what the ferry roulette comment was about. The ferry service was terrible for several years after Irma and no fun during covid but the last 18 months it’s been very good. I have made 10 trips or more and every ferry has been close to on time with no other issues. In fact the last two ferries I took out of CA left early!

I took the roulette comment to be more about when your flight leaves or arrives in relation to your ferry reservation than about the ferry performance itself.

All this talk of Silver is making me nervous. I took the ferry last time (long time ago) and opted for Silver this time thinking it would be much more convenient. Sounds like it will be an adventure!

We just booked United, IAD to STT, first week of May. Direct flights coming and going, so we will take the ferry from Charlotte Amalie to Road Town. We wanted a later departure time in STT, and the Spirit options were not workable. We found out Spirit was booking us separate flights instead of connecting flights, meaning we'd have to leave the terminal, get our bags, and then have to re-enter through TSA to make the second leg (in FLL). We tried going through BWI, but thumbs down on that return mess. When we added up the baggage costs, United wasn't too much more, and well worth the reduced hassle.

Ferry reservations are no longer needed. That was a covid issue.

Apple Air Tags are less than $25ea or can be purchased in a 4 pack ~ $90.
The majors are getting pretty good at tracking checked luggage where the status is updated in their apps.
But if you have lots of connections, or flying independent regionals, money spent on Apple Air Tags is well worth it.

Does anyone have experience with Breeze Air Charter STT to Tortola?
I have quotes from Island Birds and breeze and they’re basically the same. It’s a group of nine and we just don’t want to deal with the ferry although we’ve done that in the past. we will take the ferry on the return trip, but trying to get there quicker outbound.

Just a statement that everyone is saying the ferries are unpredictable. There has been plenty of complaining about the ferries ever since I have been on here. Way before Irma. All I was stating is we have never had issues even right after Irma. However there are many commenting about flight issues yet still say they want to avoid the ferry. Just stating that the issue is usually the flights.

The ferries have been 100% for me post covid. Most actually leaving early!

I agree flying through STT and taking the ferry over is very reliable and less expensive than flying directly to EIS....even after factoring in the cost of ferry tickets, baggage charges, taxi, and gratuities. The advantages of the AA MIA-EIS non-stop route is several segments are eliminated (taxis and ferry), overall travel time is reduced, aligning flight schedule with ferry schedule is not needed, and potential knock on effect and hassles due to flight delays is reduced. The game changer for me, flying from the west coast, is I can get to Tortola by 1:30pm vs early evening taking the STT/Ferry route. That said, I look at both routes every time. We used to take the STT route 80% of the time. Ever since AA added their MIA-EIS flight its more like 20%.