Princess Juliana International Airport renovations

According to the article in the Daily Herald, the renovations to the Princess Juliana International Airport is nearing completion (June 17th); http://www.thedailyherald.com/index.php?...s&Itemid=54

I hope that means there are more places to eat now. I actually don't really care about shopping at the airport. I do care about getting something decent to eat before I get on the plane.

Wait, I was at the airport in March this year and it looked like it was already done. Isn't this old news?

Was in great shape on June 4 too.

We were in the downstairs gate area for our flight in May - definitely not completed. It reminded me of the "old" airport with all the gates on top of each other and people lining up all over the place. There wasn't enough seating and no restroom.

I agree with you- the A&B gates are ghastly. Hot, not enough seating, poor PA system, no bathrooms. And when your husband is in a wheelchair that's a problem. And there are a ton of flights that park on the tarmac & use those gates so it's not just every once in a while.

when we left yesterday it was all done...really nice..but only about 4 or 5 places to eat.

We left on Saturday. We had two burgers and water, for 43.00! They were really good! It looked very nice, but we still saw some construction.

Oh my word, Margie! Where did you get the burgers?

We had those same burgers... expensive but really good. I think we also spent about $40 for two burgers, fries and soft drinks. Johnny Burger was the name I believe. The buns were supposedly Johnny Cakes.

Marybeth - did you have to take a bus to board the plane? Ours was standing room only and that bus driver was crazy taking corners!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" />

Yes, that is the place we had our burgers from. They were wonderful! After we ordered 2 of them, I said next time, we could split one. They were huge!

Good to know, Margie. Thanks for the tip on splitting one!

When we departed on May 13, we did just that. One burger, with fries, was plenty for the 2 of us, & it was yummy!

And their fried plantains are pretty tasty too.

We were in there a few days ago for a few hours. Looks nice, but the money may have been better spent improving some other aspects of the island. The rather opulent airport (now more a silvery mall) amidst the miles of the poverty and decay surrounding it seemed to be a monument to misplaced priorities and something that is not at all very representative of St. Maarten.

We were luckier than you - Don needs a wheelchair in an airport so our bus was just 1st class & the pre-board passengers. No crazy driver but our plane was way off the terminal - & Don still had to walk up the stairs. The gate area was a total zoo - 2 planes loading at once, people standing around the gate, hotter than hades. I had to nip a few ankles to get Don to the door. Don't know how many more times I can leave out of the downstairs gates without feeling like a second class citizen. Not much different from the old airport and we leave on a weekday!

Whoa!! The airport is more"opulent" than what was there before, but..."(now more a silvery mall) amidst the miles of the poverty and decay surrounding it " ????? I'm not sure the people in Beacon Hill or Simpson Bay would agree.

Thank you, Marge. I read the same passage and had similar thoughts about it but I do agree with another poster, there's way too munch emphasis on looking good and still not enough on both arriving and departing passengers needs as the previous poster cited.

If you talk to some of the check-in people there's not enough room for luggage once checked and pre-loading and for sure, that lower level gate area is a disaster when there's more than one plane there - it's hot, has very poor acoustics, inadequate seating and no organization at all in the actual gate/boarding areas, and that's just for starters off the top of my head. I'm sure up I could think of more if I put my mind to it... <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" />

Agreed... the lower departure area is a total wreck.

We left May 31st, the departure level looks like one big duty free shop.

Went through there yesterday. Just a thought would it be better to let incoming buy there? Just thinking at the end of vacation you had enough...... <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/toast.gif" alt="" />

Last week, I don't think I saw a single person shopping in any of the "gate area" stores. I was wondering how they will be able to make it.

The "B Gate" area (downstairs) is definitely bad. Walking out to the plane and climbing the stairs to get on board. At least we didn't have to get on a bus first.

Scott, You know me and Fabila, we're not cheap people!! I will starve first before I spend $40.00 on a hamburger!!!! This is not "Morton's" this is the airport!!! What? one last deposit before going home???LOL!!!! I'd rather give it Bruno first at Dreams for a lunch and go!! Loved your post, but that my good friend got to go!!!

I wouldn't spend $40 on a burger either, unless it came with foi gras and truffles by Bruno. At slightly less than $20, it was still a bit of a ripoff, but that's the case at a lot of airports where they know they have a captive audience. Meals at EWR are similar. But at least it was a reasonable combo meal for that money given that location.

Well, we went through there yesterday. Had brought a sandwich with us for lunch. There are only about 5 places to eat, as someone else said. One place had some cold sandwiches and salads and wine and beer. There is the burger place, Domino's and a caribbean type place, as well as Bacchus, which had some nice looking sandwiches, which were $12. We bought a 375 ml bottle of chilled wine there for $12. Not a bad deal, considering the other place that we looked at wine, it was $7.50 for a small (plastic) glass of wine. And there is only ONE full service bar, which was absolutely JAMMED. The high end stores were pretty, but EMPTY. Oh, and another totally annoying thing--there are NO water fountains anywhere inside security. I know there USED to be a water fountain for sure by the bathroom which is closest to the smoking lounge. So, in their 'renovations', they took OUT the water fountains. Nice..

That was just the official 'opening' ceremony.

Looks like one giant store you can walk through to the gates. :-)

I understand that not much people are shopping though. Stores already have stuff on sale with 30-40% off. So who knows, maybe there is a good deal to be gotten. :-)

The food places and cafe's seems to be doing well.
People wanna get something to eat before boarding, right? :-)

Is the lounge still there?--I think we paid $20 to enter previously. We typically fly on Saturdays and the airport is usually a zoo with very little seating. We travel with my folks who are in their eighties and found the lounge area perfect for everyone to wait, quiet, comfy seats, air-conditioning, TV and appetizers to pick on. Drinks were extra but overall, it beat standing with the masses.

Yes, it's still there. We were going to use it this time, but by the time we got upstairs, decided it wasn't worth the money to do. As far as I know, WINE is still included free, which was part of the reason why we were going to go there. Is wine no longer included? They also have a couple of computers and internet, free.

Yes, people want to eat and drink, not shop, so of course the VERY FEW places there are to eat and drink are busy. They need more places to eat.

Does that lounge (Sualiga?) have shower facilities?

Our typical departure routine was completely thrown into disarray last November when the curfew and flooding happened. We had gone out for breakfast and then couldn't go back to shower and change as planned. Ick! That was the most uncomfortable day of travel, and all I wanted to do was take a shower! Thank goodness the paparazzi weren't waiting when we landed.... <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />

No shower or dressing room facilities. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

We used the executive lounge at Montego Bay Jamaica the last time we were there, and they had shower facilities. We didn't use them, but I can definitely see where that would be very nice to have! The lounge there cost quite a bit more than Souliga, but they had quite a bit more services also. Having a spa place, where one can get a shower and maybe even a quick massage, now THAT would be a great thing to have at the departure lounge, instead of all that shopping, which hardly anyone one uses, other than a quick souvenier or some liquor..

Souliga lounge is part of Priority Pass which comes as a no charge benefit to The Amex Platinum card. Granted the card is 450 a year.

We thought the same thing when we departed the island on June 20. Too many fancy jewelry and liquor stores and not enough seating for those wanting to eat (or wait). No one was shopping in them either. The downstairs 'B' gate is disastrous -- we felt like cattle with everyone jammed up against the doors waiting to load onto buses to go to the planes. IMHO, money could have been better spent improving the logistics of the airport rather than what they did.

Agree 1000%.

I agree as well. However, that wouldn't have brought in any additional income, as the rents from the retailers do....

No, not really, when no one is SHOPPING in them. They need more places to eat. They need more than ONE full service bar. Those places would make money. But allegedly, part of the renovation, I thought was to increase the enjoyment of the people using the airport, which this did not. And perhaps making money is the reason why they took OUT the water fountains that were there. If so, shame on them.

I always have to fight the urge to impulse-buy stuff at the airport. I was so close last year, but the bottle of liquor I picked up was a little sticky and I came to my senses. AND I'll say it again... I used to LOVE the PJAcafe. one last dose of conch before leaving the island in such a great place was impossible to beat.

Where is the lounge you all speak of? I have never noticed it?

It's down on the way to Gate A1 on the right.

We have used the lounge the last two October trips while the renovations were happening. The cost was $20 per person. They had wine and soft drinks and appetizers like hot chicken wings. Considering the limited choices of places to eat the last two years, and after eating about three plates of the chicken wings and three or four glasses of the cheap wine, I felt that I got my moneys worth. They had wireless internet and private restrooms, televisions, magazines and comfortable seating. If more bars and eating opportunities are now available, then we probably won't use them this year.

Well, not really, there are still very few places to eat and drink. The choices to eat inside security are the burger place, Domino's, the caribbean place, Bacchus, and the place down at the end next to the smoking lounge, which has some sandwiches and salads. That's it. There is a grand total of one bar where you can get something other than beer or wine.

Just having private bathrooms would make that worth it.
The restrooms in the departure area get rather messy and smelly on a busy Saturday. P.U.

Those B(?) gates downstairs are THE WORST part of the trip. Hot. CROWDED. Not enough seating. No restrooms. Tables where people and their belongings are being searched out in the open in front of several hundred people.
If I knew where to complain about that, I would.

The departure lounge is a great choice if it suits your needs on a given trip.

We have tried the new places on our last few trips, Bacchus Lounge, Johnney burger etc. and have finally given up. Next trip we'll just grab a wrap from the place towards the left as you enter and hope for better results.

Yes, there are some attractive stores, but we've never bought anything in them.

And yes, the downstairs gates are terrible.

We were glad that we had brought a sandwich with us last time.

When we have the option, we prefer to fix something ourselves and take it with us to either eat on the plane or at the airport. Last trip we made our own sandwiches before heading to the airport, then just bought some drinks after we were inside security. Better than the airport food! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />