222 Tourists on Dutch Side Still Trying to get Home

DAILY HERALD ARTICLE

No idea if this number is accurate or not but it is what the Daily Herald is reporting. The picture shows a line outside the airport and others have mentioned this but in my several times by or at the airport earlier this week, I saw no line other than at the outside kiosks. This made it appear there was a line to go inside but once inside, you could walk to your respective counter and get in line there.

I am guessing the resorts compiled a list of guests needing to get out as several (including our group) reported getting a form asking for numbers and dates of outbound flights.

Having followed this event closely and also having been personally involved in it, I have found a few discrepancies and flat out wrong information reported (in the Daily Herald) when compared to information the Prime Minister put out.

Good luck to all of those still trying to get home.

I think that number has got to be WAY low. And of course there are MANY accommodations that are not part of SHTA, so people staying at condos/etc aren't counted. Regarding the line, my GUESS might be that the line was for people trying to get on that Jet Blue flight yesterday, that they didn't announce till the last minute.

And that number does not include the French side. another Daily Herald story

I read elsewhere that there were a lot of empty seats on some flight and I think it was the JetBlue. No idea if it was accurate. Yes, I thought 222 sounded low. That is basically a little over the capacity of a 757. If that is really the case, the airlines would not still be scheduling more flights in like they are.

No way to know regarding the Jet Blue flight, except for someone who was on it. If it went home very empty, why are they bringing in another plane on the 22nd?

Flew out on JetBlue yesterday to JFK there were some. Empty seats.

Thanks for the information. Glad you got out.

bigkahona--Some empty seats, or a lot? Glad you were able to get home.

I think the comment about empty seats on the JetBlue flight was about the upcoming Saturday flight. You can see the seat map online and it was pretty empty, but is now filling up.

Based on personal experience earlier this week, I would not trust any airline seat map or what an agent tells you. Until you are actually on the plane, in a seat and the plane is in the air would I feel comfortable with the accuracy of any information.

We are out of here on Saturday afternoon. Was able to get an American flight. JetBlue still dong nothing for people with tickets on them. For such a usually great airline....they now SUCK. Talked to them on the phone a few times....the attitiude is a ''screw you" attitutde...we will refund your money...period. Will have to take this in consideration on future flights.

Ed--Glad you are able to get out on Saturday, but Jet Blue did take out a plane yesterday and they have another one scheduled for Sunday, (albeit to NY, and not to FLL..)

Ed, JetBlue has scheduled a couple of "rescue" flights. Glad you have something lined up and thanks for checking back in.

Probably wise to avoid NY if at all possible at this point. If no choice, I guess you go with it.

JD--guess we posted at the same time..

Miami/Dade isn't great either, but probably better than NY.

Yep and almost the same comments! Glad Ed got something going.

Yes....they were 'bought'' by the government of SXM. Heard that the SXM governement PAID them a thousand a seat to bring in a few ''rescue'' planes. And the kicker is......JB is charging each seat 450 dollars to get to New York. I thought i would never say the words...."Thank you American Airlines". we booked for a lot less than JB fares were. Next year...i may have to think long and hard about using JB ever again. Their 'I don't give a crap" attitude that they showed was terrible.

And this was a reliable source you "heard" this from? Sorry, but I don't see the government of SXM doing this but I may be 100% wrong. AA also abruptly cancelled flights earlier in the week that left many scrambling and booking on Delta.

Delta seemed to have a better handle on things than the other airlines but they also had glitches, poor information at times, website not working properly and often showing different information that what counter agents were seeing and left people hanging as well. According to the flight attendant (Delta) on the flight I went out on, the SXM Delta "station manager" had a lot to do with "negotiating" with the SXM government and airport to get Delta flights in. I believe it was him I heard on the radio a day or so prior to leaving, discussing options and plans for Delta and some other airlines. Looks like I am going to have to be calling Delta in regard to the flight THEY cancelled (and I then cancelled so as to not be a "No show" just in case) as no credit of any sort is showing up yet.

Glad you have arrangements made.

Total BS. Why on earth would SXM pay for planes to take tourists off island? The rumors that abound here, and everywhere I expect, are crazy.

My thoughts exactly. I found so many rumors, untruths, misinformation and people continue to believe them, spread them and add to and perpetuate a bad situation by thinking they have some "inside information" they "heard".

The JetBlue Flight today is still showing seats and is 347 a ticket to get back to NYC. that’s the same as I paid to get home on Monday 3/16. I was very happy with that. Easily booked that to get home. Then dealt with my original return - received full credit no questions asked. Much easier to book then deal with return ticket than trying to change flight and use that ticket to get home.

Ed - that’s not true at all. I’ve been following this since word came out on island a week ago. They were slow to figure out how to manage it. But it was super easy to just book a new ticket online. The government said no flight as of 3/17. So we took the 3/16 flights. Then JB added other flights as did other airlines. You could Even book through the app on your phone easily. Still can. Everyone has to get away from the mentality that they first have to deal with their existing flight during an emergency. Just book - get home - then deal with it.

Thanks kim. A lot of this is TIMING and it applies to each and every airline. Another poster was just able to book on United to get out today as well.

Exactly. And the other thing is during an emergency. Just get to the mainland US. Then take it from
There. It may be costly. But once on US soil you can get a hotel and figure out your next flight. I always tell people to get to JFK. You can then fly from a handful of airlines and airports to get home. We got stranded in Baltimore when the microbursts hit the east coast. It was midnight and they finally let us off the plane. Stranded at BWI. why they didn’t take us to Dulles I don’t know. We got so angry to rented a car and drove to JFK where are car was!!!

There are a lot of flights headed to SXM this morning, with only people who can document SXM residency as inbound passengers. It will be a busy day at Juliana, and hopefully anyone who wants to go home will be on one of them when they return to the US/Canada.

Thanks. I hope no screw ups like the other day with allowing US Citizens on the flight.

I heard this from a pretty reliable in at Royal Islander. I thought it was crazy...but all of a sudden two days in a row... JB showed up...after telling us for three days they had no plans on doing it!!!! Honestly ....i don't really care..i lived it...you guys didn't. Did have a great flight home today on American to Miami. smooth...and very fast through customs. I expected the worse....but was out of the airport in twenty minutes after deplaning. I guess a certain few people won't believe that either...but it is TRUE.

LOL at Kim's comment....sure sounds easy to book online on the app....UNTIL YOU TRY TO DO IT!!!! and all the damn thing does is conitinuosly NOT LOAD....then times out!!! I guess it is easy to criticize and think others aren't telling the truth....UNTIL YOU LIVE IT YOURSELF. It's also easy to tell lpeople to just fly to the states and take it from there...Maybe a lot easier if the person had a boatload of cash...and not on a limited retirement budget. We were not in a position for the two of us to spend around THREE THOUSAND or more dollars....to get to the states....and take it from there.. I guess it is easy to just comment....when it is not happening to you. I hope the [censored] that went down this week never happens to anyone else....and am praying that the good people of the island survive this unexpected non storm closures. Most of the island residents now are without a job or paycheck....and this can be going on for the foreseeable future. The people there are not happy.....and if things don't break soon.....all hell can break out again. French side is CLOSED. Beaches Closed......Dutch side....as of today....some restaurants open for take out only. Many of our better ones...CLOSED completely. Last night at ten in Maho.....there was NOBODY walking around at all...all the strip restaurants closed....and a couple of the smaller ones in back open for take out only. Friday night we got takeout at Toppers....we were the only ones there at around eight o clock.. Mark's place the other night....same thing......very quiet. So far the markets seem plentiful....but who knows for how long?? You can't believe what is going on....unless you see if for yourself. Again...it's easy to criticize from the couch in your living room at home. Every day is different...and getting worse. our SXM 2020 vacation will be the one probably remembered the most out of all thirty plus of them. I usually go into sxm withdrawal the moment we leave the island....but the saving grace is knowing in 49 weeks we will be back. This year.....it's differen!! We have to wait an entire 51 weeks. The next two weeks stuck at home will be a reminder of what it should've been.

No EdB, I lived it as well as I was on island. My wife also lived it as she was dealing with the local airport agents trying to make arrangements for me. Don't tell me I didn't live it! Perhaps you were not following TTOL? No I do not believe the SXM government paid JetBlue $1000 seat to come in. I believe your "reliable" from RI is full of it.

I do believe you were through the airport in 20 minutes as there are very few people flying and they have been getting people through quickly.

BTW, kim was on island also and had to scramble to get off after seeing what was going on.

Glad you got back to the US.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Clipper

This is a story of a Pan Am flight on 2 Dec 1941 from San Francisco to Honolulu. Long story short, they never made it and had to circumnavigate the globe to get to US soil arriving unexpectedly aa Laguardia on 6 Jan 1942.


Ruralcarrier and EdB and others ——- you made it back —- whewww!

Now you know things not normal back here in the States.

Get your supplies and stay home - you dont know what you got. And nobody wants it.

Again, welcome back to a war.

My experience of going through a hurricane on island was,

No electricity
No food
no water
no gasoline
no outside information ( radio,tv)
no internet
no airport
no cc machines
minimal cash
blocked roads from debris
Had to make a decision each day how far to search for food as only had 1/2 tank of gas, how far out to search had to have gas to get back to the villa and gas to search the next day if nothing was found.

Ed, you had options, lots of them, you chose to to use them. Mine zero for days.

I'd a paid any amount to get out of that situation.

Wendell

Ed--Kim and JD both WERE there, along with lots of others here on TTOL. While we didn't live it, those of us here at home are pretty well aware of how everything is closed. This is a very traumatic situation for all of us, especially for those who were on island and are now, thankfully, home. Don't say that you have any kind of a corner on the market for trauma, though, because that just isn't true.

Oh, Ed! Really?!!

We are very thankful for electricity, water and communication. Just imagine if you didn't know if flights were coming at all, no way to contact ANYONE, had no gas in your car to get to the store or airport, NOTHING on the shelves, another disaster headed your way and no way to get information about it. Take a chill pill and STOP SPREADING RUMORS!.

Correct. Wild rumors is the last thing needed during this ordeal.
Good luck to you both in riding this out.

Seriously! I’m going to try to be polite. I DID LIVE IT. I was there, had to scramble. Yes. Booked ONLINE. And worried about the refund after. Turned on my phone so I did not have to rely on WiFi. You need to get over yourself. Your first post said it all. Your vacation was ruined. I get it. But my goodness you are acting like you are the only one affected.

Elaine--very true. We have electric, we have food, we have the internet, everyone needs to calm down. And best wishes to you.

Thanks all. We're home, groceries in and our only movement will be Bill walking to Carrefour in Jordan village to refill perishables and perhaps a trip to the beach for a solitary swim. Stay safe, be well everyone.

Good to know our island friends are okay and hoping this situation is soon done for all of us.

Here or there, we’re all feeling the pain of this new order of things but all we can do is make the best of it. For those who had their trips shortened and those who will have them cancelled altogether, there will be other years and other trips but first we need to get through the pain of what’s happening now.

Prayers for all the families who have lost loved ones or who have had to deal with loved ones suffering, but at least we’re still pressing on.

We can do this people!

My daughter and her family of 5 were supposed to arrive this week. That was canceled and we are upset but happy this happened BEFORE they got here. I had a trip to CT planned for a week later, that was canceled. I have another trip to CT end of June that is NOT canceled but can't imagine that it won't be.

Elaine - just got the call that we have a confirmed case in Newtown.

Good luck with all of it, Elaine, and at least when you can finally travel again it will be totally UNLIKE the last time an emergency situation created a need your you both to exit the island.

For what it’s worth I can feel your pain about the family visit. As you know, our family is only a mile and a half away and we’re missing them already.

Will be keeping You and Bill in our prayers along with so many others both here and there as we traverse the minefields ahead of us.

Sorry Kim, I had heard that. Family home and staying there. Kids are enjoying the big back yard on nice days.

JD...i was following..you got off days before. It changed very quickly the last few days!!!

Yes, it was rapidly changing and what I could see was different from what Delta agents could see and what Delta agents were telling my wife. It changed rapidly from last Sat. to Mon. & Tues. and continued to change as does any rapidly developing situation. I started working on things last Sunday morning as it was obvious most information from the airlines was unreliable at best and could change at any time, like it did. I followed what the SXM government was saying, what was happening in the US and tried to make the best decisions I could for myself and at the same time provide information and help to others.

People were concerned for you, trying to provide you information and you went 2.5 days between your "HELP" post and any follow up post. I guess you got it taken care of since you kind of disappeared.

Yes, Ed, I lived it, just a few days less than what you did. I had already put into place alternate plans for lodging (4 different options to be precise and two of them came from TTOL members and one from a local SXM friend) in case I did not get out. Fortunately it did not come to that.

It’s seems that those with personal disagreements should do their discussions PM rather than clogging up TTOL with these back and forths.
There is much more beneficial information to exchange.

Honestly, I just think this particular thread has run it's course.