New "direct" flights from MIA to EIS coming

BVI Airways is being resurrected. Not sure if "direct" means non-stop, though.

http://www.bvi.gov.vg/media-centre/game-changer-bvi-direct

Will be interesting to see how it plays out! Not a whole lot is direct for us out of Western NY.

It sounds like he intends 'direct' to equal 'non stop', but in pure airline parlance, it is not the same thing. 'Direct' in airline parlance can mean, for example, the plane leaves Miami and flys to SJU, and someone then continues on to the BVI, without a change of plane. We shall see what happens!

As Carol indicated, "direct" in airline parlance means no plane change. It is not synonymous with "non-stop". I frequently hear the term "direct" used in conversation when the obvious intended meaning is "non-stop". It remains to be seen what the premier is intending to convey in his communication.

Man I wish they would put 7 million into the Ferry system!
G

No kidding! My ferry proposal called for $5M equity to build a modern 6 boat fast ferry fleet. All it would require is a wee bit of cooperation between the 3 operators.

Yes.

"The airline will be back, it is reported, with the endorsement of the Government to start direct flights later this year from Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport to Miami, Florida, USA, which is a 3-hour flight."

From: http://www.virginislandsnewsonline.com/e...lights-to-miami

Sounds like what he intended to say was non-stop and they don't know the difference.

Once Cuba opens its doors again to US tourism the game will be forever changed for Caribbean tourism. Some areas will lose fifty percent or more of their business until they find a way to change something to compete. Bermuda with 600,000 annual visitors has spent more than $2M per year for a long time to make sure they have great flights from many cities to their island just 2hrs by jet from East Coast cities. The US government spends millions each subsidizing flights to smaller cities and airports all over the country. Some cities pay the airlines directly to have multiple direct flights in and out of their economies.

A first class inside the airport STT to BVI ferry terminal with zero C and I issues would be a great thing. A longer runway at EIS would help some things. Smart government funding of service every hour or two for low cost tickets to PR, Miami, St. Martin would be a major plus. The report is a tiny step in the right direction for the BVI tourism and business economy. Check your own family options to fly to Bermuda and compare that to flights to Tortola or Virgin Gorda. The same for St. Martin.

I wonder if he understands and is working on the real issue. I can already fly nonstop to SJU and then get a flight to EIS. But it costs 1.5-2x what it did when AE was flying there. And that's a nonstarter for me.

This scheme already starts with one strike against it - the thought of changing planes in MIA. If it winds up being equal in cost to the current flight options, it's not something I'll even consider.

Not only are the costs 1.5 to 2 times more then in the past, the frequency of flights are down. Had some friends wanting to join us in March and every flight from PHL to EIS was a overnight in SJU because the only connection to EIS, (1) at 5:30 pm was sold out and RT tickets were selling for $900.00. STT from PHL is not any better with most flights connecting in CLT or MIA.

OK if you want nonstop flights from the US northeast, I think you will wait a LONG time for that.

Hey it's only a couple of hundred miles further than MIA. LOL. My point was the # of available connections from SJU.

At a minimum the powers that be should fund readily available flights to a major US hub MIA would be one or pull some magic bypassing the taxi trade with direct connection to a ferry on STT property. Tortola lost its way when they saw the airport as a profit center. The airport will need to be a loss leader getting visitors on and off the island easily. Bermuda and other cities figured out this model long ago.

Exactly....and don't even get me started on how long it takes us to get down there from L.A....<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" />

This would be a welcome addition if it's not priced through the roof....

We will see... If not more economical than STT via ferry ..and times are all important ...It had to be cost competitive

Wonder what the code share situation is going to be. I can get from Seattle to Miami but not sure I want to gather bags and have to recheck on a non code share flight. Two round trip tickets are sure to be more than a connection thru SJU or STT

Better they build a bridge.

Carol..........If they put on the same beautiful DC-3's that they flew in the 70's sign me up! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" /> The planes were clean, on time and great staff! Compared to the rickety old 727's of Eastern that we used to fly to San Juan!

This is what I was telling the bride this morning after I read the news. The Next Trip To the BVI spreadsheet shows that is more economical for us to fly to STT and take a ferry over the next day. Yeah, even tacking a single overnight stay in St. Thomas to each end of the vacation to account for ferry times is less expensive than connecting in SJU

Spreadsheets are wonderful...

So land STT, get bags, get taxi, check in hotel, eat, sleep, get up, repack, check out, get taxi, ride to ferry, "do the ferry ticket and wait dance", ferry ride(joy for some, terror for others), customs and immigration tortola, get taxi, ride to destination more than 24 hours after most have left home. That is an awful lot of adventure and hassle for a family to get to Tortola. There is also a bunch of hidden variable costs most leave out of the "ferry dance" spreadsheet.

Direct flight time from NYC(and other cities) to St. Lucia is 4.5 hours. http://www.moorings.com/destinations/caribbean/st-lucia

The BVI Government needs to work aggressively to address the hassles of ingress and egress. Two choices cut a deal to somehow bypassing the taxi industry with a integrated ferry terminal at STT or get on with a longer runway coupled with subsidized flights following the Bermuda model.

The $7M BVI Air deal is for 86 passenger aircraft or +/-30,000 heads if flown full 365 days a year. Three (3) flights a day would not get you to 100,000 passengers in an out. Tortola needs daily flights from Atlanta, MIA, New York, Charlotte, Chicago, and DC at least. The MIA-BVI Air option will be a boost for some business travel. The flight will be 2.5 hours for the business investment community resident in Miami/Coral Gables. The BVI Air will not be a cheap seat Southwest knockoff business plan.

If we could go direct from Charlotte we could leave the boat at Nanny Cay where we really wanted to be. But with the extra time, expense & hassle of getting to Tortola it's way, waaayyy easier & cheaper to keep it in STT.

Not expecting to be able to do that anytime soon though.

I am not sure this is going to fly. (pun intended)

The aircraft in the plan is the 85 to 100 passenger Avro RJ. The RJ series ended production 15 years ago. They were intended for feeder route into urban airports with short runways and noise restrictions. When they were built that required 4 engines which means higher operating cost; high fuel consumption and maintenance. Maximum range is MIA/EIS at best. Their only attraction is that the older ones are cheap to lease which balances most of the higher operating cost.

While the scale of the tourism market of Bermuda and the BVI is remarkably similar, it is impossible to compare air service of Tortola with Bermuda. First off the airport was built by the US military as Kindley AFB/NAS Bermuda and maintained by the USAF until 1995. The only capital investment Bermuda made was in the terminal building. The debt service alone for the Beef Island extension will be almost $1 million per month. If total deplaning doubled over the 87,000 level before AE pulled out landing fees would have to average $70 per arrival just to service the mortgage. Add to that departure and security fees and you are bumping into $100 before any actual airfare. The STT route will always remain the least expensive route. The ferry service is the weak link.

Bermuda cannot be reached by ferry so all of the 224,000 overnight visitors in 2014 came by air. In contrast, in 2014 approximately 170,000 BVI visitors came by ferry. Simple logic shound indicate where any government investment should be made.

Glenn I am sure you are right on the $$$..Dr Smith needs to blow the dust off your ferry proposal and re read it..are you hearing us good doc???

The ferry would be much better with a ferry terminal at stt. There would need to be a later ferry to avoid the over in stt or the stress of missing the ferry

"it is impossible to compare air service of Tortola with Bermuda"

That may be true but it is what it is. Across the Caribbean islands are improving their air services to allow visitors and residents easy ingress and egress. That is much more than just price. There are more and more who will not go to a place that they cannot stand up and directly go to the airport and fly back to home or work. Finance and business is much more complicated. Investors demand access for lawyers and outside auditors. Any type of ferry will not cut it for some travelers. Cuba already has +/-3 Million visitors a year. As Cuba comes online and the DR grows some markets will be left way behind. Many get that and are raising the quality of their offers. Just like when Walmart and Home Depot showed up there will be big losers, some survivors, and some winners. The BVI and/or the joint USVI/BVI will need to pick a niche they will adapt to. Maybe St. Thomas builds a massive hurricane proof harbor that markets to the bareboat industry? Some joint easing of the C&I would be a plus. Just as a no C&I ferry terminal at STT would be a plus. Get off your plane ride to the government contracted ferry where your bags are already tagged to and get dropped at St. John, Tortola, or Virgin Gorda.

Shortly St. Vincent will open their $240 Million 9,000 foot runway. East Coast US flight times will be less than five hours.

“Building the airport involved the astounding removal of three mountains, 134 homes, a church, a cemetery and the filling of two valleys,” said Prime Minister Dr. Honourable Ralph Gonsalves

Cuba by the way has 24 runways greater than 5,000 feet.

I suspect many in Tortola are listening and find themselves trapped in a future for their kids they do not like and certainly cannot control without a competitive runway. Sadly St. Thomas see the BVI as the competition. Note St. Croix is starving out there.

"Note St. Croix is starving out there. " Which goes to prove that having a 10,000 ft runway is not a key to the tourist market. Unlike the ghosts of the 1919 Black Socks, if you build it they will not necessarily come.

The other Caribbean islands are not within 25 miles of an established airport with connections to most US markets. EIS will always be in competition with STT and STT will always have a significant advantage in pricing,scheduling to more destinations and ground service facilities. The BVI is the final destination of only about 20% of the STT arrivals but over 60% of the total BVI arrivals. More than half of the visitors to the BVI will continue to come through STT no matter what they do at EIS so it would behoove the BVI government to regulate and improve the ferry service.

That is not as difficult as it may seem. Unlike most ferry services the Charlotte Amalie/Tortola route does not need an operating subsidy. It needs for the 3 players to form a co-operative, about $5 million in equity, government underwriting of financing 6 new 90 passenger fast cats and most of all, STRICT REGULATION and OVERSITE.

Well said Glenn. You nailed it.

But who is listening?

When I win the Powerball tonight I will fix it. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

I like your plan. Good luck!

But I bet the bureaucrats won't give you the appropriate licenses unless....

Ohman, I miss those DC3!

I agree completely with Dr. Glenn...except...

St Croix was on an impossibly successful tourism trajectory in the late '60s and early '70s, and then came the 'Fountain Valley Massacre' in 1972. 1972, for godsakes! And it has NEVER recovered!!

No one younger than 25 even knows what the heck Fountain Valley was!

The point? St. Croix is an anomaly. God willing, such an event will never occur in the BVI.