We can get to our house in one day going through San Juan, but not through STT. Neighbors do go through STT, and either charter a plane to Beef or spend the night in Road Town.

One time we were leaving Beef and they actually made a lady get off the plane because it was overweight. She was not happy. Coming in last winter on Cape Air, the plane was full and only one person received their checked bag. The biggest issue was the lady at the desk - friendly, but glacial. It took an hour for her to record the bag details.

I, too, have seen the tickets to STT costing more, but they are all out of sight. We paid $679/each for one-way tickets. Last night those identical seats were $1874/each, in early December! We've decided to spend the whole winter on island and just got return tickets with points.

Airfares like I'm seeing could kill tourism, especially for more budget-minded folks.