Any thoughts of San Juan- ViJ prices next November???? Round Trip is $950 now for then. I think as long as no other planes do this route the price will remain at that level. Will their ever be a subsidy to bring this price back down to earth. We already fly across the country to get there and the logistics and price are a deal breaker. Anyone know if the price stays this high vor the long term??? Thanks.
The SJU airport authority ran American Airlines and their inter island operation out of SJU. Prices have soared and customers have suffered. AA had 50 aircraft seating 64 people flying everywhere in the Caribbean from SJU. Probably less than 20% of that capacity has been replaced. The result was 100% predictable.
George, I don't recall American ever flying to Virgin Gorda; Air Sunshine did. With other, more pressing financial needs, I don't see that route being subsidized.
There were a number of factors in American pulling out of the inter-island flights. They are serving more islands directly from the US, as they will now be doing with Beef Island.
To get to Virgin Gorda, either charter a plane from STT or SJU, or fly to EIS and take Speedy's from Trellis Bay.
You are correct they did not fly to Virgin Gorda as the ATR could never land on that runway. AA Pulling out of EIS took 250 to 380 plus seats a day out of the SJU to BVI market. That will have a big impact on fares to Virgin Gorda. The roundtrip fare to EIS ran $180 to $240. I bought a bunch of those fares. Fares to Virgin Gorda were effectively capped by the EIS fares. I just looked at a fare on the 26 APR 1:55 flight AA is offering to EIS at a modest $1700 one way! The other issue is of course a lack of pilots and the soaring costs to retain them. CapeAir was paying pilots 35,000 a year and that was considered good in the industry. Regional airlines are now offering $150,000 signing bonuses and $100,000 a year to start compared to about $18,000 10 years ago. With a limited number of pilots they are going to serve limited markets and charge more. Regional managements kept the pilots on starvation wages when there was a surplus which was great for their business that day but the pool of new entrant pilots dried up. The good news is the new pay rates are leading to a increase in pilot starts and the problem will look better in a few years.
I quess I remembered American Eagle for awhile flew into VIJ in the 1979-into the 1980's. Perhaps that was Air St Thomas or Wayne's Air BVI. Or even AA into Tortola? We have funky stories flying with Air Sunshine to SJU and VIJ but that's a different discussion. Just seems that the market is not like the way old days when Little Dix customers had the means to keep demand up for this route. The pandemic must have hit hard too and the storms. Perhaps Cape Air is diversified enough in it's business model to make up for these shortages, perhaps not. It used to be such a fare friendly route. I would think many couples and families would gladly go straight to VIJ especially if not part of a sailboat bare boat excursion from Tortola. But thanks for your thoughts, and if you get some good news on the rates to VIJ please write a post.
TWA (thru gulf air) had a flight from SJU to VIJ which got me to the beach at 3 PM from NYC Those days ;are gone. Travel is expensive and difficult especially when you get older. This trip I used intercaribbean form SJU to EIS. Terrible plane so cramped I could not get my knees in to the seat. Had to seat with my knees into the adjoining seat.
