JetBlue completes inaugural flight, offering special fares
JetBlue Airways Corporation became the first low-fare carrier to offer flights between the Northeast of the United States of America and St. Maarten's Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) with year-round daily non-stop service from New York's John F. Kennedy (JFK) Airport. JetBlue flight 787 landed at PJIA minutes after 1:00pm and taxied to gate Al after going through a water cannon salute. The passengers were welcomed with loud applause as they stepped out of the brand new Airbus 320. Each passenger received a gift bag with special offers for his or her stay on the island. Commissioner of Tourism Roy Marlin, French St. Martin's Second Vice President for Economic Development, Harbour and Tourism Daniel Gibbs and JetBlue Chief Executive Officer Dave Barger were also on the first flight.
They were welcomed by Lt. Governor Franklyn Richards, PJIA Operating Company president Eugene Holiday, former Tourism Commissioner Theo Heyliger and representatives of the tourist offices of Anguilla and St. Barths.
In a joint effort, the governments of Dutch St. Maarten, French St. Martin, St. Barths, Anguilla, Sonesta St. Maarten and The Westin St. Maarten Dawn Beach made the flight possible. To celebrate its new St. Maarten service, JetBlue is offering a special US $99 sale fare each way between the island and New York/JFK. Travel must be booked by Thursday, January 24. Regular one-way fares between New York and St. Maarten start as low as $154 each way. "We want our customers to travel in style and comfort, whether it's more legroom in our all-leather seats, free snacks, complimentary movies or our award-winning personal and sincere service," said Barger. "They also deserve more affordable flights from the Northeast to the Caribbean, and we're excited to offer daily year-round fares that are almost 30 per cent lower than pre-JetBlue fares from New York to the beautiful island destination of St. Maarten. Lower fares mean you have more of your budget to spend in beautiful St. Maarten or one of our 10 other Caribbean destinations." Holiday welcomed the JetBlue flights, stating that looking back at a preliminary growth of just over 0.5 per cent in passenger movements in 2007 and standing at the portal of 2008 with great expectations, it gave him great pleasure to welcome JetBlue on its inaugural flight to St. Maarten/St. Martin.
JetBlue's new service, Holiday continued, solidified PJIA's position as a regional leader because it constituted an improvement in service by offering an increase in airlift over and above the 75,000 aircraft movements in 2007, "thus maintaining PJIA's standing as one of the busiest origins and destinations, and hub airports in the region, serving a preferred tourist marketing the Northeastern Caribbean for particularly North American tourists." Richards also had warm words of welcome for the new flight. "We look forward to a partnership with JetBlue as part of government/private" sector initiative to market the island for tourism purposes."
Marlin added: "This new flight will mean easier and more accessible travel to and from St. Maarten and the Caribbean, as well as provide more options for visitors wishing to vacation on our beautiful island. We are encouraged by this new opportunity and look forward to welcoming visitors from the United States and beyond, through this new connection." He recognised all the public/private partners that had contributed to realising the JetBlue flights to St. Maarten. St. Maarten is JetBlue's 11th Caribbean/Atlantic destination, joining Aruba; Bermuda; Cancun; Nassau; Anguilla, Ponce and San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Puerto Plata, Santiago and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Service-between St. Maarten and 11 JetBlue destinations in the USA, including Boston, Las Vegas, and Washington DC/Dulles, is also available with easy and convenient connections at JetBlue's home airport JFK.
JetBlue now offers full vacation packages for St. Maarten and 25 other JetBlue destinations. JetBlue Getaways customer's book discounted vacation packages include airfare, hotel, airport transfers and/or various activities at one time, saving valuable time and money. Customers flying JetBlue to/from St. Maarten will travel in style aboard the airline's modern Airbus A320 fleet, which features all-leather seating and the most legroom in coach (based on average fleet-wide seat pitch for US airlines), as well as complimentary first-run movies and bonus features from FOX InFlight on JetBlue's signature seatback televisions. Through its largest focus city at New York's JFK Airport, JetBlue also of fers Caribbean travellers convenient connecting service to destinations across the airline's coast-to-coast route network.
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