Marlin welcomes JetBlue’s
St. Maarten-Boston service
~ Beginning February 14, 2009 ~
PHILIPSBURG--Commissioner in charge of Tourism Roy Marlin has confirmed that JetBlue Airways will be commencing air service to St. Maarten via Boston’s Logan International Airport on Saturday, February 14, 2009.
In a St. Maarten Tourist Bureau press release, Marlin was quoted as saying: “On behalf of the island territory of St. Maarten, I am pleased to welcome the JetBlue Airways flight from Boston, Massachusetts.
“This new service marks the first time our island has received year-round direct scheduled service from the Boston area, and we are confident that with the support of the private sector, the local St. Maarten government, the St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association, and our partnership with Princess Juliana International Airport and its President Director Eugene Holiday, this new flight will introduce new and convenient connections for tourists and residents of the island to travel to the United States and beyond for many years to come.”
The new non-stop service complements JetBlue’s existing daily flights to St. Maarten via New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, with twice-daily service on Saturdays, and will utilise the fleet’s comfortable 150-seat Airbus A320 which offers industry-leading legroom, roomy leather seats, seatback televisions, and free snacks and drinks.
JetBlue’s new service between Boston and St. Maarten will be on Saturdays, departing from Boston at 7:50am and arriving in St. Maarten at 1:04pm, and departing from St. Maarten at 2:00pm and arriving in Boston at 5:57pm.
Marlin also said: “Over the past few years, we have worked tirelessly to forge and maintain our relationships with the members of the airline industry, the private sector, as well as our relationship with the partners of the Little Caribbean Alliance, which includes Anguilla, St. Barths, Saba, St. Eustatius and St. Maarten/St. Martin.
“It is our feeling that these strong ties, combined with the numerous infrastructure developments both in St. Maarten and on the neighbouring islands, are but a few of the many attractive qualities that not only increase visitor satisfaction, but maintain a strong bond with our travel partners.”
In a later comment, he added: “In this time of economic unrest and financial crisis, which affects all Caribbean destinations, St. Maarten is committed to doing everything it can to ensure that any loss of airline seats will be minimal, thus reducing the impact to our local economy.
“To this end, we are pleased that JetBlue has added additional service from a primary source market despite the dire predictions from the airline industry. Their confidence in our island only confirms our belief that we have something special to offer and that people will continue to travel despite the present economic situation.”
Marlin also announced that St. Maarten was embarking on an expanded marketing strategy that included the establishment of multi-line sales representatives in each gateway city in the United States to further promote the St. Maarten experience.
“Furthermore, we are currently working with our partners in the US to implement a new multi-faceted public relations strategy that has been designed to bring us through this economic period,” he said.
More information on St. Maarten’s growing tourism industry is available on the Website
www.vacationstmaarten.com .
