Posted August 20, 2007

New Airport Security Measures:

Here's our current understanding about new airport security measures in effect on both domestic and international flights taking off from the US:

• Carry-on baggage will be severely curtailed and fully screened. If you can get along without your electronics (laptop, iPod, expensive cameras) leave them at home. At some point they may have to go in checked baggage -- not a good thing. For now, electronics (last we heard) ARE being allowed to be carried onto flights to and from SXM.
• No liquids, sprays, or gels (except some verifiable medications, such as insulin, and baby formula) will be allowed on board. Parents may be required to taste baby formula to ensure that it is not a liquid explosive. No perfume either.... See below for a link to the newest TSA list.
• Devices which can be used for remote control purposes may not be allowed in carry-on baggage and may (at some point) not be allowed on board at all (check with your airline). Includes cell phones, remote car unlocking devices like key fob remotes, garage door openers, etc.
• Only medications required for use on the flight will be allowed. They MUST be in prescription bottles labeled with the original prescription label, and the patient's name must be that of the passenger.
• Pack lightly, avoid clutter, and ensure that carry-on material is in a see-through plastic bag to help expedite security inspections.

We will update this as we get more information.

New Dhs Prohibited Items List Issued Monday 8/14

Department Of Homeland Security Statement 8-10-2006 8:10 a.m.

NOTICE: JMB Communications is providing its best understanding of current carry-on regulations as a service to our readers. We strongly recommend, however, that before taking action in response to any regulations, you contact your airline to verify the rules it is using for your flight on your departure date. JMB Communications can not and will not assume any responsibility for any consequences readers may encounter by not checking current regulations with their airline and following the airline's then-current explicit instructions.

American Airlines, US Airways, United Airlines, Delta Airlines, Continental, and Sun Country all serve St. Maarten (SXM) from the US. Air Canada and Air Transat serve from Canada, and Air France and KLM from Europe. You can also connect in San Juan (SJU) with airlines serving the SJU-SXM route, which are American, American Eagle, US Airways, LIAT, Air Caraibes, and Caribbean Sun; American Eagle and Caribbean Sun have the most service.

About Getting Low Airfares

We are frequently asked how you can find the lowest airfares. We have one red-flag warning to everyone who is searching for the lowest fares: if possible, never search at the last minute. Hunting for low airfares when you have a tight short-term deadline is the worst way to buy tickets. Some people join JMB Website Supporters expecting to find low airfares overnight. If sales are underway [wholesale, retail, or unadvertised], they'll succeed. On the other hand, if sales are not underway when you are looking for fares, you will have to be patient to find the fares you want.

For example, early in June, 2004, on a Saturday morning, US Airways announced a remarkable sale which priced round trip tickets to St. Maarten from many US cities at around $200. Those fares were good for travel through May, 2005. As a result, many travelers to St. Maarten were able to make two, three, or four trips to the island for a fraction of what they would normally pay. Not much more than a week later, the fares were no longer being sold. The moral of the story: always start looking early.

Will this kind of sale happen again? Just possibly. But many fares (such as a 2005 $229 round trip from Chicago) are only available for a day or two.

In general, fares this low are unusual, but not unheard of. Travelers who were looking for tickets for fall and winter travel in June of last year made out like bandits through JMB Website Supporters airfare bulletins about the US Airways super-sale. By contrast, people who were looking late last year for $200 round trips for travel last January couldn't find any.

So, start looking early, preferably about a year ahead. Always remember that the lowest cost airfares are usually but not always offered for travel Mondays through Thursdays. And, in general, most of the best sales are offered at least a month before travel can begin -- often much farther in advance.

Low fares can be bought from a variety of sources -- they don't just come directly from airlines. They can come from ticket wholesalers, affinity organizations, charters, and elsewhere. Bear in mind that JMB Website Supporters is constantly researching fares in more than 100 US cities, many cities in Canada, and key cities in Great Britain and Europe. The easiest way to find the lowest airfares is simply to let us do the grunt work by joining JMB Website Supporters. We'll send you Airfare Bulletins that tell you when great bargains are available and how to get them. You'll waste far less time researching airfares, and you'll get results you can usually bank on.

Some general advice:

1. Where possible, deal with reputable travel agencies, NOT WITH AIRLINES DIRECTLY. Some travel agencies are charging service fees since the airlines have cut their commissions, but travel agents are worth every penny.

2. If you must buy tickets directly from airlines, use airline websites and join their frequent flyer programs. You may get some genuine bargains. Join our free mailing list, too; we'll tell you how to get truly low airfares, better in many cases than you're likely to hear about from the airlines. Sign up at www.jmbcommunications.com/sxm.html. More on this is below.

3. If you are age 62 or over, take advantage of programs for seniors IF they are available; many have been discontinued.

4. All of the above is why we repeat the suggestion: use a travel agent or a reliable consolidator/wholesaler.

About Security:

Get to the airport two hours before domestic flights, three hours before international flights. Have a valid passport even if you've been told a valid driver's license and a birth certificate with a raised seal are satisfactory. Don't take anything that could be used as a weapon -- not even scissors, knitting needles, screwdrivers, etc. (Those things can go in checked baggage, not on carry-ons.) Be prepared to spend a while going through security.

In St. Maarten, most luggage is hand-searched before it is checked. No pressurized spray cans (hair spray, bug repellent, deodorant, etc.) are allowed. Laptops and other electronics MUST be charged; you may be asked to turn them on.

The Key To Getting THE Lowest Fares:

We offer a premium information service called "JMB Website Supporters." Its members get exclusive access to frequent, specific, timely information on THE LOWEST airfares available. Detailed information about these low fares is never posted on our site and virtually nothing about rock-bottom "lowest" fares ever goes to our free list. IT WILL PAY YOU HANDSOMELY TO JOIN JMB WEBSITE SUPPORTERS, and the cost to join is only $49. with renewals as low as $13/year. Details on joining are below...

Ticket Source Choices:

Need a package (air/hotel)? Over the years, many of you have used airfare consolidator / wholesaler Jimmy Schwartz, who officially retired April 30, 2003.

You still want sources of low airfares and we're delighted to tell you that we have three of them, available right here.

Sandy and Jim Molloy are "Molloy Travel," a company which specializes in discount packages to St. Maarten / St. Martin from many cities. They do not sell airfare alone, so please don't ask (stay tuned, we have that too). If you're looking for very reasonably priced airfare / hotel packages, they're your source. (They will not be selling Boston packages - - we have a separate source which specializes in Boston.)

You do not have to join JMB Website Supporters ("JWS") to use Molloy's services, but you can pocket an extra $25 if you belong. Plus, JWS members get immediate notification when special package offers become available from Molloy Travel. (By contrast, our free newsletter only comes out once a week - - low-cost packages could easily come and go between issues, so you might miss them).

Here's how you can pocket that $25. When you call or email Sandy or Jim, they will ask if you're a member of JMB Website Supporters. If you are, just tell them your username and password and you'll get a $25 rebate on your package purchase (air/hotel).

Suggestion: join JWS before you call Sandy. You can sign up quickly with your credit card using PayPal on our SXM home page, http://www.everythingstmaarten.com . You'll then be able to get the $25 rebate from Sandy when you book a package with her (one $25 rebate per membership/family).

To get the outstanding packages that Jim and Sandy offer, contact them directly: Email Sandy Molloy at info@sxmtravelspecialist.com or call her at 704-567-6661 . NOTE: They do NOT sell AIR only. See below...

Want air only?

Two wholesalers, Linda Freedman and Roberta Valins, are mentioned on our "secret" site.

Linda Freedman will supply wholesale airfares to SXM. She books on American and US Airways. You may purchase the tickets within one week of making reservations, or you may delay ticketing by making a $100 deposit (waived if you're flying within a week). This deposit keeps your reservation in the reservation system. You will not have to pay in full for your tickets until 30 days prior to travel. The tickets on US Airways and American require a rent-a-car reservation or booking accommodations which could be as few as two nights. In high season, and usually in low season as well, the car rental will be through the JMB-recommended source, Tropical Car Rental. If fares drop before you are ticketed, they can be adjusted downward, which isn't as easy if you pay for your tickets earlier. Linda also sells travel insurance with trip cancellation protection which is strongly recommended. Linda will also be selling low-cost charter air flights and air/hotel packages from Boston only -- she has a specialty on these. More on Linda is below.

Roberta Valins also is supplying wholesale airfares. She currently offers American, US Airways, and Continental. Her process currently requires no car rental or deposit. She sets a deadline for ticketing when she makes your reservation, usually six weeks prior to travel. You can ticket anytime prior to the deadline; ticketing guarantees the fare quoted. If the price goes down and you are already ticketed, there is an airline-imposed $125 per-passenger fee for any changes. If you are not yet ticketed and the fares drop, Roberta can lower your fare for only a $25 service fee if it is a published fare. There is no charge if there is a sale through the wholesale division. Ticketing is done Monday through Friday. All tickets require a signed charge authorization.

Both Linda and Roberta sell "wholesale" airfares which are lower than regular published fares. When airlines offer sales, sale prices sometimes are lower than "wholesale" fares. Both Linda and Roberta can and do adjust fares to the lower sale level (in most cases) if you have not yet ticketed, but you must then ticket quickly to lock in the sale fares. As noted above, there may be charges for ticket changes.

Our advice: if you plan to fly and do not have accommodations, use Sandy Molloy; her packages are excellent. If you plan to fly and you DO have your own accommodations (timeshare owners, for example), use Linda or Roberta. If you need a car anyway and want to follow our car rental recommendations, Linda is the best choice; if you either don't want a car or want to handle a car rental on your own, Roberta is the best choice. Both provide excellent fares and service and both also provide extensive villa rental services.

Accessing the low wholesale fares and fare guarantees offered by Linda and Roberta currently requires an inexpensive ($49) JMB Website Supporters membership. You can sign up quickly and easily using your credit card (or do an e-check) at http://www.jmbcommunications.com/paypal.html . There's contact information for Sandy, Linda, and Roberta on our "secret" JMB Website Supporters website, to which you will receive a username and password once your new JMB Website Supporters membership has been processed.

Here are other sources:

Internet travel sites (read all of this before you do anything):

1. Travelocity.com (Of all the online sites, they are still the easiest to use)

2. Expedia.com

3. Orbitz.com This is the relatively new site by a group of airlines. It was the subject of several lawsuits and an SEC investigation. If you hear of a Web-only airfare sale, first check the sites of the airlines involved THEN check Orbitz. It is supposed to have the lowest Web fares from all its participating airlines. To hear quickly about airfare sales, join JMB Website Supporters.

Note: Our experience with orbitz is HORRENDOUS. Several searches for areas where we know flights are plentiful showed NO FLIGHTS. And Customer Service took forever to connect. Our recommendation, at least for now: go to airline sites. They, at least, appear to know what they are doing.

4. Trip.com: Now being heavily promoted. Very easy to use, but we found that it didn't come up with fares that were all that low. You be the judge....

5. cheaptickets.com We used this one for a domestic fare once and it worked fine. On the other hand, their quotes don't always jibe with the schedule you might be after....

6. Priceline used to be awful but has now improved, so you may actually see a choice of flights before buying. They're at www.priceline.com.