Καραϊβική: οι γρηγορότερες πτήσεις για τα νησιά

LET’S face it. Where you go for your Caribbean vacation is rarely dictated by the opening of a cool new hotel, a family-friendly promotion or that perfect beach. The decision often comes down to one basic factor: a flight that will get you there.

And given the chaotic state of air travel these days with packed planes and excruciating flight delays, the island with a nonstop flight from your hometown often has the edge.

Caribbean tourism officials know this and compete furiously for new flights from major hubs like New York, Atlanta and Miami. Indeed, the number of nonstop flights between the United States and the Caribbean jumped about 9 percent to 120,595 this year, from 110,931 five years ago, according to OAG Back Aviation Solutions, an industry consulting firm.

Although this means more options to popular destinations like Grand Cayman, far-flung islands like Bonaire and Trinidad and Tobago are benefiting, too, with new nonstop flights. Big islands like Puerto Rico are seeing new routes to less-touristy cities like Ponce and Aguadilla. And flights that once required long layovers are being streamlined so visitors can hit the beach before sundown.

But despite the added airlift, demand remains high for island vacations, keeping airfare prices up. Fares to the Caribbean for December are up about 6 percent compared with last year, according to Travelocity.com, the online travel agency.

Here is a rundown on the key new flights to the Caribbean this season. Just don’t forget to pack your passport: a new rule requires United States citizens to present passports when traveling by air to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and most islands in the Caribbean. (Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands are two exceptions.)

Bonaire: Beginning Feb. 9, Delta will fly between its Atlanta hub and Bonaire, a sleepy Dutch island in the southern Caribbean, every Saturday. And in December, Continental will increase its red-eye flights to Bonaire from Newark and Houston to twice weekly. (Flight information: www.infobonaire.com/gettinghere.html).

Cayman Islands: Cayman Airways has a new nonstop service from Kennedy Airport in New York to Grand Cayman that will increase to five times a week on Feb. 9. The airline is also reinstating two weekly flights from Chicago starting Nov. 9. (Flight information: www.caymanislands.ky/getting_there).

Dominican Republic: American Eagle will offer new service to Samana from San Juan, P.R., beginning Dec. 13. And JetBlue, which already flies from New York to Santiago and Santo Domingo, plans to start nonstop service from New York to Puerto Plata in January. It will also run seasonal service from Boston to Santiago between Dec. 12 and Jan. 15. (Information: www.godominicanrepublic.com).

Grenada: Starting Nov. 4, Air Jamaica will fly from Miami to Grenada four days a week with a brief stop in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The current route forces passengers to stay overnight in Montego Bay; the new flight will depart from Miami at 10:20 a.m. and arrive in Grenada at 4:40 p.m., with plenty of time to grab a drink and watch the sunset. (Flight information: www.grenadagrenadines.com/airline.html).

St. Kitts and Nevis: St. Kitts will get its only nonstop flight from New York on Nov. 18, when American begins flying there twice weekly, on Wednesdays and Sundays, from Kennedy Airport. Delta Air Lines will begin a new nonstop flight to the island from Atlanta on Saturdays, starting Feb. 16. Hotels on the neighboring island of Nevis, a short ferry ride away, are running promotions. Nisbet Plantation on Nevis is offering free water taxi transfers from St. Kitts’s RLB International Airport for any guest arriving by air and staying a week or longer between Nov. 19 and Dec. 19. (Flight information: www.stkittstourism.kn/DiscoverStKitts/GetHere_Agents.asp).

St. Lucia: On Nov. 15, American will add a nonstop flight from Kennedy Airport to St. Lucia, a mountainous island in the middle of the eastern Caribbean chain. It will fly three times a week (Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays) into Hewanorra International Airport. St. Lucia already has nonstop service from Charlotte, N.C., (Saturdays) on US Airways and daily flights from Atlanta on Delta. (Information: www.stlucia.org/planner/airlines.asp).

St. Maarten/St. Martin: Major airlines including American and Delta serve St. Maarten/St. Martin, a dual-nation island in the northeastern Caribbean. This season it will get a low-cost carrier, too. JetBlue plans to add daily service from Kennedy Airport starting Jan. 17. (Information: www.st-martin.org/us/my_trip/how_come.php).

(πηγή: travel.nytimes.com, 26/10/2007)