United Airlines is launching its newest Caribbean route next month, new scheduled service from Newark to St Thomas in the United States Virgin Islands.
United will be operating the route four times each week, with roundtrip service on Sundays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, according to the company.
The new flights will kick off Sept. 3.
United is also adding a pair of new routes to Puerto Rico, with new service from both Chicago and Washington-Dulles to San Juan’s Luis Munoz Marin International Airport.
The Bolongo Bay Resort in St Thomas, which reopened last month.
Even with the new launch and the resumptions, United is flying just 30 percent of its wider international schedule as compared to the same period in 2019.
The Secret Harbour Resort in St Thomas.
“We continue to be realistic in our approach to building back our international and domestic schedules by closely monitoring customer demand and flying where people want to go,” said Patrick Quayle, United’s vice president of International Network and Alliances. “In September, we’re adding even more options for leisure travelers or those who want to visit friends and relatives, whether that’s within the United States or around the world.”
The island of Bermuda has launched a new program that allows travelers to come to work remotely from Bermuda for a year.
The “Bermuda Certificate” program, which involves a $263 application fee per person, also includes the flexibility to travel back and forth home from Bermuda during the one-year period.
“Bermuda is safe, Bermuda is friendly, Bermuda is close and Bermuda is beautiful,” said Bermuda Premier David Burt. “If you are working remotely from home, please take the opportunity to explore the option of working remotely from Bermuda for the next year.”
The application, which can be found here, went live on Aug. 1.
“As a holder of a residential certificate you will be a long-term visitor in Bermuda and we are ready to share our vibrant culture and unique brand of hospitality to cure the Coronavirus blues,” Burt said. “No need to be trapped in your apartment in a densely populated city with the accompanying restrictions and high risk of infection; come spend the year with us working or coding on the water.”
Francis Ford Coppola’s Blancaneaux Lodge in Belize is planning to reopen in November, Caribbean Journal has learned.
The celebrated eco-lodge will be reopening its doors on Nov. 1, the property confirmed.
“Blancaneaux Lodge has always been remote, secluded and sustainable by design as it was the Coppolas’ intention to enjoy these hideaways personally allowing for the utmost in privacy.
On Aug. 1 St Maarten officially reopened its borders to travelers from the United States, following a July relaunch to Canadian and European tourists and private aviation.
It should be noted that only St Maarten, the Dutch side of the island, is open to Americans and all other travelers;
Saint Martin, the French side, has closed its borders to the Dutch side — meaning U.S. visitors are not able to visit the French side of the island right now.
Most crucially, all travelers to St Maarten must show proof of a negative COVID-19 test result within 72 hours of their travel date to St Maarten. (All visitors also need to fill out a St Maarten entry form that can be found here).
The results must be uploaded as part of that form no later than 12 hours prior to departure.
Visitors who do not provide such a result will be tested and then quarantined for 14 days at their own expense.
St Maarten has launched six “core measures” to help prevent the spread of COVID.
That includes physical distancing with proper floor markings, mandatory face mask usage, social distancing of 2 meters, proper self-sanitization procedure, the appropriate procedure for cleaning surfaces, a stay-at-home when sick policy, and digital menus and messages, the Ministry of Tourism said.
St Maarten is requiring all visitors to travel with their masks, hand sanitizers and to wear their mask on their flights and at the airport.
The destination is also “strongly advising” travelers to purchase all-risk travel insurance “ensuring that they are covered in the event they fall ill while on vacation.”
On Aug. 1, American Airlines kicked off a broad relaunch of service to St Maarten, including daily flights from Miami and five-times-weekly flights from Charlotte (on Aug. 20, that will be reduced to one weekly flight from Charlotte).
That will be followed by flights on Delta from Atlanta later this month.
JetBlue was the first major U.S. carrier to return to the island, bringing 83 passengers from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport on Saturday.
“The safety of visitors and residents remains the top priority for the country,” St Maarten’s Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Traffic and Telecommunications said in a statement. “In preparation of opening, site inspections took place at all lodging facilities to ensure that the protocol and guidelines in place are followed. With these strict measures in place, St. Maarten continues its phased re-opening.”
The Sonesta Ocean Point all-inclusive is among those resorts open for tourism right now.
So what’s open in St Maarten?
Hotels that have reopened include the Divi Little Bay Beach Resort; the Sonesta Ocean Point (but not the Sonesta Maho); the Oyster Bay Beach Resort; and the Princess Heights resort, among others.
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