Island hopping in the Eastern Caribbean will become much easier

New York-based airliner, JetBlue and the Caribbean’s Winair have hammered out an interline agreement, which will make island hopping in the eastern Caribbean much easier.

The interline agreement means travelers can book one itinerary that covers flights to major destinations and the connecting service to smaller airports in the region, and check their bag directly through to their final destination. As part of the agreement, travelers can now connect on a JetBlue flight to seven different Winair destinations, including Antigua and Barbuda, Curacao, Tortola, Statia, Saba, St Kitts and St Barth.

The agreement covers flights through St Maarten to all seven destinations, along with flights through Aruba to Curacao and through Antigua and Barbuda to St Kitts. This means a traveler can book a flight from New York directly to tiny Caribbean island of Saba through St Maarten, all on one itinerary. 

This move signals a major boost for a number of smaller destinations around the Caribbean. Winair connections to JetBlue flight can now be booked through travel agents.

The airline has not yet announced when the service will be available on JetBlue.com. In a statement, Jet Blue explains that, “customers utilising this interline agreement will benefit from the ability to check their luggage to their final destination before boarding their JetBlue flight, and they can then proceed directly to their departure gate for their connecting flight with Winair.

Michael Cleaver, president and CEO of Winair, commented that, “the interline agreement between Winair and JetBlue demonstrates the confidence and vision both airlines share in St Maarten and the surrounding region, and will provide growth for PJIAE and the region. It’s a particular boost for Winair’s core island-hopping stops near St Maarten: destinations like Statia, Saba, both of which have some of the smallest commercial runways on Earth and can’t receive nonstop international traffic.“

He argued that it would remove much of the hassle of changing airlines within the Caribbean, which has never been an easy feat.