Made it to STJ....but it took 20 hours from Newark

PSUWethr · Post by **PSUWethr** » Sat Sep 18, 2010 8:48 am

Wow what a trip....I just wanted to give everyone a great piece of advice. Make sure when you travel you have all the phone numbers of all the local airlines with you. Long story short, we left Newark and got to Miami with no problems. Left Miami and headed over to STT.....we started descending and the pilot comes on and announces the winds were too high to land so we were going to circle......and we did....for 2 hours we spun around just west of St. Thomas (had flashbacks to Nat. Lampoon European vacation...look kids, St. Thomas, St. John, Jost). Finally the pilot gave up and we had to go back to San. Juan for fuel and then they wanted to fly us back to Miami

THere was no way we were going to fly 3 hours back. So you had the option to get off the plane and find your own way. So we rushed off the plane and got in line to arrange how we could pick up the bags. In the meantime, I was scrambling to find the numbers for the other smaller airlines (Cape Air, Liat,etc)and the internet in SJU sucked! We get to the front of the line and they then told us that now our pilots have exceeded their time and the flight was ended in SJU and they would be happy to try to get us in on Sunday (2 days later!) We finally ran around and found Air Sunshine and had to pay $250 a piece to fly one way on a beat up plane to get to STT the same day. SO between the $900 bucks we spent on American and the $750 we spent on the little plane, we are already broke before the trip starts! Our Sir SUnshine flight was scheduled for 7:30 which trnaslanted into 8:45 island time and we then made the 10pm Red Hook ferry with no time to spare. Thank goodness for Troy at Paris Car Rental who let us get our car at 10:30 last night. He is great!

SO in all, it was a LONG day. We had to leave our house at 2 in the morning to get to Newark and finally got to our house around 11:15 last night. And I was so proud of our 3 year old daughter Emma who was such an angel during our 21 hour trip.

I would definitely recommend keeping all numbers on hand...I think if we would of had Cape Airs number we might have gotten a flight right away. (BTW, all the major flights into STT were diverted yesterday....US AIR, American and Delta and we learned that the flights might not make it in today either) Whew...makes me tired writing the story. Anyway..it is a hazy beautiful, warm morning in Coral Bay......and the Guava Rum and orange juice is awesome!!!

Elisa

SOonthebeach · Post by **SOonthebeach** » Sat Sep 18, 2010 10:03 am

WOW.

Crazy day! GOing back to Miami would have really done me in, too. Great advice, and we'll use it! Glad to know that you guys finally made it and are enjoying Coral Bay- put yesterday behind you!!

mahojim · Post by **mahojim** » Sat Sep 18, 2010 10:06 am

Oh, Elisa...!

Holy beans.
Rough going, but you're there, and I'm sure you're enjoying it. Sounds like your attitude is still groovin', too. Guava rum & oj, 'eh? I'll have to try that next trip.
Soak up the sun and take a load off. Hell, get a load on! Lay down on top of that delicious water and think of us back home. We'd trade places with you in a second!
Coral Bay is most assuredly helping you forget the frustration. Your darling Emma evidently has a good teacher as far as patience is concerned. Bravo!
You made it! You're there!
Have fun!
Smiles-
MJ

Nancie-Pa · Post by **Nancie-Pa** » Sat Sep 18, 2010 10:44 am

Holy Cow!!

You would have found me banging my head against the wall in San Juan if that had happened to me! Kudos to you for hanging in there. And bless little Emma for her good nature! Where are you staying in CB? Doesn't matter as long as you have RUM!

BTW...will you be able to make a forumite meeting here in Pa sometime in Nov.? I'm "just down the road" from you in Gilbertsville. Let me know after you get back home.

Enjoy!

loria · Post by **loria** » Sat Sep 18, 2010 10:44 am

oh WOW! bummer --you did this with a 3 yr old too? yowza--glad that you are there and you can now relax!

msgcolleen · Post by **msgcolleen** » Sat Sep 18, 2010 10:49 am

I can't believe ALL that you have been through with your 3 year old! Great advice about having the other airlines #'s on hand.

Now it's time to relax and enjoy your vacation~~~

(BTW~I was looking at your ticker and is this really your 30th trip to STJ?? You might as well live there!)

California Girl · Post by **California Girl** » Sat Sep 18, 2010 11:26 am

Did you get trip insurance? Can you claim your Air Sunshine tickets on it? That was a terrible experience, I probably would have turned around and gone home

mindehankins · Post by **mindehankins** » Sat Sep 18, 2010 12:47 pm

Wow...what a patient and smart lady! Thanks for the advice. Now enjoy every second of your vacation!

Jumbiegirl · Post by **Jumbiegirl** » Sat Sep 18, 2010 3:19 pm

Good Lord. I hope the villa had some complementary rum when you got there. Had a similar 20-hour wacky trip home last summer with a 4-year old. Never want to do that again.

djmom · Post by **djmom** » Sat Sep 18, 2010 4:04 pm

Geez, that stinks! I don't get how they couldn't have known there was something going on with the weather. I mean some of those flights are only a couple of hours.

But what do I know.

PSUWethr · Post by **PSUWethr** » Sat Sep 18, 2010 8:43 pm

Thank goodness the villa owners (my parents) were on island. I had them provision our house with rum and Uncle Joe's BBQ so we had good food. We are staying at Pink Horses which is right next door to mom and dad;s house (Island Dreams). The sunrise this morning was glorious.

We are doing some fact finding about the flight yesterday. According to hubby (the pilot) the terminal forecast showed un-landable winds all day yesterday....so we should never have left Miami to begin with...I will be fighting for the extra money I spent.

Thanks

AquaGirl · Post by **AquaGirl** » Sat Sep 18, 2010 9:53 pm

Wow, what an adventure to get to STT. It made me tired just reading about it. Great advice about taking phone numbers of other airlines. We always take numbers (local and 800) for the airline we are using, but taking others is a good idea.

I looked at Pink Horses on-line. What a wonderful view! I can sit for hours enjoying that view.

I am curious how Air Sunshine in their beat up little plane could land in STT when the bigger planes couldn't? I'm not sure I would have been brave enough to get on a little plane when the winds were too high for others to land.

We flew on Air Sunshine once from SJU to Virgin Gorda (when airport was still open). I loved seeing the islands from the little plane, and the landing on the partial dirt runway at VG was...sorta fun. However, it was the smallest seat I have sat in since elementary school. I was right behind pilot and had to sit with my legs to the side since there was just a few inches (iterally) of leg room.
Enjoy your trip!

SOonthebeach · Post by **SOonthebeach** » Sat Sep 18, 2010 9:53 pm

Hey PSU- enjoy Pink Horses- we'll be there in Feb- and thanks for the scoop on it! Would love it if you can post some pics! Good luck getting some $$ back- you should IMHO!

mahojim · Post by **mahojim** » Sun Sep 19, 2010 12:44 am

Wow.
Things are evidently taking a well deserved turn for the better!
Mom & Pop hooking you up with Rum & Uncle Joe's.-Awesome! I'm 41, and currently up for adoption, so run that by them, sis!
Hope you're having fun for us mainland bound folks at home!
Love, and always
Smiles,
from your new brother
MJ

pipanale · Post by **pipanale** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 8:24 am

OK...you beat me. Our trip there only took 19 hours in July. I'll stop whining about it now.

What a pain in the ass though...

usvi-on-line