If you booked on AA thru San Juan - check your flight!

[Gromit]

Well kids-- I just booked my tix two days ago. I was originally going to book an AA flight out of Dulles thru SJU and on to STT arriving around 3pm.

At the last second I decided against it and decided to go ahead and pay a few bucks more to go with Delta thru Atlanta with a shorter layover and getting me to STT an hour ahead of AA's earliest flight.

Guess what? That AA flight I was going to book (which was half full) is GONE -- as in rescheduled!

I am pickier about schedules than price and I would have been crazy PO'd if I had booked that flight on AA cause now we'd have a 4 hour layover in MIA and wouldn't get to STT until 4:15!!

So glad I went with my gut on this one...

Anyone who booked with AA thru SJU might want to check their flights -- as there may be more changes as they trim their schedule thru SJU.

Don't get me wrong, I truly HATE going thru SJU and prefer MIA, but not if I have a 4 hour layover! And NOT AFTER I booked a flight with a preferred schedule.

[VayCay]

I hope your connection through ATL stays put, but be sure to check your reservations a few months out. we had our flight rescheduled, but good news...AA was VEEEEEEERRRRY accommodating for us. So don't panic if they do this to you, just stay calm and call!

[Berlingirl]

Gromit...your two days in...believe me when I tell you that I get tons more Delta flight schedule changes than AA/US/CO/NW. They are a nightmare...Delta cancelled our flight out of Aruba last October...I'd booked 9 mons in advance...we had to buy last minute Jet Blue tickets...Good luck and keep your eyes on your itinerary.

[Gromit]

Will do!! I know they're funny about midweek flights, but at least we're traveling on the week-ends which should minimize the disruption.

Worst case, I'll go with the flow... but still keep my fingers crossed!

Thanks!

[STJBride]

I checked ours and so far, so good. No changes!

[tjwgrr]

Supposedly AA is dropping all SJU-STT flights beginning Sept 3. This will make remaining flights to STT on any airline in higher demand- book early, and don't expect any great fares.

From a forum I belong to- SJU service cuts:
-----------
San Juan-Fort Lauderdale (ends September 3)
San Juan-Orlando (ends September 3)
San Juan-Newark (ends September 3)
San Juan-Los Angeles (ends September 3)
San Juan-Baltimore (ends September 3)
San Juan-Sint Maarten (ends September 3)
San Juan-Antigua (ends September 3)
San Juan-Santo Domingo (ends September 3)
San Juan-St. Thomas (ends September 3)
San Juan-Washington (ends September 3)

[waterguy]

I can't beleive they will make all those cuts stick with all the cruise ships leaving SJU Thay might lower the number of flights but not cut completely
I would think American egale would still have some flights

[Xislandgirl]

Our flights are still ok but I just checked and the flight is packed. UGH Packed flight to SJU is not my idea of a good time. Luckily, I had miles to use and we were able to upgrade.

I don't like flying through SJU either, but I am hoping since we stay on the same plane that we will be ok with luggage, since we have to check I forgot all about the snorkle gear.

[Ksea]

X,

Our June flights are good too. We are checking a rolling cooler. We do not get off the plane in SJU either so I think the bag will be fine.

My November flight has changed dramatically. I now have a 3 hour stop in Miami on the way down, and a 2 hour stop on the way home. I depart IAD at 6am now instead of 8:10am. The travel days are going to be killers!

[tjwgrr]

Sorry everyone- my bad. I did some further checking. It appears only American mainline is dropping service from San Juan to St. Thomas after September 3, which I believe is only one flight per day.

American Eagle will still maintain SJU-STT flights with their turboprop aircraft, but Sept schedule shows 3 flights per day (all Amercian Eagle) down from 8 per day (7 American Eagle + 1 American mainline)

Sorry for the confusion.

[aroobagirl]

Bugger! I just checked with AA and they changed our flights for November!! The AA woman ever so kindly offered me a full refund - fat chance since the house is rented and flights are now 30% higher than what I booked. I now have to fly through MIA (which I hate!) and we are leaving at 6:10am instead of 8:30am. Figures that I do not arrive any earlier in STT, I just get to hang out in the MIA airport for 3 hours. Question - why bother to book early if they can change your flights without any penalties? I assure you the wankers would charge me out the waaa if I wanted to change flights!
Rant over....

[waterguy]

Now that they changed your flight if you can find a flight that has better time they will change you for nothing

[shoemak38]

Our flight to from Boston is completely full both ways to SJU. Also bringing a rolling cooler (first time) any special handling tips?

[laurie]

Also checked our flights thanks to Gromit. AA changed us to a 4.5 hr layover in SJU getting in to STT after 5pm, since we are trying to connect to BVI for a few days before STJ this was terrible. After a phone call to AA our flights are now changed to arriving in STT @ 1pm , with almost no layover, no $$ charge to change it, originally paid $115 RT from BOS ( this is DEC). Will keep checking though , they do not send email change status till just wks before departure.Laurie

[aroobagirl]

Okay, to update on my earlier rant... I decided to provide AA with the opportunity to make lemonade from the lemons they produced. Since we were planning on flying back on Sunday the 9th of November, why not extend two days? That way I would get to spend my anniversary (Nov. 10th) on island. AA would have 4 more seats on a week end and I would then fly back mid-week. Seems like a win-win, no? Well since I wanted to return more than 24 hours later, I would have to pay the difference in ticket prices ($126 each for my family of four) but AA would waive the rebooking penalty. Interestingly enough if I stayed within 24 hours of the original return time it would have cost me nothing! Seems like they could earn a lot of goodwill by just making the change with no increase, but no dice. So, now I will wait to see if they want to bump us because they will invariably be overbooked and I may still get the chance to spend my anniversary on St. John and they can pay me for my "sacrifice". Fingers crossed!