AirStMaarten - Monthly Newsletter - February 2011

The AirStMaarten Newsletter is professional with a personal touch, informative and to the point with news, opinions, background information, articles and promotions.

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In this February 2011 issue:

1. INTRO: The World Is Changing
2. SPECIALS: On-demand Private Jet Service Out Of St. Maarten
3. ARTICLE: How To Attract More Private Jet Business To St. Maarten
4. SPONSOR MESSAGE: CheapoAir
5. NEWS ITEM: Winair Drop Six Routes, Three Planes
6. TRAVEL TIP: Share A Charter To St. Barths
7. AGENDA: AirSXM Shared Charters Schedule
8. ADVERTISEMENT: VIP Protection Services
9. CUSTOMER SERVICE: How To Book With AirStMaarten

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INTRO: The World Is Changing
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Dear friends and clients,

In a cartoon strip Garfield sighs: "I hate change. I didn't used to... But I've changed."

The world is changing. Do you feel it too?

With all the changes going on in the world, some for the better, some for the worst, it is good to know that there is one place we can still escape to and bask in its unchanging natural beauty and ambiance and that is St. Barths.

Winair is changing too. I hope for the better and for the long-term good of the company. In this month's issue, we look again at our AirStMaarten Shared Charters business model and offer this as an alternative to satisfy demand on the St. Maarten - St. Barths route.

In this month's issue, we also highlight St. Maarten's VIP Protection Services, a company established on St. Maarten and offering services to persons visiting our islands who prefer to have professional security on hand.

VIP Protection Services provides professional and discreet armed and unarmed bodyguard and executive protection services. Their bodyguard are experienced and disciplined in executing their duties. VIP Protection Services provides its services for island events, private individuals, executives, celebrities and VIP's or high profile individuals as they travel around the islands, in the air, at sea or on land (also with chauffered limousines or luxury vehicles).

Armed bodyguard agents is a must when it comes to having personal protection in the Caribbean. VIP Protection Services just lately provided bodyguard services for French President Sarkozy during his recent visit to Martinique. Goes without saying that the bodyguards of VIP Protection Services are multi-lingual and speak both French and English fluently.

Contact me for more information if you are interested in their services.
In the meantime...

Happy Readings!

Terrance Rey

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2. SPECIALS: On-demand Private Jet Service Out Of St. Maarten
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Reyjetservices - AllCaribbeanCharters

We can now offer you quick on-demand private jet service out of St. Maarten to any international airport in the Caribbean for the following travel needs:

  • Business
  • Leisure
  • Medical

You will be flying either on one of our Citations, Hawkers, Learjets or any other suitable executive jet aircraft we have available. Shared charters is also possible as customers understand and agree that they will be sharing their flight with other customers. Email sales@airsxm.com for more information or email reservations@airsxm.com to book.

Private Jet Services in the Caribbean 

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3. ARTICLE: How To Attract More Private Jet Business To St. Maarten
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Private Jets at Princess Juliana International Airport in St. Maarten
Private jets parked at the Princess Juliana International Airport in St. Maarten.
Photo by Joane Dovale.

How To Attract More Private Jet Business To St. Maarten

by Terrance Rey 

With all the commotion about the Immigration service at the St. Maarten airport we have lost sight of the fact that the underlying complaint is that the service level at PJIA is vital to the success of the private jet industry in St. Maarten.

The alarm sounded by Mr. Frank Arrindell, owner of one of the biggest FBO operators at the Princess Juliana International Airport, is a wake up call to remind us that we are putting our private jet industry in jeopardy by not providing adequate services on par with the rest of the Caribbean.

Private Jets At Lloyd International Airport in Anguilla
Private jets parked at the Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport in Anguilla.
Photo by Stanley Rey.
 

We must not forget that right next door is Anguilla, which can and also accommodates private jets and in St. Kitts plans are on the table for a new US$15 million dollar private jet terminal facility. Curacao also wants to do the same. This means it will be more competitive for St. Maarten to attract private jet landings on our island.

Read last month's issue of the AirStMaarten Newsletter wherein I give a review of the private jet industry in the Caribbean and the outline the importance of this industry to the islands. In that article you will read what it's all really about: quality service for the discerning traveller.

FBO operators on St. Maarten are of a high caliber. That has to be maintained in order to continue the service the jetset clients are expecting. For the longest of while most travellers thought that the private jet travel in the Caribbean would not be on par with the rest of the world. But the provision of services in the Caribbean can match that of any of the international airports in North America and Europe. That's why it is a US$22 billion dollar business and growing annually.

The PJIAE airport management company and the relevant authorities are important partners in this vital industry and we have to remember it is a tourism product we are offering when we attract visitors to our island and to make any tourism product a success, providing excellent customer service by going the distance and beyond the call of duty with a courteous attitude and a friendly smile makes the world of difference in this highly competitive industry.

Terrance Rey
CEO, AirStMaarten

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Terrance Rey is CEO and Owner of AirStMaarten, an organizer of quality private jet service to and from St. Maarten and throughout the Caribbean. Visit his website at http://www.reyjetservices.com.

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4. SPONSOR MESSAGE: CheapoAir
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Cheap Air Flightbanner

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5. NEWS ITEM: Winair Drop Six Routes, Three Planes
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Winair dropping six routes, three planes

AIRPORT--Winair announced on its Facebook page on Wednesday that it has ceased operations to a number of destinations with immediate effect.

The airline informed its customers that due to financial constraints at Winair and to "keep the company open and operating," Winair will no longer service the islands of Trinidad, St. Lucia and Montserrat.

Service to Barbuda has been reduced to one flight per day and will also be stopped shortly. Dominica and Tortola will continue to operate until March. Exact dates on the route closures will be given. Service will continue to Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Barths and Nevis. "We are also discontinuing our JetStream service once the above-mentioned routes come to a stop."

Winair will also be reducing its Twin Otter fleet from four to three aircraft "due to the shortage of available Twin Otters in the world and the soon retirement of one of our aircraft as it is high on cycles." The JetStream aircraft is also expected to be taken out of service when service to Dominica and Tortola ceases.

These moves were expected as part of government's initiatives to save the company from financial failure. The members of the Supervisory Board of Winair have been asked to tender their resignation in a move that should facilitate the establishment of a change management team, a new management and operational structure

At least two reports on Winair concluded that in order for Winair to regain operational profitability, the airline must, as a start, go back to its core calling of servicing minimal destinations (Saba, Statia, St. Barths) before expanding to new destinations.

Additionally, these reports outlined that Winair must find ways to increase income structurally, decrease expenditures structurally, re-examine the type of aircraft it utilizes and how many aircraft it has in service and what the airline realistically requires in terms of human resources.

"The team at Winair apologizes for this interruption in service as we had to make these drastic decisions to keep the company alive. We do thank everyone for supporting us over the past few months and who continue to support us as this is not the end of Winair," the company said on its Facebook site. 

Source: The Daily Herald 

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6. TRAVEL TIP: Share A Charter To St. Barths
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With Winair reducing routes and its fleet, capacity on the St. Maarten St. Barths route will also be limited, our travel tip for this month is Share A Charter to St. Barths.

How does our Shared Charters work?

Many of our St. Barths visitors are couples looking to get away for a week or two. If they are flying to St. Barths, ofcourse, most want to do it in style. However, the cost of a private charter can be prohibitive. So the cost effective solution is to share the charter with others.

Since October 2006 we have been organizing shared charters for St. Barths clients who want to share a charter but don't have the possibilities to reach others to get them to share a private charter. So we provide that service by publishing shared charters via www.SharedCharters.com.

Shared charters are only confirmed when we have at least 4 passengers booked. Usually the demand for a shared charter is greatest during the last week before the departure date. Depending on the season, we can get a request for seats on a shared charter up to the same day of departure.
 
Shared charter flights are closed off for further bookings when we have 6 passengers + luggage on a chartered BN Islander 9-seater aircraft. If the demand is great enough, we charter a Cessna Caravan and put up to 9 passengers + luggage on it. The Cessna Caravan are also 9-seater aircraft, but the Caravans can carry more loads. Therefore they are relatively more expensive to charter. But certainly worth the cost if we have up to 9 passengers.
 
The default aircraft we used for shared charters are the BN Islanders.
Islanders are owned and operated by Windward Express, St. Barth Commuter, Anguilla Air Services and TransAnguilla Airways. Cessna Caravans are owned and operated by St. Barth Commuter and Tradewind. We can also charter 16-seater Twin Otters from Winair for large groups.
 
It is our sole discretion to close off a shared charter flight and send out the final confirmation with check-in instructions where to report in at the Transit Hall. The reason for that is real simple: We may choose to execute a shared charter with Windward Express, St. Barth Commuter, TransAnguilla Airways, Anguilla Air Services or Winair. Each operator have different agents, different desks and/or different operating procedures.
 
So we can only send out a final confirmation once we have determined which aircraft and which operator we will use. Sometimes we switch aircrafts or operators at the last minute due to demand or due to the fact that that operator has a better time slot available to execute the charter for us.
 
So if, for example, you are arriving on a 3pm inbound flight and the shared charter is scheduled for 5pm, we may switch operators because we can then get you out earlier on a 4pm charter flight.
 
We have top agents at the airport at our disposal. In the final confirmations, we will instruct you to either report in at the desks of one of these agents. There the agents will assist you further as they will know exactly what to do. We are always in direct contact with these agents.
 
All the charter operators know AirStMaarten and are always happy to provide aircrafts for our charters as we have proven over the past years to be a reliable partner and supplier of business, even in the low season. Windward Express, St. Barth Commuter, Winair and TransAnguilla have been the main partners for AirStMaarten in St. Maarten.
 
Therefore, when you book a shared charter with us and we inform you that we will be sending you a 'final confirmation', please bear with us. You are always guaranteed a flight to St. Barths, no matter what.
 
And if you arrive late after sunset into St. Maarten, no problem. we guarantee that you will get to St. Barths that same night. By sea ofcourse. :-)

For more information, visit http://www.SharedCharters.com

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7. AGENDA: AirSXM Shared Charters Schedule
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You can view our constantly updated Shared Charters schedule online at https://www.airsxm.eu/page.php?page=40

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8. ADVERTISEMENT: VIP Protection Services
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St. Maarten VIP Protection Services

St. Maarten VIP Protection Services offer services such as close protection,
armed bodyguard, consulting, chauffeur and company security
plans for private individuals, executives, government officials, celebrities and VIP's or high profile individuals as they attend island events, business meetings, conferences and move around the islands, including St. Barths, by sea or air, plane, sailing or motor yacht. Contact us via sales@airsxm.com for an intake and quotation.

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9. CUSTOMER SERVICE: How To Book With AirStMaarten
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Booking Procedure & Reservation Information

Submit a reservation request online at www.airsxm.com. Once we receive your request, we will send you a Reservation Offer for your consideration. Once you accept our proposal, we will require payment. You can use our credit card form to send us your credit card information. We accept all major credit cards such as Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express. You can also pay by bank transfer, check, cash or Paypal. Once payment is received, we will book the commercial flight or private charter and send you a Reservation Confirmation.

If you have requested additional services such as VIP Transfer Services, we will send you a Final Confirmation containing all details of your travel itinerary and services booked. And that's how you book with AirStMaarten.

Other Customer Service Resources:
Our Shared Charters concept explained in full detail
VIP Transfer Services through Princess Juliana Int'l Airport
Island Concierge Services on St. Maarten and St. Barths
Read what our satisfied clients are saying about our service
Ticket Insurance
We also accept payments via Paypal
St. Maarten Villa Rentals
St. Maarten Yachting and Sailing Charters
Sign up for our email newsletter service

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Contact us

- Website: http://www.airsxm.com
- Email: customerservice@airsxm.com
- Telephone: +1-721-526-4420
- Charters: +1-721-523-3564
- Faxnumber: +1-866-503-0347

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