AirStMaarten - Monthly Newsletter - November 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 November 2011 issue:

1. INTRO: Beta Version New AirSXM Website Almost Ready...
2. SPECIALS: Share A Charter To St. Barths For $250 Per Seat
3. ARTICLE: Signature Acquires Arrindell Aviation Services
4. SPONSOR MESSAGE: CheapoAir
5. NEWS ITEM: Immigration Pre-Clearance Discussed
6. TRAVEL TIP: If You Want To Fly....
7. AGENDA: Photo Reportage Season Opening Party 2011-2012
8. ADVERTISEMENT: AirStMaarten/AirSXM.com Merchandising
9. CUSTOMER SERVICE: How To Book With AirStMaarten

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INTRO: Beta Version New AirSXM Website Almost Ready...
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Dear friends and clients,

In the September issue I wrote that I am presently working on a new website for AirSXM.com. The new site is almost ready for beta testing. You can view the work in progress online at http://www.airsxm.co/index.php.

"Be our guest and put our service to the test."

The intention is to improve our service and increase our response time in processing your reservation requests. If you would like to assist me in testing the website, be my guest. I will take your comments, suggestions and ideas into consideration. Corrections that can be implemented immediately will be done. Other improvement suggestions or ideas can be implemented in the release of a follow-up version of the website in the future.

Besides allowing clients and agents access to the back-end of our new website so that they can view and manage reservations, we will also offer operators access to a special login area where they can view and manage reservations that they will be responsible for executing on our behalf.

So when you submit a reservation request on our website, it will be sent directly to an operator for review and acceptance. The advantages for you the customer are obvious in terms of speed, efficiency and response time, but this feature will also allow operators to share capacities with other operators.

All in all, the new website is completely in line with our strategy to offer you the client and your agents unprecedented flexibility in service when booking with us here at AirStMaarten. So don't hesitate any longer and be our guest and put our service to the test. Click here>>>

In the meantime, you can read the latest aviation news in this issue and see our photo reportage of the opening party of the 2011-2012 season at the Normandie Hotel in St. Barths.

Happy readings!

Terrance Rey

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2. SPECIALS: Share A Charter To St. Barths For $250 Per Seat
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Air St. Maarten Shared Charters Share-A-Charter Cartoon (c) 2011

For more information about our Shared Charters and to see the constantly updated Shared Charters Schedule online, visit http://www.SharedCharters.com.

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3. ARTICLE: Signature Acquires Arrindell Aviation Services
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Signature Flight Support lands in St. Maarten with the acquisition of Arrindell Aviation Services N.V.

November 11th, 2011 -- Signature Flight Support strengthened its foothold in the Caribbean today with the announcement that it has acquired a majority stake in Arrindell Aviation Services N.V. (AAS). AAS has been in operation at St. Maarten, Dutch Caribbean’s Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM/TNCM) for 25 years providing flight support services for both business and general aviation customers and commercial airlines. The enterprise will be formally known as Arrindell Aviation by Signature.

The portfolio of B&GA services offered at this new Signature location include ground handling, fuel coordination, ground transportation for passengers and crew, ramp parking, water and lavatory services, gourmet catering and weather and routing services. Liaison between passengers and yacht connections will also be provided, as well as 24/7 aircraft charter brokerage services.

In addition to B&GA services, Arrindell Aviation by Signature will offer front of house services to commercial airlines such as passenger check-in, ticketing, security and gate agent services to several major air carriers.

St. Maarten’s Princess Juliana International Airport offers convenient access to high-end resort destinations, marinas and world-class shopping. SXM/TNCM serves as a hub for air carriers and cargo operations to surrounding islands such as St. Barths, St. Kitts, Nevis, Saba, St. Eustatius and Anguilla. It is also the second busiest airport in the Northeastern Caribbean behind San Juan, Puerto Rico’s Luiz Munoz Marin International Airport. Signature recently purchased Tropical Aviation at Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport (SIG/TJIG) in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the business and general aviation airport for the city. With this acquisition, Signature now covers two significant airports in the Caribbean.

Commenting on the acquisition, S. Michael Scheeringa, President of Signature Flight Support stated, “Arrindell Aviation Services is a well-known name in aviation and a premier flight support services provider in the Caribbean.

Frank Arrindell and his team of more than 80 associates have built a premier aviation services business over the past 25 years by focusing on the customer. We are very enthusiastic about this acquisition and see it as a key location for us in the Caribbean and we welcome Frank and the entire Arrindell staff to the Signature family.”

Frank Arrindell, President and Owner of AAS commented, “We are pleased to join Signature’s growing global network. I am proud that our 25 years of hard work and dedication to providing our customers with very personalized service has brought us to a level where we can join forces with the industry leader, Signature Flight Support.” 

Local AAS staff and management will not change. Roy Mingo will continue as the General Manager. Frank Arrindell’s expertise will be leveraged for Signature as the corporate ambassador for the Caribbean. 

Signature Flight Support Corporation, a BBA Aviation plc company, is the world's largest fixed-base operation (FBO) and distribution network for business aviation services which include fueling, hangar and office rentals, ground handling, maintenance and a wide range of crew and passenger amenities at strategic domestic and international locations. Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, Signature Flight Support currently operates at more than 100 locations in the United States, Europe, South America, Africa and Asia. For more information, please visit www.signatureflight.com.
 
BBA Aviation plc is a leading global aviation support and aftermarket services provider with market leading businesses and attractive growth opportunities. BBA Aviation’s Flight Support businesses (Signature Flight Support®, ASIG® and Signature TECHNICAir™) are focused on refueling, ground handling and/or maintenance of business and commercial aviation aircraft. Its Aftermarket Services and Systems businesses (Dallas Airmotive, Premier Turbines, H&S Aviation, International Turbine Service® and Barrett Turbine Engine Company, International Governor Services, Ontic® and APPH®) are focused on the repair and overhaul of jet engines and the design, manufacture and services of aerospace sub-systems and components. For more information, please visit www.bbaaviation.com

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4. SPONSOR MESSAGE: CheapoAir
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Cheap Air Flightbanner

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5. NEWS ITEM: Immigration Pre-Clearance Discussed
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Information Booths & Immigration Pre-Clearance focus of Inter-Island Aviation Meeting

Great Bay, St. Maarten —The inter-island meeting hosted last week by the Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) between the tourist offices of St. Martin, St. Maarten, Anguilla, and St. Barths, focused mainly on making available tourist information booths at PJIA as well as the possibility of immigration pre-clearance for the hub islands.

The meeting, held on Wednesday, November 30, 2011, was attended by representatives of four of the six destinations and was considered a success as important matters were discussed in an atmosphere of cooperation and mutual assistance.

During the meeting, PJIA disclosed that the tourist information booths for the hub islands would be established at the arrival hall, past immigration, where the public telephones are currently situated.

The telephones will be moved to other locations in the baggage claim area. The tourist information booths, for which several designs are now being considered, will be rented for a fee to the participating islands.

The inter-island pre-clearance project, though in its beginning stages, will enable passengers bound for Anguilla, St. Barths, Saba, and St. Eustatius to go through the respective immigration controls at PJIA, making it unnecessary for them to do so upon arrival on those islands.

St. Maarten's Minister of Justice, Roland Duncan, came in for high praise for his endorsement of this initiative which will not only save passengers valuable time, but would also represent some additional revenue for PJIA.

The Princess Juliana International Airport serves as a hub to all these neighboring islands, a fact that was critical in the development of the expansion plans of PJIA. It is also a major point in attracting new airlines to the airport.

Tourism authorities on the hub islands have been meeting to harmonize their plans, and fine-tune their strategies as it pertains to their core business. The islands and PJIA will once again come together at the next inter-island meeting, which will be held on Anguilla later this month.

Regina LaBega, managing director of the Princess Juliana International Airport Operating Company, chaired the inter-island meeting.

In Photo1: Tourism directors from Anguilla, St. Barths, and St. Maarten during a power point display of air travel data at the Inter-Island meeting hosted by PJIA. L-R: Eustace Guishard, chairman, Anguilla Tourist Board; Stephanie Besserie, tourism representative, St. Barths; Candis Niles, director, Anguilla Tourist Board; May-Ling Chun, director, St. Maarten Tourist Bureau. (PJIA photo). Photo2: Tourism officials and representatives during power point presentation at the Inter-Island Meeting (11.30.11). L-R: Ines Choisy, tourism representative, St. Barths; Hon. Hayden Hughes, Anguilla; Silviane John, St. Martin Tourist Office; Hon. Louis Jeffry, COM vice president in charge of Education, Youth, Culture, Sports and Tourism. (PJIA photo).

Source: SXMislandTime.com

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6. TRAVEL TIP: If You Want To Fly....
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If you want to fly abroad, check with Interpol if there are no outstanding warrants for your arrest. You'd be surprised that that may be the case...

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7. AGENDA: Photo Reportage Season Opening Party 2011-2012
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Season Opening Party 2011-2012 at the Normandie Hotel

Dennis Carlton's mom, Pat, celebrated her 88th birthday and Dennis with his 63rd birthday celebration also a fact worthy of a party, the gathering at the Normandie Hotel on the evening of Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011, was organized with the main reason of celebrating the opening of the 2011-2012 season with a cocktail and dinner party with many specal friends and invited guests and family.

Invited were: Americ Montin, Alain Blanchard, Albert Yaphet, Catherine Charneau, David Anderson, Deborah Brosnan, Diana Deutch, Diana Mann, Didier Greaux, Elise Magras, Ellen Lampert-Greaux, Eula Prada, Gary Carlton, Isabelle Boutry, Jiim Murdock, Joanne Quetel, Jordan Anderson, Judy Kapanka, Julien Tatin, Kate Strong, Keegan Singh, Kevin Mann, Kevin Strong, Kino Bachelier, Lindsay Anderson, Marius Stakelborough, Mary Lynn Carlton, Melane Dullin, Melanie Smith, Pat Carlton, Rosemond Greaux, Skip Kapanka, Trish McGillen and last but not least, Terrance Rey.

Photo reportage online in Facebook. Click here>>>

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8. ADVERTISEMENT: AirStMaarten/AirSXM.com Merchandising
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If you would like to receive your own AirSXM.com t-shirt, simply send us an email via sales@airsxm.com. Based on the amount of people interested, we will determine whether to have the t-shirts made locally or produced and drop-shipped from a location in the USA.

AirSXM AirStMaarten Men's T-Shirt Merchandising
AirStMaarten AirSXM.com Men's T-Shirt

AirStMaarten AirSXM.com Yellow Caps - Merchandising
AirStMaarten AirSXM.com Caps


AirStMaarten AirSXM.com Women's T-Shirt

We have already received several inquiries. So keep those inquiries coming. The more, the better. For more information about AirSXM.com's merchandising, email us via sales@airsxm.com.

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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
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