by Joe Pike
Last updated: 7:01 PM ET, Thu July 26, 2018
JetBlue recently announced several new Mint service routes, including new flights to Costa Rica and St. Lucia, but perhaps none are as important as its new Mint flights to St. Maarten.
The service is not only great news for St. Maarten, one of the destinations hit the hardest by last year's hurricane season, but also for its neighbors.
Let's not forget how much St. Maarten's neighboring islands depend on flights to the destination. After all, travelers heading to sister islands, like Anguilla and St. Barts usually take a luxury ferry from St. Maarten to their final destination.
"Until we can have a direct flight, we rely heavily on our neighbors," said Cardigan Connor, parliamentary secretary for Anguilla's tourism sector, in a recent interview with TravelPulse. "As St. Maarten continues to get back on their feet, the more guests we get because most of our visitors are coming through St. Maarten."
This week, JetBlue announced that Saturday Mint flights to St. Maarten's Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) will resume in February. Additionally, the airline will launch new Saturday Mint service to St. Maarten from Boston, also in February.
Beginning February 16, flights will depart JFK at 10:55 a.m. and land in St. Maarten at 3:52 p.m. with return flights taking off at 5:30 p.m. and landing back in New York at 9:07 p.m.
Mint flights from Boston to St. Maarten are also slated to launch February 16. Flights leave Boston at 7:10 a.m. and land in St. Maarten at 12:20 p.m. Return flights leave St. Maarten at 1:45 p.m. and land back in Boston at 5:17 p.m.
And the good news in the skies follows some positive news for St. Maarten's hotel product.
Sonesta St. Maarten Resorts recently announced it is on its way to a full restoration. Sonesta Ocean Point Resort is anticipating reopening by November 15 and Sonesta Maho Beach Resort is expected to be operating again by February 1.
JetBlue's Other New Mint Flights
Later this year, JetBlue will begin operating seasonal Saturday Mint service between JFK and Liberia, Costa Rica's Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport (LIR), and between Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) and St. Lucia's Hewanorra International Airport (UVF).
Liberia becomes JetBlue's first Mint city in Latin America and JetBlue will be the only airline to operate regularly scheduled flights with a lie-flat premium seat between Costa Rica and the U.S., according to a JetBlue news release. With the addition of Liberia, JetBlue will now serve 12 cities with Mint flights from New York.
In Boston, new St. Lucia Mint service will bring Mint to nine routes from Logan. No other airline in Boston offers a premium lie-flat seat on as many routes, according to the JetBlue release.
Beginning December 15, Mint flights will depart JFK at 10:25 a.m. and will arrive in Liberia at 2:49 p.m. Return flights leave Liberia at 4:15 p.m. and arrive back in New York at 10:14 p.m.
Mint flights from Boston to St. Lucia kick off November 3. Flights depart Boston at 7:30 a.m. and arrive in St. Lucia at 12:19 p.m. Return flights depart St. Lucia at 1:44 p.m. and arrive back at in Boston at 6:59 p.m.
Popular Mint features include lie-flat seating, a signature cocktail and a tapas-style menu by New York City restaurant Saxon + Parole. The service first launched in 2014.
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