First thing first, here is a quick explanation and tips of getting to St Martin. St Martin tourists arrive by two primary means: cruise ships and planes. We will only address flying to St Martin.
Princess Juliana Airport on St Maarten (airport code: SXM) is now one of the most modern airports in the Caribbean. The airport is a local hub and offers easy direct flights to Charlotte, New York, Atlanta, Tampa, Boston, Miami and Puerto Rico as well as Paris and Amsterdam. Interestingly, the airport annually receives the distinguished mention as one of the top 10 most exciting airports to fly into. Last year, SXM (video of runway landing) was ranked number 6 as Hong Kongs Kai Tak Airport ranked number 1. Due to the shorter runway, the planes tend to have a very low approach upon landing. The runway starts a mere 20 yards from the foot of Maho beach but is big enough to handle 747s which have a daily arrival and departure. Despite the low approach, landings are safe and very smooth. However passengers sitting on the right side of the plane may feel a bit uneasy seeing only infinite turquoise waters only seconds before they land. As for take off, the planes do take off towards the mountains so expect an orderly but steep climb. The plane will also bank to the right within 10 seconds of being airborne.
TIP #1- For the best view of the island upon approach, try to get a seat on the left side of the plane. Upon approach you will see the islands of Prickly Pear, Anguilla and the south western coast of St Martin (Plum Bay, Baie Longue, Cupecoy, Mullet Bay then Maho Beach). For passengers who have a window seat on the right side of the plane, you can expect to see the beautiful turquoise Caribbean until about 3 seconds before you land. You will see the Sunset Beach Bar and waving spectators just a moment before you touch ground.
Tip #2- Try to grab a window seat on the right side of the plane for departures. The take off provides breathtaking views of the island.
One of the great attractions to St Martin is the availability of direct flights to major east coast cities. Direct flights have the added benefit of minimizing stress, lost baggage and ensure the quickest possible route to your luxury villa or pristine beach.
Airlines that fly into SXM are USAirways, American Airlines, Jet Blue, Spirit Airways, Continental Airlines, and Delta. During the busy winter months, air charters such as Transat will offer services. International airlines that provide service is Air France, KLM, and Corsair. Regional airlines like Winair, St Barts Commuter and Air Caraibes offer service to the neighboring islands such as St Kitts, St Barts, Saba, and Guadelope to name a few.
Clearing customs is easy. Fill out your Entry document and please make sure you have your local address. Keep your retained portion of the entry form for your departure.
Tip #3- To find the shortest customs line, typically look to the left lines. The left lines may have two agents per line. Another helpful hint is to pick a line next to a non operational booth. The empty booth is a likely to be filled by an customs agent if the lines are long.
Retrieving your baggage is easy and orderly. Rarely are there bag inspections unless you arrive through a high risk drug smuggling disembarkation point such as Curacao.
As you exit, there will be about a dozen car rental booths. Villa guests will have a complimentary prearranged transfer agent waiting for them to quickly whisk them to their awaiting villa. For villa guests, please make sure you have informed your agent of your arrival time and choice of rental car company for an expediated arrival.
For others, St Martin Blue offers headache saving and cost efficient airport transfers through our concierge division. Contact us today at www.ConciergeBlue.com to arrange your warm welcome and private expediated arrival.
