Christmas Flights from London to the St Maarten

Christmas Flight Prices as of July 2012

If you’re thinking of joining us this year for our Caribbean Christmas & New Year sailing holiday then you’re probably dreading looking at flight prices.  Following up on some enquiries, we did a quick trawl for flight options and current rates.  the cheapest we can find is GBP 702 per person

Christmas Flight Route Options

By and large you get what you pay for but flight prices are a bit of an anomaly, especially over the Christmas period. The cheapest flight option – London to St Maarten – I’ve found that fits in with our Christmas Sailing holiday dates is through online booking agents Bravofly for GBP 702, flying out on the 20th December and back on the 5th January on American Airlines and British Airways, connecting in New York. Despite the need to change planes, the outbound flight is around 13 hours, although the connection time is much longer on the way back and it may be worth an overnight stopover in New York seeing as you’re stuck there anyway!

In an effort to reduce travelling time, I also looked at the airline websites booking directly with them.

1. London to Miami plus a connection with American Airlines

Connecting in Miami with American Airlines, fly out with them from London on the 19th December and back on the 7th for GBP 964, or with British Airways or Virgin Atlantic for around GBP 912 plus AA connection fares of EUR 400 (TOTAL GBP 1,250)

2. London to St Maarten

With Air France via Paris or KLM via Amsterdam.  Air France travel on the 19th December and back on the 7th for GBP 1,265 with only an hour layover; KLM sell the same flights for GBP 1,275.

3. London to other islands in the Caribbean plus local connections with LIAT:

Fly to Antigua, St Lucia, Barbados & Grenada – British Airways & Virgin Atlantic

The best price for BA as of today leaves for Antigua (the closest island to St Martin) on the 19th December, returning on the 7th January for GBP 1,221; connections with LIAT to SXM are an additional USD 335 (TOTAL GBP 1,450)
Flying with Virgin Atlantic to Antigua on the 19th December and returning on the 5th Jan is GBP 1,291 with similarly priced connections (TOTAL GBP 1,500)

Virgin fly to Grenada between the 19th and the 7th for GBP 1,190 but a LIAT connection price of USD 530 and long connection times make this an arduous choice (TOTAL GBP 1,490)