Nonstop to the Caribbean

Many airlines are cutting back service to the Caribbean this fall and winter, but New Yorkers bound for the islands will still enjoy plenty of options. They can fly nonstop to 26 Caribbean destinations from the New York area’s three major airports, about the same as last year. However, because airlines are retrenching in the face of high fuel costs and a faltering economy, they’ll have fewer flights to choose from.

American Airlines, the biggest carrier to the Caribbean, has scheduled 45 fewer flights a week to that region from LaGuardia and Kennedy airports and no longer will make Caribbean nonstops out of Newark International.

Continental has cut back 22 flights a week out of Newark. On the plus side, rival airline JetBlue, seeing an opportunity, has jumped in with additional service to the region, including 16 more flights each week to the Dominican Republic from Kennedy. Service to San Juan also is being beefed up.

Delta will inaugurate a nonstop from JFK to Bonaire this winter, “and we’re actually adding some frequencies” to other destinations, says Carlos Santos, the airline’s regional manager. Air Jamaica is adding nonstops to Barbados and Grenada from JFK, and Continental will be flying to two new destinations from Newark –Grand Cayman and Montego Bay.

This has cheered Enrique de Marchena, president of the Caribbean Hotel Association, who had feared a sharp drop in Caribbean flights would drive winter vacationers to other destinations.