Help! BWIA Cancels US - Tobago Direct Flights

Patty Hess · Post by **Patty Hess** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 11:19 pm

Just found out our Feb. 2007 non-stop flight from Washington DC direct to Tobago has been discontinued. BWIA has cancelled all direct flights from DC. This was a flight that only ran on Thursdays and we planned our trip around the flight because it saved us 5 hours of travel time. Does anybody know of other US direct flights? Or flights that would arrive in Tobago during daylight hours without having to stay in POS overnight?

Gill M · Post by **Gill M** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 6:19 pm

Hi Patty

Oh, I am so sorry for you. Just had a look on British Airways USA site and here is a link but I don't know whether the flights go from Washington via Tobago to London??? Worth having a look though.

http://www.britishairways.com/travel/fx ... 0923061729

Obviously I haven't keyed in the appropriate dates but I do hope you find a suitable flight.

The UK site is showing discount fares at the moment so you may be lucky in that respect too.

Linda A · Post by **Linda A** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 11:47 pm

Have you called BWIA yet? We did and they offered us either a refund or to fly us on United to Miami and then back on BWIA to POS (Trinidad) and finally after another plane change to Tobago with scheduled arrival around 11 pm. At first we said ok to this but then reconsidered and took the refund. (Hope we get it .) We are going to plan a trip to Tobago at another time on another airline! The connection time at Miami was short and that airport is difficult to manuver sometimes. Breaks my heart but I will make it to Tobago sometime either later in 2007 or early 2008.

Mikael A · Post by **Mikael A** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 10:03 am

i read on another webpage that bwia is closing down? Can i get this confirmed, becouse my ticets for this winter "london-tobago" is with bwia and they are already payed for :/

Post by **Steve Wooler** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 10:07 am

Yes, Mikael - it has already been mentioned on the forum in several places. BWIA are to close on 31st December. A new airline, Caribbean Airlines, will take their place. Some services have been terminated early and more will be cut before the end of December.

It is important that you contact your travel agent as soon as possible to verify your flights.

Mikael A · Post by **Mikael A** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 10:15 am

Steve Wooler wrote:Yes, Mikael - it has already been mentioned on the forum in several places. BWIA are to close on 31st December. A new airline, Caribbean Airlines, will take their place. Some services have been terminated early and more will be cut before the end of December.

It is important that you contact your travel agent as soon as possible to verify your flights.

Yeah,,. Well lets hope

Patty Hess · Post by **Patty Hess** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 2:43 pm

Hi Linda,
We probably can get a refund but we have already booked our lodging (Coconut Heights, Beach House in Castara) and we are looking forward to our trip so much that I think we’d walk if we had to. Our travel agent can book us through Miami. The travel day will be long with several plane changes and we won’t arrive until 10 PM but I’m not ready to chuck the whole vacation just because of a few extra hours of travel. I’m just disappointed and was hoping that someone had some inside information on direct flights from the US.

Gill,
I had a look at the BWIA website and the flight goes from DC to London then on to TAB. Now that would be a REALLY long travel day! But thanks for posting the website and thanks everyone for the replies.

Patty

Post by **Steve Wooler** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 2:47 pm

Hi Patty

The information you need is contained on our Air Travel pages (Tobago/Getting To Tobago/Air Travel/North America), but as you will see, there are no direct flights from North America to Tobago currently. Delta will be flying direct from Atlanta, Georgia, once a week from next February, but that won't help you now.

Joanne Green · Post by **Joanne Green** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 2:57 pm

Hi Steve,
Delta will fly from Atlanta to Trinidad (POS) not Tobago on Saturdays in the winter. It will land at 8:30pm, which is the same time that the American Airlines and Continental flights land. Customs & baggage is going to be a mess!! As of now, no US airline has permission to land at TAB. The reason given is that they want to expand the airport before they allow additional planes, but personally, I think it's all political!

Joanne

Patty Hess · Post by **Patty Hess** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 3:08 pm

Hi Steve,
Actually our trip isn’t until the end of Feb 07. Maybe the Delta flight will be an option! That would be great. Do you happen to know if it starts early in Feb and what day of the week the flight is?
Thanks!

Post by **Steve Wooler** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 3:42 pm

Joanne

I am VERY reliably informed - and it has been confirmed only today - that in addition to four direct flights a week to POS, Delta will be offering 1 direct flight per week Tobago. Great news for American travellers. I understand that the service starts in February, but I have no date or other details. Sorry, Patty. It might be worth contacting Delta.

Gill M · Post by **Gill M** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 4:23 pm

Gill,
I had a look at the BWIA website and the flight goes from DC to London then on to TAB. Now that would be a REALLY long travel day! But thanks for posting the website and thanks everyone for the replies.

Patty[/quote]

Hi Patty

Sorry about that Patty - yes, a VERY long trip indeed

Patty Hess · Post by **Patty Hess** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 4:43 pm

Steve,
I called Delta and could not get confirmation of a direct flight into Tobago. The agent I spoke with said there was nothing showing in the system and she had not heard of a flight being added in the future. Doesn’t mean it won’t happen, and I certainly hope it does, it’s just not an option yet.

Post by **Steve Wooler** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 4:46 pm

Hi Patty

Sorry, it's too new to have hit the ticket desk/customer service yet. But believe me, this is solid information. It's coming.

Mikael A · Post by **Mikael A** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 2:04 pm

Been in contact with my travel agent this morning, and they where mostly clueless with information. Just said i didnt need to worry

. So hopfully i wont lose the money yet,

.

Also talked with bwiaa office in sthlm and they where pretty calm, tho they hadnt got anny information from london, neither had london got anny information from T&T.

But to everyone i spoken to it do sounds like we the customers wont suffer and the london route atleast will countine as usal, tho they couldnt promise to 100%....

Mikael.

Brian Taylor · Post by **Brian Taylor** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 10:38 am

mikael
maybe you check out your opions from london. BA and excel have a great connection from ther, as well as virgin. so there are good chances, that you will make it here.
enjoy your trip

STEPH

Bill B · Post by **Bill B** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 6:15 pm

Hello All,

Just back from vacation and getting caught up on the forum. Is it safe to assume (I know, it's never really safe to assume) that this change in BWIA will not affect the Tobago Express and that there will still be regular flights back and forth to POS?

Bill

Brian Taylor · Post by **Brian Taylor** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 11:40 pm

there is tobago express AND bwia flying between the islands. the airbridge is so important for the sisters, they have to keep it up somehow.
some people even travel to and from work with it, so we keep our fingers crossed.

Linda A · Post by **Linda A** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 10:10 am

Although we will not be coming to Castara in Jan. as planned

, we will work something out for next fall or winter

! The Delta flights sound exciting.Thanks for that information Steve. It would be almost as convenient for us to fly from Atlanta as Wash DC. We have fallen in love with Tobago from a distance! Good luck Patty, keep us posted on your travels. Linda

Mikael A · Post by **Mikael A** » Fri Sep 29, 2006 9:27 am

Anny news on this, their is nothing on their webpage, my travel agent havent contacted me yet after i spoke with them the last time, when noone knew annything?.

Only intel im gathering that they will keep their flights from london - t&t until 31 december "im flying in on 30december" And carrib air will take over from 1january and that carribair will honor already bought airtickets?. <-- i read from diffrent webpsites.

Anny news to help me relax thrue the weekend

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Help! BWIA Cancels US - Tobago Direct Flights

Help! BWIA Cancels US - Tobago Direct Flights

Re: Help! BWIA Cancels US - Tobago Direct Flights