rungirl2002

I started researching this, and I got lost...anyone know where I can fly non-stop from the NYC/CT area to the Caribbean? I decided this was about as important as our destination (with 2 little ones!)

Thank you!

emcash

From CT the only place i know in the carribean is puerto rico. from NYC there are bound to be alot more places--Jamaica and St. Maarten to name a few.

mamadadapaige

a good way to find the answer to this question is to go onto Kayak.com and put in the airport codes for your departing and arriving destination and click the non-stop function. it will search all of the airlines. it is a pretty nice website for this type of research.

I wholeheartedly agree with you about getting there being a major factor in the decision (spoken as a parent of two small children).

We visited Turks and Caicos. That was a direct flight from Boston. We also went to St. John. Direct to ST. Thomas and then a ferry ride to St. John (a little bit of trains, plains, and automobiles, but not as bad as some places you might travel to).

Also, be aware that many of these destinations will have a non-stop flight on a Saturday but not on any other day of the week, so it will require some persistence on your part to figure this out.

good luck.

mnag

Turks and Caicos. It is a quick 3 hour flight I think. Also T&C is all about condo-style hotels which is very convinient in my experience with the little ones.

mamadadapaige

the beaches have nice soft sand for little kids and the water is very gentle in Turks and Caicos.

I was a little taken aback by the arid, flat nature of the island. It is not a lush tropical paradise, however, the previous poster is correct, in that this island has a lot to offer a family in terms of accomodations.

We rented a villa when we went, but if I went again, I'd look into the Palms which is fairly new. Looks really nice and is located where the nicest beach is. The units have kitchens/dining areas. The pool and beach look really fun.

Robert59

rungirl2002; You may want to call toll free the major airlines and ask them the same question. I do this often, especially for some outer islands. Often a representative will tell you what he/she personally knows about other airlines that may help you out. Here's some numbers you may want to call to inquire about NYC/CT to the Caribbean:
Air Jamaica ................. 800-523-5585
American Airlines ........... 800-433-7300
Bahamas Air ................. 800-222-4262
Cayman Airways .............. 800-441-3003
Continental Airlines ........ 800-525-0280
Delta Air Lines ............. 800-221-1212
Gulfstream Intl Airlines .... 800-992-8532
Northwest Airlines .......... 800-225-2525
United Airlines ............. 800-241-6522
US Airways .................. 800-428-4322
Robert59

Swaying_Palms

There's just got to be an easier way...

There must be lists-- organized by airport or area-- of islands served by non-stop flights.

Seems like another case of what should be basic, simple info. being hard to find.

mamadadapaige

I completely agree and have found it very frustrating when vacation planning. We always only want non-stop flights as well.

One thing I have done is to look at timetables on the websites of the various airlines. There are codes for the days of the weeks that flights are non-stop.

I think what complicates the matter, is that for many destinations, and in particular the islands, where travel is seasonal, non-stop flights are only offered during certain times during the year.

rungirl2002

Thank you for all of the valuable info. I do think that calling may be the best way, especially since we are likely to be going off-season. I just wish there was some easy way to find out this info, but I guess there is not. I checked kayak.com and that is a good start....thank you for the suggestion!

I love the idea of T and C but my husband would prefer something like St John but a ferry ride after a plane ride, etc sounds a bit much at this point in our lives...I think I will put St John on the back burner for when the kids are older.

Personally, I go back and forth b/w travelling with 2 little ones or just doing driving vacations to simplify....I really like the Caribbean so that is what I am stuck on!

Any other suggestions are welcomed and appreciated!

Thank you again.

Sarah

CADRMN

I am a American Airline faithful so I only checked AA. If you type in NYC to specific Caribbean destinations and select non stop, it will give you the flights and there are non stops to the Caribbean from NYC airports.

Most of the flights were about 4 and 5 hours.

You can go to Expedia and do the same.

My other suggestion, while it sounds like a hassel, but with my 2 year old neice it worked.

We took an evening connecting flight, checked our bags through to Barbados.
Spent the night in Miami at the Embassy suites and departed the next day to Barbados.

We left on Friday, after a day of work and arrived in Barbados Saturday around 1:00pm

Your "2 little ones" will surprise you. My 2 little ones traveled since they were infants. Now, they are no longer little...but they travel the world with confidence.

Happy Travels.

mamadadapaige

I have been in the same boat. Our children are 15 months and 4.5 years.

We have opted for Florida for our last few vacations, although we did fly all the way to California (from boston) over the summer and it was not a problem (non-stop flight to San Fran), and we had one of our best vacations ever.

The best Caribbean locations (in my opinion) are those that are most difficult to get to, which gives people in our situation pause.

Getting to St. John was a bit of an ordeal. When we went we hadn't had children yet... I am not up for it just yet. When my little one is 4 I think the drawn out process of getting there would be fine.

Everyone has a different capacity for the hassles of travelling. I know people who will take their young children to New Zealand, St. John, England, etc.... without a single concern. I am not one of these types. I really like to fly non-stop and preferably in the same time zone. It makes all of our lives easier.

The vacations we have taken have not suffered at all. We have had GREAT times (and in our own time zone, just a non-stop flight away).

Here is a link to the house we are renting in Orlando in March:

www.reunionresort.us.com


it will be perfect for us. The community where the house is located has a water park, multiple swimming pools, etc. Plus we will only be 6 miles from Disney (not the same as travelling to the Caribbean, but as long as the kids are happy, we are happy).

We also stayed at the Ritz in Sarasota, FL -- that was very fun. Their beach club is amazing.

And we stayed at a family friendly resort in Miami which also worked out really well.