Hello everyone, it’s Jenn… Long time, no chit chat! I just wanted to pop in and say hello, and let you all know about some amazing airfare deals that are out there right now!
But before I begin, I would like to say that I understand that not everyone is comfortable traveling right now. And that is totally ok. We will be here waiting for you when you feel safe doing so. The island will be beautiful tomorrow, next month and next year. So, please, come when you are ready. But for those of you who feel comfortable traveling right now, you can save a ton of money on airfare if you are willing to travel soon.
I was recently looking for tickets for my parents (the former Papa and Mama News of St. John) to come visit the island after the holidays, I am was completely taken aback by the prices out of New York. For nearly every day in the month of December and January, Delta is offering Basic fares for $61 one way, direct out of JFK. Unreal! Now you may be thinking, well they’re going to gauge us on the way home… not true! Prices from St. Thomas back to JFK, on Delta, one way, are just $65 for nearly the entire month of January. That means, if you happen to live in the tri-state area, you can visit St. John for just $126 round trip! Wow.
I posted about these prices over on my new Explore STJ Island Tours Facebook page, and quickly learned that there were amazing deals at several airports around the country. So I decided to do some airfare research for all of you using Google’s Matrix Airfare Search, which can be found here. For the parameters, I typed in roundtrip fares for seven nights beginning January 1 and for 30 days thereafter. (You are limited to searches of 30-day increments.) I found a lot of great deals, some of the lowest fares I have seen in awhile (understandably so). Here is a quick rundown:
Atlanta: You can fly nonstop on Delta for just $145 roundtrip.
Boston: You can fly nonstop on JetBlue for just $275. Spirit has fares for as little as $194 roundtrip, but there is a lengthy layover.
Charlotte: You can fly nonstop on American for $253 on most days during the month of January.
Chicago: You can fly nonstop on Saturdays only on United or American for just $479 roundtrip.
Columbus, Ohio: You can fly for $293 roundtrip on American several days during the month. All have a quick (less than two hour) layover in Charlotte.
Dallas: You can fly for $275 roundtrip on American nearly every day of the month.
Ft. Lauderdale: If you live in this area, you are definitely winning. You can fly roundtrip on Spirit for just $71.
Greenville: It’s still a bit pricey for you all, unfortunately. You can fly for $561 on a few days with a quick layover in Charlotte. These prices are for American.
Harrisburg: You can fly for $531 roundtrip on American with a quick layover in Charlotte.
Hartford: You can fly for $316 roundtrip on American.
Houston: You can fly direct on Saturdays only for as little as $615 on American.
Indianapolis: You can fly for $312 roundtrip on American with a layover in Miami. The layover heading home is rather long, however, at eight hours.
Little Rock: You can fly for $500 roundtrip on American with a quick layover in Dallas.
Minneapolis: How does nonstop sound! Amazing! Delta is offering nonstop flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays in January for just $225 roundtrip!
Newark: This is pretty unbelievable… You can fly $125 roundtrip on United nearly every day of the month in January.
New York: New York prices are even better today than earlier this week! You can fly for $115 every day but Tuesdays during the month of January on Delta.
Orlando: You can fly nonstop on Spirit on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays for just $111.
Philadelphia : You can fly nonstop nearly every day of the month on American for just $225.
Pittsburg: You can fly for $283 round trip on American with a quick layover in Charlotte on a handful of dates in January.
Providence: You can fly for $418 roundtrip on American with a quick layover in Philadelphia on five days during the month of January.
Raleigh/Durham: You can fly for as little as $227 roundtrip on American with a quick layover in Miami.
Tampa: You can fly for $156 roundtrip on Spirit on a handful of dates in January.
Washington, DC: You can fly for $399 roundtrip on United on Saturdays only.
Wichita: You can fly for $524 roundtrip on American with a quick layover in Dallas on a few different days during the month of January.
Ok, now let’s talk about the actual act of traveling. As you have probably read here on News of St. John, you need a negative Covid test in order to visit the island. All travelers ages five and old must arrive with a negative test. Both PCR and rapid tests are accepted. You must take this test within five days of your planned travel. Now I understand how this can be confusing. Luckily the Department of Tourism put out a handy graphic that explains it pretty simply. Check it out:
Another option is to bring a copy of a positive antibody test that was received within four months of your travel day.
Now once you have your test results, you have two options. You can use the online portal at www.USVIupdate.com to upload your results. Not super tech savvy? No problem! You can also print a copy of this USVI Travel Form and simply hand it in when you arrive.
When you arrive, you will be greeted by members of the National Guard prior to entering the terminal. They will check your temperature first. If you opt to print the USVI Travel Form, they will collect that after viewing your negative result, which could be printed out or on your phone. If you completed the portal, they will ask for your confirmation email which is received about 24 hours or so after completing the form.
Gosh, that was a lot of information! So I think I will end it here… I hope you all have a wonderful day, and if you are planning to travel soon, please plan to spend a day taking an island tour with me! Covid precautions are in place. 🙂 You can learn more about my island tours at www.explorestj.com.
-Jenn
I paid $145 rt.non stop philly to stt in February.
What are the rules if you have been vaccinated?
You have to bring proof of the vaccination with you.
So, the information we are seeking now is how do we get another Covid Test while on island to return to our home state? Is this being offered, and if not, why? We have a trip planned in May with 10 of us for a week. As of right now, we cannot return home without a negative test from wherever we are traveling. Thanks for any updates on this!
On St. John you can be PCR tested at Myra Keating Clinic. 340-693-8900