Free Companion Fares to the Bahamas

The Deal: Book a round trip coach ticket plus a four-night minimum stay at one of more than 40 participating hotels in the Bahamas through American Express Vacations, and your companion will fly for free.

Why We Love It: This free-airfare deal was so popular over the winter that AE Vacations just extended the offer through March 3, 2010, so there's still time to take advantage of the complimentary companion flight, plus enjoy low rates at a variety of properties on Nassau, Grand Bahama and throughout the Out Islands. You'll have until December 22, 2010 to take the trip.

How to Book It: You can only book this offer by calling the toll-free number –  866-789-5485 – but surf over to the official offer page to learn more before you call. Some blackout dates may apply.

JetBlue Operations Announcement

You may have heard JetBlue's announcement late yesterday that it will be moving over to a new reservation system later this week – but here's what it all means for travelers: Starting at 12:00 p.m. EST on Friday, January 29 and continuing into Saturday afternoon, January 30, the airline's entire web and phone system will be down – meaning travelers will be unable to log onto jetblue.com or reach anyone at the toll-free number to book, change or cancel an itinerary during that time. Online check-in service will also be unavailable. Instead, if you're traveling this weekend you should plan to take care of any transactions directly at the airport ticket counter – and passengers should definitely plan on longer lines and wait times all weekend. If you'll be island-hopping yourself during this time, keep us updated on our Facebook and Twitter pages!

 

Belize Deals for Spring

If you've been considering a Belize vacation, now may be the perfect time to book a trip. American Airlines just announced limited-time low fares for travel between Belize and a handful of U.S. gateway cities – like Miami, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Dallas – when traveling by March 27, 2010. One-way fares start at just $149 when booked by December 22, 2009.

And to sweeten the deal, some of Belize's top eco-resorts have created Spring packages starting as low as $240 per night double occupancy. That rate will buy you a one-bedroom beachfront cabana at Tranquility Bay Resort; or for $300 per night, you can stay in a an oceanfront cabana at the Kanantik Reef & Jungle Resort right next to the country's Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, the world's first jaguar preserve. If you're ready to splurge, you can even stay at the luxe St. George's Caye – a private island resort off the Belize Barrier Reef – for just $246 per person each night, all-inclusive.

Surf over to AA.com to book your airfare, then hit up the resort web site of your choice to book a room – and for you adrenaline junkies, don't forget to check out our Water Sports Lover's Guide to Ambergris Caye before you go.

Better Travel Options from Beantown

JetBlue is already a major player in the Caribbean travel game, but the airline just announced a new plan to increase flights between its Logan International (BOS) hub and the Caribbean by 25 percent – a move that will make it the single largest carrier out of Boston.

Beginning May 3, 2010, travelers can take advantage of new weekly routes to Aruba; Cancun, Mexico; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Montego Bay, Jamaica – and the airline will also continue its regular daily service to Bermuda and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

The decision comes right on the heels of US Airways' announcement to discontinue six of its eight current Caribbean routes next year, so the increased JetBlue schedule will help to pick up the slack in Caribbean flights – great news for the destinations in question and the island-hoppers wishing to visit them.

Check in with the JetBlue site for more information on the new routes and to book your trip.

Montego Bay on JetBlue

JetBlue just announced two new routes for 2010, with planned routes from Boston and Orlando to Montego Bay, Jamaica beginning in the new year. One way fares from Boston will start at $149, and from Orlando will start as low as $69. Stay tuned on the JetBlue site and here on the Caribbean Travel + Life blog for more updates on booking those and other Caribbean flights – and in the mean time you can search for great vacation packages on our Travel Specials and Editor's Picks pages.

AirTran Goes Caribbean

Even airlines dream of spending time in the Caribbean, and this week low-cost carrier AirTran announced that it's making a move toward adding new island service to its long list of destinations. The carrier just submitted applications with the U.S. Department of Transportation and, if approved, will begin service from three major U.S. hubs - Orlando, Atlanta and Baltimore/Washington - to Nassau, Bahamas; Montego Bay, Jamaica; and Aruba later this year. The addition of new routes between these major destinations can only mean good things for the affordability of Caribbean air travel, so stay tuned for the fare sales that are sure to follow...we'll keep you updated here on the blog.

Taking Flight

This summer, airline announcements have been taking over our inboxes; we can’t seem to go a week without posting about new routes and reduced fares. But that’s great news for Caribbean vacationers, as more and better flights to our favorite destinations continue to pop up by the day — and at unbelievably low prices.

Delta and American are both planning to increase their regular service to the USVI by the end of the year. Delta will be adding flights from its Atlanta hub to St. Thomas for a total of four nonstop flights per day, with an additional twice-weekly service out of New York’s JFK; and American will be increasing service to St. Croix from its usual seven flights per week to ten out of Miami, beginning December 19.

Air Jamaica has also announced a new twice-weekly service between JFK and Barbados for the summer, beginning July 2 and running through August 30. To simplify your travel planning, the airline is even offering a special Bajan Invasion vacation package starting at $500 per person that includes round-trip airfare, three nights double occupancy at the Rostrevor Hotel, round-trip airport transfers, and a complimentary Gourmet Card that gives you 25-percent off at some of the island’s finest restaurants.

Airfares are forecasted to remain low at least through the summer, and there are more flights than ever from major US hubs to tons of our favorite Caribbean islands, so what are you waiting for?