It’s famous for some of the Caribbean’s most exclusive addresses: Little Dix Bay, Necker Island, Oil Nut Bay, Guana Island, Jost Van Dyke. But the British Virgin Islands has never been very easy to get to.
That just changed.
In a massive boost for the archipelago, American Airlines has officially kicked off new nonstop flights between Miami and Tortola, the first nonstop service from the US to the BVI in almost a half-century.
The new flights are operating once daily, with the initial run lasting from now through Aug. 14.
The service will relaunch again in November in time for the peak winter travel season, meaning more than 2,200 new monthly visitors to the British Virgin Islands.
“This year has proved to be a monumental one for our beloved destination with a range of new accommodations, charter companies and, most notably, the first nonstop flight to the British Virgin Islands from the U.S. since 1986,” said Clive McCoy, director of the British Virgin Islands Tourist Board, in a statement to Caribbean Journal. “As a destination relying heavily on tourism, the game-changing air service via American Airlines will greatly impact our local communities by increasing accessibility. We look forward to welcoming over 2,000 monthly passengers to the BVI each month and providing them with our enriching cultural experiences.”
American Airlines is operating the service on its American Eagle Embraer 175 aircraft with 75 seats; the carrier has been adding several similar routes in the last few years, targeting destinations that have lacked International nonstop service like Anguilla and Dominica.
The Miami-Tortola service takes about three hours, according to American Airlines.
The flights, in keeping with American Airlines’ recent, massive price hikes across the Caribbean, won’t be cheap, however.
A look at flights between Miami and the BVI next week ranged anywhere from $1,951 round trip to $2594.