First, St John is the smallest of the US Virgin Islands and doesn’t have an airport. Visitors to St John must fly into St Thomas and come over to St John via an inter-island ferry system leaving from Charlotte Amalie or Red Hook to Cruz Bay, St John. For St Thomas to St John Ferry Schedule and information

St John On-Island Times wondered, as we all do, where to find the cheapest airfare to St Thomas. To find the answer we turned to the web’s top airfare comparison sites AND direct booking with the airlines. Here’s what we found:

Travelocity: $464.66 JetBlue        |       $473.40 American
Priceline:     $476.40 American     |       $526.40 JetBlue
Hotwire:     $446.40 American      |       $463.90 JetBlue
Expedia:     $453.40 American      |       $470.90 JetBlue
CheapOair:         $482 JetBlue      |      $502.00 American
Direct booking with JetBlue                 $415.00

All prices were for (1) traveler, RT travel between Dec 13, 2103 and Dec 20, 2013 from Boston, MA [BOS] to St Thomas, USVI [STT] as advertised on 05/17/13. Prices reflect non-stop and 1 stop flights. Prices incl taxes and fees. Prices listed are for comparison purposes only and may not reflect ticket prices or availability from your destination.

The Results
As you can see – booking directly with the carrier was by far the least expensive option! In this case, making your reservations and ticket purchase directly from JetBlue saves between $30 and $87 per person. That’s enough money to have a drink and a bite at one of St John’s top bars or restaurants!

Airfare Tips from Industry Professionals

Everybody wants to save money, right? And nobody wants to pay more than they have to for an airline ticket. So how do you get the best prices? We asked airline and travel specialists …and here’s what they recommend:

Those airfare Alerts
Yup, turns out that one of the best ways to grab a cheap flight is by being flexible and grabbing a deal.

Compare, Compare, Compare
With so many options for price comparison you’d be crazy not to use every tool available. And don’t forget, check pricing directly with the carriers. They often have lower prices than quoted by the big comparison sites.

Reserve Early
We’ve been trained to think that the best airfare deals are closest to the departure date. Not so, and waiting can cost you BIG MONEY! If possible, book 3 to 6 months in advance. Especially true if fuel prices drop and/or your airline has a price protection clause.

Be Flexible
If you are flexible on your travel dates and plans you may be able to take advantage of some great last minute deals. You’ll need to watch for them via sign-up travel alerts.

Check the Fine Print
Be sure to compare prices based on final cost of ticket(s) plus taxes and baggage fees.

One Last Tip: When searching look for a single [RT] ticket because you often get a better price quote. Breaking up the transaction can sometimes save you hundreds of dollars!