If you need a winter break from the freezing temperatures of the Northeast winter, you are in luck. You can find a roundtrip flight to the Caribbean, French-speaking island of Martinique for less than $200!
Although, the French-speaking bit is incorrect. Martinique is a France territory, albeit with a strong creole influence, which is why Norwegian Airlines, being a European carrier is allowed to fly between the island and the U.S. By the way, I’m working on a Fifth Freedom Flights piece that, I hope, you’ll love.
How can this ridiculous fare make sense, especially that the Carribean nations are infamously known for their high airport taxes? It doesn’t. It’s a good thing that the flight is offered by a charmingly aggressive airline that wants to be known on this continent for something more than cheap flights to Europe.
At this price-point, using miles would be a waste of money. That’s right, money, because you can use miles to save much more money than this. And besides, we are talking direct flights here.
Norwegian flies to Martinique seasonally, until the end of March. And they don’t fly every day of the week.
- Baltimore and Fort-de France: Monday, Friday
- New York and Fort-de-France: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
- Boston and Fort-de-France: Wednsday, Sunday
Fares
There are no gimmicks. You will get this price, and it includes a carry on.
If you are flexible, you can get the same $198 fare from New York, too.
Boston is even better! $169 for a round-trip flight to the Caribbean!
Baggage Fees
Norwegian charges for bags, but allows a carry on plus a small personal item like a laptop that can fit under the seat. The carry on shouldn’t exceed 10 kg (22lbs) and the following dimensions: 55 x 40 x 23 cm (21.6 x 15.7 x 9 inches).
Checked baggage is $34 one way, and more if bought at the airport. Your ticket might cost not much more than that. If you have to check a bag, calculate if the “Low Fare +” is a better deal, especially that it lets you choose your seat for free.
Free hotels?
Sorry. Unless I’m mistaken, there are no point hotels on Martinique that would belong to our favorite chains, so no soup. The hotel rates don’t seem to be particularly cheap either. A 3-star property is about $100 and up, 4-star—around $200 and up, etc. Which is why I love vacation rentals and often use them even if there are point hotels in the area. Why would anyone pay for a tiny hotel room when you can get a whole house for less? Problem solved.