British Airways Arrives in St. Kitts

Preparations are being finalised today for Saturday’s arrival of British Airways’ inaugural flight from London-Gatwick into St Kitts’ Robert L Bradshaw International Airport.

When the 280-seat Boeing 777 aircraft touches down at 4:45 pm, Minister of State for Tourism, Sports and Culture, Senator Richard Skerritt; Minister of Housing, Agriculture and Fisheries, Cedric Liburd; Nevis’ Minister for Communications, Works, Public Utilities, Carlisle Powell; and Chairman of the St Kitts Tourism Authority, Alphonso O’Garro, will be among the passengers, along with top British Airways officials.

“The new weekly flight by BA will not only increase capacity to the destination, but the inclusion of the Club World seats also means that it will be easier for upmarket UK tour operators to sell both islands of the Federation,” a government release said.

The London Gatwick service will also connect a wide array of UK and European cities served by BA.

“Indeed we now look forward to the commencement of (the) direct flight from Gatwick-London,” Prime Minister Denzil Douglas said earlier this week, as he said his ruling Labour Party would continue to push the twin-island federation as a high-end luxury destination which will provide higher wages for its local population.

Ahead of the inaugural flight, British Airways said that countries such as St Kitts and St Lucia continue to experience growth and investment and it is anticipated that larger numbers of travelers will want to visit those destinations.

“These two Caribbean islands are seventh and eighth respectively, on British Airways’ predicted top 10 long haul destinations for 2009,” it said.

Edible British Columbia Tours

Airline employees heading to Vancouver for a cruise this summer have some great new options for pre and post tours in the Vancouver area. These include individual and group workshops and events. The best news is these are available even if you are not going on a cruise or traveling to Vancouver other than summer time as some of these tours are available year round.

Here”’’s just a sampling of the new experiences that are available from InterlineTravel.com this year.

?Behind-the-Scenes Experiences
Ever wondered what it would be like to be a professional baker? A master chocolatier? Want to try your hand at roasting coffee beans, brewing craft beer or crushing grapes at a top winery? In these very personalized half and full day programs, you will learn the tricks of the trade from one of BC”’’s top culinary talents. The classes are small (maximum two participants) so you receive one-on-one time with your industry expert, and are able to experience firsthand what a day in his or her shoes is like. Prices start at $300 CAD per person ($240 USD).

?strong> Cowichan Valley Tours
This spring, you can enjoy begin weekly culinary tours to the Cowichan Valley. The tour includes float plane transportation from downtown Vancouver to downtown Victoria where sommelier Treve Ring, will meet the group for a day tour of the wineries, fromageries, farms and vinegaries of the Cowichan Valley. Dates and prices TBA.

?strong> Whiskey Dinners
There are also multi-course whiskey dinners take place in the Granville Island Public Market after hours, and feature the food of a fabulous local chef. The difference is that instead of pouring BC wine with each course, participants enjoy the pairing of whiskies from around the world. Taking place on April 10 and October 3 the cost is $125 CAD per person ($100 USD).

For more information and to make reservations contact InterlineTravel.com at 800 766-2911 or in the DFW or outside of the USA call 817 481-8631 or go online to www.interlinetravel.com. These tours are open to airline and non-airline folks!