The flight departs from Belém, the capital of Pará, and heads towards Martinique […]
In 2023, the Caribbean has become closer to Brazilian tourists. And this time it will be like landing in France, without having to cross the Atlantic.
Since May, the Air France operates the route between Belém, in Pará, and Cayena, capital of French Guiana. It’s right there, but the journey isn’t over yet. From there, the same plane heads to Fort-de-France, gateway to Martinique, in the French Caribbean, from where they depart Travel by fare I just got back.
“There is significant demand between Belém and Cayenne involving a mix of business, shopping and tourism, so our target is heterogeneous, but with a main focus on the business customer”, explains Manuel Flahault, general director of the Air France group – KLM in South America.
The flight also reaches another Caribbean destination, Pointe-à-Pitre, the main city of the neighboring island of Guadeloupe, north of Martinique.
For the public in Northern Brazil, the route also represents a new (and convenient) option to Charles de Gaulle, in Paris, without the need to make connections at Brazilian airports where Air France operates, such as Guarulhos, in Sao Paulo. and Galeão, in Rio de Janeiro.
The president of the Flot travel agency, Eduardo Barbosa, believes that this Air France flight is a great option for traveling to the Caribbean because “from Martinique, Brazilian travelers will be able to take the opportunity to visit Santa Lucía, Dominica and Guadeloupe”, the neighboring islands which until then were (even) further away from Brazil.
Just to give you an idea, a Brazilian who wanted to visit Guadeloupe, another overseas department of France, in the Caribbean, would have to undertake a journey of more than 20 hours with stops in at least two American cities, such as Miami and Atlanta.
For the president of ABAV (Brazilian Association of Travel Agencies) of Pará, Alex Flávio Silva, the tourism potential of Martinique is to combine nature, beaches, culture and history in the same trip.
“I think it appeals to an audience that is well travelled, has seen a lot and is looking for something different,” he says.
On the other hand, despite the shortening of distances and the novelty (after all, the Caribbean is much more than the three or four islands that Brazilians always visit), one of the factors to improve is the limited choice of departures.
“The difficulty remains the number of flights [para a Martinica], only once a week. So this means that they always leave full because it brings together many people”, analyzes Silva, who is also director of the Amazon Brazil agency, in Belém.
Even with the agreement with the Brazilian company GOL, Air France does not offer on its website the possibility of purchasing, on the same ticket, routes within the capital of Pará, another point that disadvantages those starting their journey in other capitals of Brazil.
Just as the company communicated Travel by fare“For operational reasons, Air France can currently only offer the Belém-Cayena flight, without connections to/from other Brazilian cities.”
In total, flights between Belém and Martinique last between 4:55 and 5:15, including the connection time in French Guiana.
Flight AF603 (duration 1h25) departs from Belém, on Saturday, at 9.50am, and arrives in Cayenne, French Guiana, at 11.45am. After disembarking for immigration procedures in French Guiana (or Martinique, on the return route to Brazil), the passenger continues at 12.35 pm to Fort-de-France, Martinique, on the same plane, on AF601, the whose journey lasts another 2h10.
On the way back, flight AF600 takes off from the capital of Martinique at 12.35pm on Friday and is scheduled to land in French Guiana at 3.45pm. The last leg of the journey is on AF602, the same day, at 5.15pm, and landing in Belém, at 6.50pm.
Both routes are operated with the Airbus A320, with 170 seats and Wi-Fi on board.
Although no prior vaccination is required to enter Martinique, the official tourism of destination recommends getting vaccinated against hepatitis and yellow fever. Health restrictions related to COVID 19 have not been enforced since August 2022, so no tests or vaccines are required to enter the island.
Therefore, Brazilians only need a passport to enter Martinique. For more information on the documents needed to travel with Air France, visit the website: airfrance.traveldoc.aero.
Croissant or risotto with coconut cream?
In one of those rare cases in aviation, this trip offers Economy and Business class fares with a difference of just R$54.
However, it is necessary to clarify that the Executive of the A320 bound for the Caribbean does not have the same standards as long-haul flights, such as horizontal seat reclining or a private area that serves as a desk or restaurant table. .
In this category there are two rows in a 3-3 configuration (the third in the photo is not sold), with the central seat blocked to guarantee more space for passengers sitting in the aisle and at the window. Economy, also 3-3, has 162 seats.
With distances between seats varying from 76 to 79 centimetres, in both classes, the difference can also be felt in the on-board service.
On the Belém-Cayena stretch that the Travel by fare tested on December 2, was served a croissant (not even a bit of butter, Air France?) and a choice of hot drinks, orange juice and water.
On the next flight the service included a cold couscous salad, industrialized applesauce and drinks.
In Business Class, however, passengers were served crockery, stainless steel cutlery and bottles of red and white wine. OR Travel by fare tried the services in this category, on the return flight, where two meal options were offered: creamy coconut milk risotto or lemon chicken fricassee and sweet potato mousseline cream, both accompanied by bread, cheese and macaron for dessert.
In a simulation for departure in January 2024, we found the following fares for a round trip: R$1,633 (in Economy, without checked baggage or free seat selection included) and R$1,687 (Business).
It will be the best R$54 invested during the entire trip.
Nonetheless, entrepreneur Alex Flávio Silva believes that ticket prices are high for a destination still little known to Brazilians.
“With the same price as Martinique it is possible to go from Belém to Lisbon [em Portugal] or Cancun [no México]therefore, since they don’t have much on offer, they compete with other established tourist destinations,” Silva compares.
For a while, rest a while
Due to the departure time of the flight from Belém to Martinique in the morning, passengers from other states cannot always combine their trip with domestic flights, so they will have to stay overnight in the capital of Pará.
An option to recharge your batteries before leaving for the Caribbean is the Amazon Vip Lounge (@amazonviplounge), a room with soft lighting and decorations with Amazonian elements, such as marajoara vases and traditional miritis from the region’s boats.
The facility includes private bathrooms, reclining seats, wi-fi, workstation, flight monitor and buffet with sandwiches, snacks, pizza, cupuaçu cake with Brazil nuts, toast, salads and beverage options such as wines (sparkling, red and white), beer, energy drinks, fruit juices, carbonated drinks, yogurt, tea, coffee and hot chocolate.
Four-hour access can be available individually (R$150 per person) or for Black card holders (Mastercard and Elo). The bathroom costs R$25 and includes an electric shower, towel and soap.
But after all, where is Martinique?
The island is one of the pieces of land that form the Antilles archipelago, a volcanic arc located between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, 450 kilometers off the coast of South America.
The destination is located between two other islands of the Lesser Antilles – Guadeloupe, to the north, and Santa Lucía, to the south – and is considered a French overseas department, that is, France beyond the sea, a piece of country that is not exactly on Europe.
Still unknown to Brazilian tourists, the island offers a variety of activities for all visitor profiles, from historical itineraries to adventure tourism, passing through museums, rum distilleries and beaches with crystal clear waters.
But that’s a story you follow here Travel by farein the next weeks.
* Journalist Eduardo Vessoni traveled with the support of Martiniquais du Tourism Committee, Air France AND Throughout France.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
