Last month I talked about a codesharing agreement between Trinidad and Tobago carrier Caribbean Airlines and French West Indies Air Caraibes.

Even though ticket sales did go live in early September via the Air Caraibes website, Caribbean Airlines was much later to the party, announcing the codeshare agreement on September 22.

Like any other codeshares, this agreement opens up additional network options, allowing passengers to access parts of each other’s route networks via Guadeloupe (PTP) and Martinique (FDF).

Credit: Bradley Wint/Gate Checked

Caribbean Airlines passengers can now fly on to Paris-Orly (ORY) and French-side Saint Martin (SFG), while Air Caraibes customers can now travel on to (but not limited to) destinations such as Trinidad (POS), St. Lucia (SLU) and Barbados (BGI).

Codeshare tickets are a bit more convenient as the entire flight is booked under one ticket, with bags being checked to the final destination. As each segment is operated by a different carrier, this will be noted on the booking engine.

For instance, someone flying from Trinidad to Paris via Guadeloupe will see the first segment being operated by a Caribbean Airlines ATR 72-600, and the second segment being operated by an Air Caraibes Airbus A330 or A350. However, the ticket will list both flights as having a Caribbean Airlines flight number. The same applied if you start your journey with Air Caraibes.

Here’s an example from the Air Caraibes side of things.

At the airport, the passenger will receive both boarding passes, and will only be required to clear immigration in the connecting country to catch the second flight onto their final destination.

Caribbean Airlines’ Chief Commercial Officer, Martin Aeberli, commented: “This codeshare agreement with Air Caraïbes represents a strategic step in expanding our network, opening new connections to Europe via Paris-Orly, France. This partnership aligns perfectly with our ‘Welcome Home’ philosophy by enabling easier, more connected journeys for our customers. We thank the team at Air Caraïbes for sharing in this vision and working with us to offer greater travel convenience between the Caribbean and Europe.”

Hugues Heddebaut, Chief Commercial Officer of Air Caraïbes, stated: “We are delighted to enter into this strategic partnership with Caribbean Airlines, giving its customers seamless access to Paris-Orly via our bases in Martinique and Guadeloupe, while opening new opportunities for Air Caraïbes to serve new islands in the Caribbean. This cooperation reflects our shared commitment to strengthening regional and international connectivity and to offering our passengers greater flexibility and comfort, delivered with the warmth and hospitality that define Air Caraïbes’ Caribbean DNA.”

Caribbean has also added an FAQ, which can be viewed here.

Caribbean drops Jamaica-Ft. Lauderdale service

It’s not all good news as Caribbean Airlines has also announced that it will drop service between Jamaica and Ft. Lauderdale. Less than a year ago, the carrier leased an older all-economy Boeing 737-800 to operate flights from both Kingston (KIN) and Montego Bay (MBJ), to Ft. Lauderdale (FLL), hoping to capitalize on the low-cost market.

In a statement, the airline said:

“This adjustment forms part of Caribbean Airlines’ ongoing network optimization programme, which involves continuous evaluation of routes, to ensure the sustainability and efficiency of operations across its network.”

Service will be discontinued from November 2, 2025. Affected passengers with tickets booked for travel on and beyond this date will receive a full refund via their respective payment methods. Those booking via third party websites will be contacted for further information regarding their refunds.

This outcome isn’t surprising as Caribbean was fighting an uphill battle, going up against other major low-cost brands including Spirit, JetBlue and Southwest. Many reports suggest Caribbean’s flights barely saw above 60% capacity on board an aircraft configured for 189 passengers.