Trip Report: Flying BermudAir to New York

DALLAS — Located just over 770 miles from New York City, Bermuda is a tropical island destination with warm winters and pink sand beaches. 

The idyllic destination offers a mixture of historical sites, natural beauty, and aquatic adventures, making it a favorite among travelers. It is the perfect blend of adventure and relaxation, and the proximity of the British Overseas Territory to the North American East Coast enhances the popularity among American and Canadian tourists. As such, several airlines offer flights connecting the Somers Isles with destinations across the East Coast. 

On the specific route between New York and Bermuda, four airlines connect the Somers Isles with the City That Never Sleeps: American Airlines (1x daily to JFK), BermudAir (5x weekly- no flights on Tuesday and Saturday—to HPN), Delta (4x weekly- no flights on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday—to JFK), and United (4x weekly- no flights on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday—to EWR). 

On February 9, I tried BermudAir’s (2T) economy class product on its E175. The airline, which was launched in 2023, is the first-ever locally established airline in Bermuda and is the flag carrier of the self-governing British overseas territory. 

As of February 2025, the airline operates two Embraer E175 aircraft and is expected to add two E190 jets to its fleet in the Spring. In the coming months, the airline will expand its route network to serve 13 destinations across the United States and Canada.

Ground Experience 

On February 9, I made my way to Bermuda's L.F. Wade International Airport (BDA) an hour and a half before my flight. The airport consists of a single passenger terminal that houses all the airlines, which opened in December 2020, replacing the old terminal built during World War II. 

Construction on the 288,000-square-foot state-of-the-art passenger terminal began in March 2017 as part of the Airport Redevelopment Project and opened for commercial service three and a half years later. Overall, the construction project of the new terminal cost US$267 million.

My journey began at the 2T check-in counters. The airline utilized desks 13-19, all featuring BermudAir branding, so locating an open check-in desk was easy. The airline has six passenger check-in desks, including a dedicated Business Class desk.

On the afternoon of my flight, 2T operated two flights, one to Orlando International Airport (MCO) and one to New York Westchester County Airport (HPN), which was my flight.

After a quick wait, I got my hands on my boarding pass and headed to the security screening checkpoint. The security line was super fast, and before I knew it, I had been processed. After security, passengers go either right or left, depending on their destinations. 

On the right side, some escalators take passengers to the terminal building for international flights to Canada and the United Kingdom. On the left, passengers flying to the United States go to the advanced US Pre-Clearance facilities. The new facility is an upgrade for the airport, considering that 75% to 80% of its annual traffic arrives and departs in the United States.

Pre-clearance allows all passengers bound for the United States to clear customs and immigration in Bermuda instead of on arrival, where longer lines often exist. Not only is it beneficial for passengers, but it also gives the airport a competitive advantage when seeking new air service to and from the United States.

 Thanks to my Global Entry, passing through immigration was quick, and before I knew it, I was taking the escalator up to the gate area. Since passengers bound for the United States have already undergone immigration, there is a separate departure and lounge space–separated by floor-to-ceiling glass panels–for flights to the United States. 

The United States departure concessions and lounge space is 16,940 square feet, while the international departure concessions and lounge space is 20,850 square feet. Gates 3-6 are for US departures, while gates 7 and 8 are for international departures.

I arrived at the gate area at 15:00, ahead of our scheduled boarding time from gate F (number 6). However, I did not see our plane on the tarmac from our gate. I was informed that due to a snowstorm, our inbound flight from Toronto Pearson (YYZ) was delayed by an hour and a half, and as such, our flight would be delayed until 16:45. 

The gate agents were very transparent and answered all of my questions. By 15:50, our aircraft taxied into the gate, and the flight operations and ground staff got to work right away to get our plane turned around as fast as possible.

For boarding, the airline allows Founder Club members (original investors in the airline) and travelers in business class to board first. Then, everyone else is invited to board at their leisure. Pre-boarding began at 16:30, and I boarded the aircraft just a few minutes later.

Within ten minutes, boarding was completed, and the cabin door was closed. I was on BermudAir 223 (2T223), which was now scheduled to arrive at 18:15 with a flight time of two hours and twenty-five minutes.

Inside the Cabin 

After boarding the single-aisle E175, I walked past the business class cabin before heading to the economy class cabin. I was immediately taken aback by how clean and modern the interior of the aircraft was, and the light blue mood lighting created a soothing ambiance. The business class cabin consists of the first five rows. 

While there are 20 business class seats, 2T only offers 10 seats for purchase, as the aisle seat is blocked off in business class, similar to business class on a European carrier. Each business seat has a pitch of 34 inches.

The rest of the 88 seats on the aircraft are in economy class, which is in a 2-2 configuration, with each seat having a pitch of 32 inches. My seat, 14A, was extremely comfortable and well-padded.

Our flight was operated by a 12.4-year-old Embraer E175STD named Willy. It bears the registration VQ-BLW and is powered by two General Electric CF34-8E5 engines.

The aircraft was built in 2012 and was delivered in September 2012 to British carrier Flybe under the registration G-FBJH. It flew with Flybe until November 2019, when it was stored as the airline entered bankruptcy protection. Then, in May 2023, the aircraft was delivered to 2T and has been flying for the airline ever since.

We pushed back from our gate at 4:44 PM, 49 minutes behind schedule. We taxied across the airport past the FBO apron, and within ten minutes, we lined up on runway 30 facing west. At 4:56, we started our takeoff roll down the 9,705-foot-long (2,958 m), and before I knew it, we were airborne. 

As we made a slight turn northwestward, we began our flight plan. After more than 24 minutes, we reached our initial cruising altitude of 36,000 feet and a cruising speed of 378 knots (435 mph). Our route would take us northwest over the Atlantic Ocean before we arrived in New York. 

Spot on Service 

Once the seatbelt sign turned off, the flight attendants began their service. On this flight, there were two flight attendants: Harry, who served Business Class, and Kayla, who served economy class. 2T provides a drink and snack service to passengers in economy class and a light meal to passengers in business class.

As soon as the service started, we were informed that there would not be any hot drinks available on the flight because of a water shortage in Bermuda.

By 5:24, I was offered my beverage of choice and chose a Sprite. 2T offers an array of complimentary drinks, ranging from cold drinks such as Coke and Ginger Ale to Spirits such as Bermuda Gin Companies White Roof Gin and Absolute Vodka to Red and White Wine to beer. All drinks are served in glass cups, as the airline has no plastic/throwaways.

This is definitely a nice touch, making the experience feel more luxurious and proper. The food and beverages on the flight are curated in partnership with local establishments, an impressive feature.

Just as the drink service concluded at 5:35, we encountered some turbulence, so the captain turned the seat belt sign back on. Once the sign was turned off, Harry and Kayla offered passengers a fresh chocolate chip cookie.

An hour into the flight, as we continued to fly west, the aircraft's left side saw the bright orange sky in the distance. It was beautiful to see the clouds and ocean lit up by the bright orange color. 

Throughout the flight, Kayla continued to come around to offer refills and check to see if we needed anything. Harry and Kayla were extremely kind, and Kayla and I even talked about 2T for fifteen minutes. The fantastic crew truly made this a great experience.

Amenities

There was no inflight entertainment screen (IFE) on this flight. Instead of an IFE, 2T encourages passengers to watch complimentary streaming entertainment on their devices through the carrier’s network. There is a range of TV shows, movies, magazines, and more to choose from. 

Additionally, complimentary messaging is available through the carrier's Wi-Fi network. Passengers can use apps such as Slack, WhatsApp, Threads, and X (formally Twitter) free of charge. Passengers can scan a QR code in the literature pocket, allowing their device to join the Wi-Fi network.

Bring-your-own-device (BYOD) is fast becoming a popular alternative to adding weight to the plane with screens and wiring, particularly for short-haul flights and on regional aircraft. 

However, one drawback is that no power outlets were available in the aircraft seats. The aircraft has two lavatories, one located in the front of the cabin across from the forward galley and one in the back of the aircraft across from the rear galley. Both lavatories were clean and well-maintained throughout the flight.

Landing at HPN 

An hour and thirty minutes into the flight, we began our descent as the cabin lights were turned on, and the flight attendants began coming through the aisles to collect any garbage. A few minutes later, as we reached 24,000 feet, the captain announced on the loudspeaker that we were 60 miles out from arrival and turned the seat belt sign on. The crew finished their preparations for landing as we made our way over Westhampton Beach and crossed over the shoreline. 

The flight path took us north as we crossed into Connecticut. At 5:57, as we crossed over Bridgeport, we made a left-hand turn and headed south. Then, by 6:04, we turned right and began our final approach, facing east. Four minutes later, the aircraft touched down on the 6,549-foot (1,996-m) runway 34. Our total time from wheels-up to wheels-down was two hours and eleven minutes. 

After exiting the runway, the plane taxied past Hanger W and Atlantic Aviation HPN East before heading to the terminal. We taxied into gate 2 at 6:11 PM. After about a four-minute wait, the jet bridge was attached to the aircraft, and passengers began deplaning. Once I deplaned from the 

aircraft, I headed past the baggage claim straight outside to pick up my Uber that was waiting. The airport is located just 33 miles away from Midtown Manhattan, and within 40 minutes, I was back in Manhattan. 

Bottom Line 

Overall, I had a wonderful experience and would definitely fly 2T on this route again. 2T's E175 is a great way to travel from the island in economy class. The flight wasgreat, and the flight attendants were very attentive and provided excellent service. They were exceptionally kind, and I had a great time speaking with them about 2T and their past flights. 

BermudAir offers an impressive product on the route between New York and Bermuda, two bustling cities. The airline definitely differentiates itself from its competitors with its excellent service and product.

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