Can I use miles to book these flights?

Rarely. Most regional carriers are not part of major alliances like Oneworld or Star Alliance. You are better off paying cash.

Are there ferries instead?

Yes, but they are often slower and weather-dependent. Only consider ferries for very short distances like St. Kitts to Nevis or Trinidad to Tobago.

Do flights get cancelled often?

Delays and cancellations are common. Always leave at least 5 hours of buffer time if you have a connecting flight, or better yet, plan a full day between arrivals and departures.

Booking inter-island flights in the Caribbean

Use a combination of regional airline websites and regional flight aggregators to build your route, as major global carriers often don't list smaller inter-island connections. Book these flights at least 6 weeks in advance to avoid the high last-minute pricing common on these short-haul routes.

Map your regional hubs. Identify the 'hub' airports for your region, usually Piarco (POS) for the Southern Caribbean, Grantley Adams (BGI) for the Eastern Caribbean, and Luis Muñoz Marín (SJU) for the Northern Caribbean. Most short-haul connections funnel through these.
Check the regional carriers. Search Caribbean Airlines, LIAT20, InterCaribbean, and Silver Airways directly. These airlines often do not appear on major booking platforms like Expedia or Kayak.
Use flight aggregators for smaller routes. Use sites like Skyscanner or Google Flights to get a baseline price, but verify the itinerary on the airline's own website to ensure the flight exists in the current system.
Build 'leg-by-leg' itineraries. Avoid trying to book a multi-stop ticket on a single reservation. It is cheaper and more reliable to book each leg separately if you are island hopping across different airline networks.

Can I use miles to book these flights?: Rarely. Most regional carriers are not part of major alliances like Oneworld or Star Alliance. You are better off paying cash.
Are there ferries instead?: Yes, but they are often slower and weather-dependent. Only consider ferries for very short distances like St. Kitts to Nevis or Trinidad to Tobago.
Do flights get cancelled often?: Delays and cancellations are common. Always leave at least 5 hours of buffer time if you have a connecting flight, or better yet, plan a full day between arrivals and departures.