Southwest Airlines: St. Thomas flights begin in February from 2 cities
Picture this: It's the middle of winter, and you've just boarded a two- or three-hour flight to the Caribbean — and you don't even need a passport.That will soon be the reality for two U.S. cities that are set to get brand-new Southwest Airlines flights to the U.S. Virgin Islands.Starting in February, Southwest will fly nonstop to St. Thomas' Cyril E. King Airport (STT) from two of its busiest East Coast bases: Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) and Orlando International Airport (MCO).Southwest's 2 new St. Thomas flightsSouthwest's new MCO-STT service is first up, launching on Feb. 5. The new flight will make St. Thomas the first new destination for the Dallas-based carrier in almost five years; you have to go back to its 2021 Syracuse, New York, service (later canceled) to find the last time Southwest launched a new city.And with all due respect to Syracuse, St. Thomas is a far more alluring mid-winter destination — one that boasts an array of resorts that you can book using points.Marriott breathes new life into a beloved Caribbean resort: A review of The Westin Beach Resort & Spa at Frenchman's ReefWestin Frenchman's Reef in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. ELLIE NAN STORCK/THE POINTS GUYSouthwest's flights between Orlando and St. Thomas will run daily all year long.Meanwhile, flights to the island from BWI will launch on Feb. 7.St. Thomas isn't the end of Southwest's expansion. Earlier this month, TPG reported the carrier had plans to announce two additional all-new cities as it begins expanding its route network, again, after uncharacteristic cuts last year. No word yet, however, on what or when those other two cities might be announced.Southwest assigned seats now for sale The announcement of BWI and MCO flights to STT came the same day Southwest started selling assigned seats for the first time, on Tuesday. Those seat assignments (including its brand-new extra legroom seats) will apply to bookings made from Jan. 27, 2026 onward — including these new Caribbean routes.Keep in mind, Southwest's basic fares do not come with complimentary seat selection unless you have Rapid Rewards elite status or carry one of its cobranded credit cards.Read more: 1 in 4 Southwest planes now have extra-legroom seats — Here's how to snag oneSouthwest Airlines aircraft at Dallas Love Field (DAL). DAVID SLOTNICK/THE POINTS GUYSouthwest's new Choice fare comes with standard seat selection. Choice Preferred gives you access to a normal seat closer to the front of the plane, while Choice Extra gets you access to the extra legroom seats (not to mention two free checked bags).Keep in mind, all Southwest credit cards now come with some form of seat selection (even on basic fares) and a free checked bag for the primary cardholder and up to eight companions flying on the same reservation.Read more: Southwest unveils big credit card refresh: 50% fee hikes, but new seating and boarding perksBeach, warm weather and ski destinations highlight returning winter routesBeyond announcing two new St. Thomas routes, Southwest opened up its schedule for booking through March 4, 2026, and confirmed the (expected) return of 24 seasonal routes, effective Jan. 27.Those include:Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to Cancun international Airport (CUN)ORD to Denver International Airport (DEN)ORD to Fort Myers' Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW)Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) to Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport (PVD)Albany International Airport (ALB) to RSWALB to Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ)Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU)Hartford's Bradley International Airport (BDL) to RSWNashville International Airport (BNA) to Colorado's Yampa Valley Regional Airport (HDN)BNA to Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ)Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) to MCOBuffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF) to Palm Beach International Airport (PBI)BWI to Providenciales International Airport (PLS) in Turks and CaicosDallas Love Field (DAL) to Palm Springs International Airport (PSP)Detroit Wayne County Metropolitan Airport (DTW) to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP) to FLLHouston's William P. Hobby Airport Airport (HOU) to Sangster International Airport (MBJ) in Montego Bay, JamaicaHOU to SRQNew York's LaGuardia Airport (LGA) to Tampa International Airport (TPA)Portland International Jetport (PWM) in Maine to MCOSalt Lake City International Airport (SLC) to MCOTulsa International Airport (TUL) to MCOChicago's Midway Airport (MDW) to PSPMilwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE) to Miami International Airport (MIA)PVD to PBIFrederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport (ROC) to RSWLouisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) to RSWMany of these routes will operate with less-than-daily service to prime warm-weather, beach (and skiing) destinations during the cold winter months.Related reading:Southwest Rapid Rewards: Guide to earning and redeeming points, elite status and moreThe best Southwest Airlines credit cardsHow to quickly earn the Southwest Companion PassSouthwest A-List status: What it is and how to earn itMaximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flightsThe best credit cards to reach elite statusHow to change or cancel a Southwest Airlines flightEditorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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