Southwest Airlines announces St. Maarten as newest Caribbean destination
Fresh off announcing St. Thomas as its newest Caribbean destination last month, Southwest Airlines said this week that it's adding yet another tropical island to its route map.
On Tuesday, the carrier revealed it will launch nonstop service next spring to St. Maarten, the Caribbean island that's south of Anguilla and east of the U.S. Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.
Southwest's flights to St. Maarten's Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) will begin April 7, 2026, with daily flights from Orlando International Airport (MCO).
Two days later, the carrier will begin Saturday and Sunday flights during peak travel weeks from its busy Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) base.
St. Maarten is Southwest's first international route since adding flights to the Mexican island of Cozumel earlier this decade.
What to know about St. Maarten and Southwest
The island of St. Maarten includes two sections — St. Maarten and St. Martin, which respectively have Dutch and French influence.
It's Southwest's first international destination since 2021 — and SXM will be just its third new airport during that period. Earlier this summer, the Dallas-based carrier announced new flights to St. Thomas' Cyril E. King International Airport (STT) and Tennessee's McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS) outside of Knoxville.
As for St. Maarten, the island doesn't offer a similar stable of points hotels seen on some other popular Caribbean islands, but there are a handful.
Most notably, there's the 200-room JW Marriott St. Maarten Beach Resort & Spa, which began welcoming guests in early 2024. This property is bookable with Marriott Bonvoy points.
Read more: Southwest Rapid Rewards points could soon take you to Asia
We should also point out that SXM is a top destination for aviation enthusiasts, with the airport's flight path — right over a beach — lending itself to some of the best planespotting photos you can take anywhere in the world.
Six U.S. airlines currently offer nonstop flights between the U.S. mainland and SXM: American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, JetBlue, Spirit Airlines and Sun Country Airlines.
Expect photos of Southwest's Boeing 737s on final approach to surface in the coming months.
Read more: Southwest offering 2-month Companion Pass — all you have to do is book a round trip
How to book Southwest flights with points
You can book Southwest flights using Rapid Rewards points in your account earned from flying or through spending on one of its cobranded credit cards, some of which are currently offering a lucrative welcome bonus of 100,000 points for new applicants who meet the initial spending requirement.
Chase Ultimate Rewards and Bilt Rewards members can also transfer their points to Southwest at a 1:1 ratio.
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