Deal alert: Peak season flights to St. Thomas, USVI, starting at $222

With overseas travel still a bit chaotic with ever-adjusting protocols, and the new omicron variant of the coronavirus potentially adding to the turmoil, choosing a destination that has minimal entry requirements for tourists could be high on your personal travel priority list. The U.S. Virgin Islands certainly fits the bill for American travelers.

The chain of islands offer the tranquility and relaxing beach vibes of the Caribbean paired with wonderful diving and snorkeling — all without the need for a passport. As far as health protocols go, visitors simply need to present a negative COVID-19 test upon arrival taken within five days prior to travel. And right now, there are some stunning peak-season deals to visit one of the region's most beautiful islands, St. Thomas.

There are a quite a few flights available from dozens of U.S. cities between January and October 2022 that are as cheap as $222 round-trip. We're talking heavily discounted fares during the peak season for Caribbean travel. Most flights are at the basic economy level, but some United fares are for main cabin. Some nonstop itineraries from certain departure cities can be found, but we saw the best prices for fares with brief layovers.

As always with deals like this, availability varies widely depending on your departure city and when you want to travel. The more flexible you are, the greater your chances of finding a great price.

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We heard about this great deal from our friends at Thrifty Traveler Premium, who first sent it out to their subscribers.

Non-members can find sale prices by using Google Flights to search for desired routes and dates.

Deal basics

Airlines: American, Delta, United
Routes: ATL/BOS/CMH/DAL/DEN/FLL/IND/JFK/MCO/MIA/MSY/PIT/SFO/TPA and others to St. Thomas, USVI (STT)
Cost: From $222 round-trip
Dates: January-October 2022; availability varies

Pay with: The Platinum Card® from American Express for 5x on airfare booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year), the Citi Prestige® Card for 5x on airfare, the Citi Premier® Card (3x on air travel), Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x on air travel), the American Express® Gold Card for 3x on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through Amex Travel or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card for 2x on travel — which you could redeem for as little as 13,000 points.

The information for the Citi Prestige Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Pittsburgh (PIT) to St. Thomas (STT) in January can be booked on Delta for just $222 round-trip. It's a basic economy fare with a layover in Atlanta. However, that itinerary typically would cost around $500, so you're saving a significant amount of money.

The best price we found was a round-trip ticket from New Orleans (MSY) for a February getaway. Delta has a basic economy seat for just $222. That's more than $500 cheaper than normal prices for this route. An upgrade to main cabin would cost $90 more, which would still make this ticket a great buy.

Columbus, Ohio (CMH) to Saint Thomas in January is a lot cheaper at the moment. We found round-trip Delta tickets for $256 in February. The best availability at these lower prices on this route can be found in January, too, but February had by far the most options at this attractive price.

We also found a Charlotte, NC (CLT) to Saint Thomas ticket on American in February for $330.

Maximize your purchase

Don’t forget to use a card that earns bonus points on airfare purchases, like The Platinum Card® from American Express for 5x on airfare booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year), the Citi Prestige® Card for 5x on airfare, the Citi Premier® Card (3x on air travel), Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x on air travel), the American Express® Gold Card for 3x on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through Amex Travel or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card for 2x on travel — which you could redeem for as little as 13,000 points.

The information for the Citi Prestige Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Bottom Line

It's tough to find a prettier island to kick back and relax on that Saint Thomas. Considering how traveling there will be much less complicated than other overseas trip, you may want to start searching for the right itinerary before this deal disappears.