To St. Thomas

Major airlines providing nonstop service to St. Thomas’s Cyril E. King Airport (STT) include: American Airlines (U.S. toll-free 800/433-7300, www.aa.com), Delta Airlines (U.S. toll-free 800/221-1212, www.delta.com), U.S. Airways (U.S. toll-free 800/428-4322, www.usairways.com), United Airlines (U.S. toll-free 800/241-6522, www.united.com), and Continental Airlines (U.S. toll-free 800/525-0280, www.continental.com).

To St. Croix

Direct flights to St. Croix’s Henry E. Rohlson Airport (STX) are few and far between. During the winter tourist season American Airlines (U.S. toll-free 800/433-7300, www.aa.com) flies there from Miami; Delta Airlines (U.S. toll-free 800/221-1212, www.delta.com) flies from Atlanta; and U.S. Airways (U.S. toll-free 800/428-4322, www.usairways.com) flies from Charlotte.

If your final destination is St. Croix you can also fly to St. Thomas or San Juan and take a commuter plane (or ferry) to St. Croix.

Via San Juan

San Juan, Puerto Rico’s Luis Munoz Marin International Airport (SJU) is a major transportation hub for the entire Caribbean. American and international airlines provide service here from cities around the world.

All of the airlines that fly to St. Thomas serve San Juan as well. In addition, Air Canada (U.S. toll-free 888/247-2266, www.aircanada.com) provides service from Toronto and Montreal; Air Tran Airways (U.S. toll-free 800/247-8726, www.airtran.com), Northwest Airlines (U.S. toll-free 800/225-2525, www.nwa.com), and Jet Blue (U.S. toll-free 800/538-2583, www.jetblue.com) provides service from major American cities; LIAT Airlines (866/549-5428, www.liatairline.com) provides service from Antigua in the Caribbean; Copa (U.S. toll-free 800/359-2672, www.copaair.com) provides service from Panama; and Iberia (U.S. toll-free 800/772-4642, www.iberia.com) provides services from Madrid and Barcelona.

From San Juan, you can fly on commuter airlines including Cape Air (U.S. toll-free 800/352-0714, www.flycapeair.com) and American Eagle (U.S. toll-free 800/433-7300, www.aa.com) to get to your final destination, including St. Thomas, St. Croix, and Tortola.

Via Antigua and Barbados

Travelers from Europe can reach the Virgin Islands on flights routed through Caribbean hubs. British Airways (U.S. toll-free 800/247-9297, U.K. 0844/493-0787, www.ba.com) flies to V.C. Bird International Airport in Antigua, and Virgin Atlantic (U.K. 0870/380-2007, Caribbean toll-free 800/744-7477, www.virgin -atlantic.com) flies to Grantley Adams International Airport (BGI) in Barbados. LIAT Airlines (866/549-5428, www.liatairline.com) provides regional service from these islands to Tortola and St. Thomas.

Via Sint Maarten

The Princess Julina International Airport (www.pjiae.com) in Sint Maarten is another gateway to the Virgin Islands, especially if you are traveling from Europe. Corsair and Air France fly to Sint Maarten from Paris; Arekfly and KLM fly from Amsterdam; Skyservice and Air Canada fly from Toronto. Once in Sint Maarten you can fly to Tortola or St. Thomas on LIAT (866/549-5428, www.liatairline.com).

Costs

Airfares vary considerably by season; average round-trip fares from major American cities to St. Thomas, St. Croix, or Tortola (Beef Island) range from $300 to $800. A fare below $400 round-trip is a good deal. Fares from Europe can easily top $1,000 round-trip. The best way to find cheap fares is to start at the online search engines like www.cheaptickets.com and www.orbitz.com. Check the low-fare carriers too. Fare sales are common during the summer and shoulder season (March–October). Expect to pay premium fares to travel around Christmas or New Year’s.

© Susanna Henighan Potter from Moon Virgin Islands, 4th edition