Southwest Airlines Flies Nonstop to St. Maarten
Southwest Flight 1873 made history on April 8, 2026, as it landed at Princess Juliana International Airport, marking the first nonstop service between Orlando and St. Maarten. This is Southwest's first new international destination since 2021. Just four days later, Saturday service from Baltimore/Washington commenced. The island now boasts nine weekly Southwest departures from two US East Coast gateways, connecting to over 40 American cities through Southwest's extensive domestic network.
The initial news coverage of this launch has been extensive. However, what's missing is a practical guide on leveraging these routes for the most cost-effective and efficient St. Maarten trip. This article aims to fill that gap, exploring who will benefit most from these routes and what Southwest's entry means for a destination traditionally served by American, Delta, or United.
Route Essentials
Orlando (MCO) to St. Maarten (SXM):
- Flight WN1873 departs Orlando at 10:30am daily (11:15am on Sundays) and arrives at Princess Juliana at 1:40pm (2:25pm Sundays)
- Return WN1721 departs SXM at 2:35pm Monday through Friday, 1:20pm Saturdays, 1:35pm Sundays, arriving back in Orlando by 5:10-6:20pm the same day
- Flight time: approximately 3 hours 10 minutes
- Frequency: daily, 7 days per week
- Aircraft: Boeing 737-700
Baltimore/Washington (BWI) to St. Maarten (SXM):
- Flight WN2300 departs BWI at 8:10am on Saturdays only, arriving SXM at 12:25pm
- Return WN1391 departs SXM at 2:35pm on Saturdays, arriving BWI at 7:10pm
- Frequency: Saturdays only (once weekly)
- Aircraft: Boeing 737-700
The current fare picture: Fares from Orlando to St. Maarten have been as low as $160 one-way at basic fare levels in the early weeks of operation. The $239-range fares for short-notice travel represent reasonable value for a 3-hour Caribbean nonstop on a no-change-fee carrier. As the route matures, Southwest's historical pattern is to run promotional fares in the first 3-6 months to stimulate demand, making summer and fall 2026 likely to deliver the cheapest SXM fares this route will ever see.
"The $160 one-way fares from MCO to SXM that appeared in the route's first weeks are the floor of what this route will ever cost."
Network Multiplier
This is the most underreported aspect of the Southwest St. Maarten launch and the detail that makes the route genuinely significant for American travelers who don't live in Orlando or Baltimore.
Southwest's MCO hub connects to more than 40 American cities with daily or near-daily service. That means a traveler in Nashville, Kansas City, Denver, Houston, Chicago Midway, Boston, New York LaGuardia, Atlanta, or any of dozens of other cities can now build an MCO connection to St. Maarten using Southwest's domestic network — booking on a single carrier, with a single baggage check, and Southwest's no-change-fee policy covering the entire itinerary.
Before April 7, those travelers had to use American, Delta, or United to reach SXM, typically via Miami, JFK, or Charlotte. Depending on routing, that could mean booking two separate carriers, two separate baggage claims, and no flexibility if the domestic leg was delayed.
"The MCO connection means most of the US is now within two Southwest flights of Princess Juliana."
Southwest Experience
Southwest's product on international leisure routes differs from what you'd get on a comparable American or Delta flight, and knowing the differences ahead of time removes surprises:
What Southwest does differently:
- No assigned seats — Southwest's open seating model applies on this route; your boarding position (A, B, or C group) determines your seat access; early check-in at exactly 24 hours before departure gets you the best boarding group
- No first class or business class — Southwest operates a single-cabin model; there is no premium cabin on this flight
- Two free checked bags — this is Southwest's most significant product advantage over competitors on Caribbean routes; two checked bags per person at no additional cost versus $35-75 per bag each way on American or Delta, which adds up fast for a week-long trip with luggage
- No change fees — the entire itinerary can be changed up to flight departure with no penalty; only a fare difference applies if the new fare is higher
- Complimentary non-alcoholic drinks and snacks — standard Southwest domestic product; no full meal service on the 3-hour flight
- Rapid Rewards points — earn points on both the international segment and any connecting domestic legs; point redemptions available for the SXM route from launch
What to know about the 737-700 on this route: The Boeing 737-700 is Southwest's smaller aircraft, configured in a 3-3 single-cabin layout. It's a comfortable 3-hour aircraft. The 737-700 has no seatback screens; bring your own device for entertainment. The lack of a lie-flat option is irrelevant on a 3-hour daytime flight. Southwest's WiFi is available on most of its 737 fleet for a fee.
Plan Your Trip
The combination of low base fares, two free checked bags, no change fees, and the MCO network connection creates a genuinely more affordable St. Maarten trip architecture than the American/Delta/United alternatives for the right traveler. Here is how to use it properly:
Step 1: Book MCO-SXM Early
Southwest's promotional fares for new routes run in the first months of operation and are not guaranteed to continue. The $160-239 one-way fares visible in April and May 2026 are introductory pricing. Book the SXM segment first, as far in advance as Southwest's booking window allows, before promotional availability is exhausted.
Step 2: Factor Bag Fee Savings
Two free checked bags per person per direction = potential savings of $70-150 per person round trip compared to American or Delta on the same route, depending on bag count and fare class. A family of four with two checked bags each saves $280-600 in bag fees on the Southwest round trip versus a comparable itinerary on a legacy carrier. This is real money and should be factored into any fare comparison.
Step 3: Use No-Change-Fee Policy
St. Maarten is in the Atlantic hurricane zone; the official season runs June 1 through November 30. Southwest's no-change-fee policy means that if a storm develops that affects your trip window, you can rebook to an alternative date paying only the fare difference. On American or Delta, a change fee of $100-200 per person applies on most economy fare classes if you need to move a hurricane-season booking. The Southwest policy removes that financial risk almost entirely for summer and fall bookings.
Step 4: Connect Via MCO for Rewards
If you hold Rapid Rewards points, the MCO connection unlocks the full domestic Southwest network as a feeder. A domestic leg from your home city to MCO can be booked with points at standard domestic rates; the SXM international segment redeems at Caribbean rates. The two-flight itinerary on a single Rapid Rewards redemption is one of the more efficient point uses currently available for a Caribbean holiday.
Step 5: Plan Around MCO Departure
WN1873 departs Orlando at 10:30am and lands in St. Maarten at 1:40pm. That means a traveler arriving in MCO the night before on a connecting domestic flight can hotel overnight at the airport, take the morning SXM departure, and be on Maho Beach by 3pm local time. The return WN1721 departs SXM at 2:35pm Monday through Friday and has you back in Orlando by 6:20pm — connecting domestically to your home city the same evening. Efficient.
BWI vs MCO: Choose Your Gateway
The two Southwest gateways serve distinct geographic markets and the choice between them is straightforward:
MCO (Orlando) is right if:
- You live in Florida, the Southeast, or the Gulf Coast and MCO is your natural gateway
- You want maximum scheduling flexibility — daily service means you can fly any day of the week
- You're connecting from anywhere in the Southwest domestic network and MCO is your hub connection point
- You want a Saturday or Sunday departure (MCO operates daily; BWI is Saturday only)
BWI (Baltimore/Washington) is right if:
- You're based in Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia, or the Mid-Atlantic and BWI is your closest Southwest hub
- A Saturday-only schedule works for your trip structure (Saturday departure, Saturday return — a clean 7-night week)
- You want to avoid the MCO-SXM connection routing from the Northeast corridor
- You hold significant Rapid Rewards points from BWI-based domestic flying
The honest limitation of BWI: Saturday-only service is a meaningful constraint. You cannot fly Thursday-Thursday from BWI, you cannot leave on a Sunday, and you cannot adjust your departure day if a Saturday flight is full. For travelers who need flexibility on travel dates, MCO is the better gateway despite the potentially longer domestic connection.
Impact on St. Maarten
St. Maarten has historically been accessible to American travelers primarily via American Airlines (MIA and JFK hubs) and a handful of Delta and United routes. The Southwest launch changes the competitive dynamic in a specific way: Southwest's leisure-traveler base — price-sensitive, bag-sensitive, points-active, and concentrated in Florida and the mid-Atlantic — is a demographic that wasn't well served by the legacy carrier St. Maarten routes.
The price point matters. A $160-239 one-way fare from Orlando positions St. Maarten competitively against Cancun, Jamaica, and the Bahamas for Florida-based travelers who previously compared those all-inclusive destinations against a pricier SXM option. Southwest's two-free-bags policy lowers the total trip cost further. The practical effect is that St. Maarten becomes a realistic first-choice Caribbean destination for travelers who previously eliminated it on cost grounds.
St. Maarten's Sint Maarten Tourism Bureau was vocal about the significance of the launch: the route connects the island to 40+ US cities via MCO's network, the inaugural ceremony at Princess Juliana was attended by government ministers and airport officials, and both the Dutch and French sides have been building marketing efforts around the new air access. The destination is leaning into the Southwest launch rather than treating it as a minor addition.
"Southwest's leisure-traveler base is a demographic that wasn't well served by the legacy carrier St. Maarten routes."
Princess Juliana Airport Arrival
For travelers using St. Maarten for the first time, knowing what to expect at SXM sets the right expectations:
The famous Maho Beach landing: Princess Juliana is famous worldwide for its low-approach runway that passes directly over Maho Beach at low altitude — the reason tourists line the beach fence to watch planes and brace against jet blast. The Southwest 737-700 arriving from Orlando at 1:40pm makes this approach daily. If you're watching from Maho, the inbound WN1873 is on the schedule.
Airport facilities: SXM is a modern regional airport with full duty-free, food, and beverage facilities in the terminal. US Customs and Border Protection pre-clearance is not available at SXM; US passport holders go through Sint Maarten immigration on arrival, which is typically fast.
Getting to your hotel from SXM: The airport is on the Dutch side (Sint Maarten). Taxis are metered and operate from directly outside arrivals; fixed-rate government tariffs apply and are posted at the taxi stand. Ride-share apps are not well developed in SXM; taxis are the reliable option. The drive to Maho Bay hotels takes 5 minutes; Philipsburg on the Dutch coast takes 20 minutes; crossing to the French side (Marigot, Orient Bay, Grand Case) takes 20-40 minutes depending on destination.
The open border: St. Maarten/Saint-Martin is the world's smallest island shared by two sovereign nations — the southern Dutch Sint Maarten and the northern French Saint-Martin (a French collectivité). There is no border control, no checkpoint, and no passport check between the two sides. You drive across an invisible line on the road. This means that landing at SXM on the Dutch side gives you immediate, unconditional access to the French side's Grand Case restaurants, Orient Bay beach clubs, Marigot market, and the entire French Caribbean cultural experience — without changing aircraft.
Combining Routes for Best Itinerary
For travelers with flexibility, the combination of MCO daily service and BWI Saturday service creates itinerary options that didn't exist before April 2026:
The classic one-week structure (Florida-based traveler):
- Depart MCO Monday morning; arrive SXM Monday afternoon
- Seven nights on island (Dutch or French side, or split)
- Return SXM to MCO Monday afternoon; home same evening
The weekend-plus structure (mid-Atlantic traveler, BWI):
- Depart BWI Saturday morning; arrive SXM Saturday noon
- Seven nights on island
- Return SXM to BWI the following Saturday afternoon
The two-gateway split (for groups joining from different cities):
- Some travelers fly MCO-SXM; others fly BWI-SXM on a Saturday
- Group assembles on-island; return flight chosen based on individual logistics
- Works for friend groups or families dispersed across Florida and the DC area
FAQ
When did Southwest launch flights to St. Maarten?
April 7, 2026 from Orlando (MCO), with daily nonstop service. Baltimore/Washington (BWI) service launched April 11, 2026, operating Saturdays only.
How many Southwest flights per week go to St. Maarten?
Nine weekly flights total: seven from MCO (daily) and two from BWI (Saturdays, one each direction).
How long is the Southwest flight from Orlando to St. Maarten?
Approximately 3 hours 10 minutes.
What are the current Southwest fares to St. Maarten?
Early operational fares have run as low as $160 one-way from MCO at basic fare levels. Fares vary with demand and booking date; introductory pricing in the route's first months represents the best window for cheap bookings.
Does Southwest fly from cities other than Orlando and BWI to St. Maarten?
Southwest does not operate direct service to SXM from other cities, but connecting through MCO via Southwest's domestic network allows travelers from 40+ US cities to reach SXM on a single carrier booking.
Does Southwest have a premium cabin on the SXM flight?
No. Southwest operates a single-cabin, open-seating model with no first class or business class on any route.
Can I bring checked bags for free on Southwest to St. Maarten?
Yes — Southwest's two free checked bags policy applies on international routes including SXM. This is a significant cost advantage over legacy carriers.
What airport does Southwest use in St. Maarten?
Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) on the Dutch side (Sint Maarten).
Act Now for Best Fares
Southwest's first six months on a new international route are historically its most generously priced. The introductory fare levels visible in April and May 2026 will not last indefinitely — as demand builds, as the travel press picks up the route, and as summer-to-fall booking pressure builds, fares will move up. The $160 one-way fares from MCO to SXM that appeared in the route's first weeks are the floor of what this route will ever cost. If St. Maarten is on your list and you hold Rapid Rewards points or simply want the cheapest possible Caribbean nonstop from Florida or the mid-Atlantic, the booking window for the best fares is open right now and it will not stay this wide for much longer.
Explore the full St. Maarten and Saint-Martin guide on IsleRush, including our Dutch side vs French side comparison, Maho Beach guide, Grand Case restaurant guide, and the complete 2026 events calendar.
