There are half a dozen ways to fly to St. Thomas from the mainland. Prices can vary, and so can your experience. Some airline trips are good, some you don’t want to remember. If you were asked which is best airline to fly to the island, what would say?
14 thoughts on “Pick the best airline”
United had changed our flights to where the connections were too close in time. When I called to ask how to deal with this, they simply upgraded us to non-stop at no charge.
I guess it depends where you live! For us, American is great. Their hub is San Juan so they have lots of flights to the Caribbean daily including nonstop to St. Thomas from JFK. Always my preference so I can get to St. John as quickly as possible 🙂
We live in Atlanta and find Delta’s non-stop to be VERY convenient. We also like that the Delta counter has FAR fewer people in line than airlines like American and US Airways as they have a bigger presence in the region. Spirit Airlines is a nightmare, IMHO.
The results are probably going to reflect which airline has the best connections for the most people. For example, we fly US Air out of Louisville direct to Charlotte and then Charlotte to STT on a non-stop. That works out best for us, but I would guess from the East Coast, Midwest or West Coast it may be some other airline.
Why aren’t there direct flights on American from Chicago? I’ve found this so frustrating and one of the reasons why I hesitate traveling to St. John. We can never make the 4:00 ferry despite leaving at 6:00 AM. (I know the time difference). What airlines flies direct from Chicago???
Right now I am in S. Fl so Spirit is the easiest and the best $$.
When I was in TN, I would take US Air straight flight from Charlotte to STT.
Travel from Seattle is truly a journey – we left on a Sat night red eye to Philly on US Airways with a nonstop connection to STT and just barely made the 4PM ferry on Sunday. US Airways changed all our flights home and we had to spend the night in Chicago! No warm fuzzies with this airline 🙂
For us Boston/NYC folks, American still gets the nod (despite a penchant for cancelling or delaying departures – plus a demoralized, over-worked, and occasionally hostile staff) for the sheer mass of flights getting in and out of San Juan and Miami hubs. Once that far, I prefer connecting flights out of those hubs on our home-grown Cape Air!!!
US Air because of the direct flights available out of Philadelphia. American has better prices but the connection times don’t ever seem to work for us.
Northwest now has a non-stop from Detroit to St. Thomas during the winter months only. Yay!! Last year, American lost my luggage and I didn’t get it until I’d been on island for two days.
We have been to St John twice now, both times going thru San Juan. Coming from NY, Jet Blue offered cheap flights to SJuan, but from there the smaller planes are the same price for 1/2 hr flight. The last time coming home on USAir, our flight was cancelled and we had to spend the night. Night thrilled. Somehow next time we go, it will be a flight from the main land direct to STT. Hoping Jet Blue will start going in there.
We’ve vacationed on St John twice, both times flying American. Because we live in Northwest Arkansas, getting to St John in less than 3 hops has been our biggest challenge. American just started a direct flight to Miami, so we’re hoping our next trip will be a 2-hopper – NWA to Miami to STT – in time for the last ferry to St John!
J.B., United has a direct flight from ORD to STT.
I’ve gone to St.John every year since 2001,and will go again next year. I’ve enticed a number of strangers to the island to join me,by as short a flight that it is,the taxi ride across St.Thomas to the ferry across the sound to St.John is an exciting adventure.It worked out well,until this past May. US Air had us waiting in the airport for the better part of 5-6 hours in Philly.(This was “villa hours” and “island time” that we paid for.)Although we made the best of our trip in a beautiful villa,we arrived back to Philly,and had to wait another 2-3 hours just to go home.It was a very exhausting trip,that was supposed to be an exciting journey.I’LL go back,but the other couple seemed a left a little flat.Win some,lose some,I guess…
United had changed our flights to where the connections were too close in time. When I called to ask how to deal with this, they simply upgraded us to non-stop at no charge.
I guess it depends where you live! For us, American is great. Their hub is San Juan so they have lots of flights to the Caribbean daily including nonstop to St. Thomas from JFK. Always my preference so I can get to St. John as quickly as possible 🙂
We live in Atlanta and find Delta’s non-stop to be VERY convenient. We also like that the Delta counter has FAR fewer people in line than airlines like American and US Airways as they have a bigger presence in the region. Spirit Airlines is a nightmare, IMHO.
The results are probably going to reflect which airline has the best connections for the most people. For example, we fly US Air out of Louisville direct to Charlotte and then Charlotte to STT on a non-stop. That works out best for us, but I would guess from the East Coast, Midwest or West Coast it may be some other airline.
Why aren’t there direct flights on American from Chicago? I’ve found this so frustrating and one of the reasons why I hesitate traveling to St. John. We can never make the 4:00 ferry despite leaving at 6:00 AM. (I know the time difference). What airlines flies direct from Chicago???
Right now I am in S. Fl so Spirit is the easiest and the best $$.
When I was in TN, I would take US Air straight flight from Charlotte to STT.
Travel from Seattle is truly a journey – we left on a Sat night red eye to Philly on US Airways with a nonstop connection to STT and just barely made the 4PM ferry on Sunday. US Airways changed all our flights home and we had to spend the night in Chicago! No warm fuzzies with this airline 🙂
For us Boston/NYC folks, American still gets the nod (despite a penchant for cancelling or delaying departures – plus a demoralized, over-worked, and occasionally hostile staff) for the sheer mass of flights getting in and out of San Juan and Miami hubs. Once that far, I prefer connecting flights out of those hubs on our home-grown Cape Air!!!
US Air because of the direct flights available out of Philadelphia. American has better prices but the connection times don’t ever seem to work for us.
Northwest now has a non-stop from Detroit to St. Thomas during the winter months only. Yay!! Last year, American lost my luggage and I didn’t get it until I’d been on island for two days.
We have been to St John twice now, both times going thru San Juan. Coming from NY, Jet Blue offered cheap flights to SJuan, but from there the smaller planes are the same price for 1/2 hr flight. The last time coming home on USAir, our flight was cancelled and we had to spend the night. Night thrilled. Somehow next time we go, it will be a flight from the main land direct to STT. Hoping Jet Blue will start going in there.
We’ve vacationed on St John twice, both times flying American. Because we live in Northwest Arkansas, getting to St John in less than 3 hops has been our biggest challenge. American just started a direct flight to Miami, so we’re hoping our next trip will be a 2-hopper – NWA to Miami to STT – in time for the last ferry to St John!
J.B., United has a direct flight from ORD to STT.
I’ve gone to St.John every year since 2001,and will go again next year. I’ve enticed a number of strangers to the island to join me,by as short a flight that it is,the taxi ride across St.Thomas to the ferry across the sound to St.John is an exciting adventure.It worked out well,until this past May. US Air had us waiting in the airport for the better part of 5-6 hours in Philly.(This was “villa hours” and “island time” that we paid for.)Although we made the best of our trip in a beautiful villa,we arrived back to Philly,and had to wait another 2-3 hours just to go home.It was a very exhausting trip,that was supposed to be an exciting journey.I’LL go back,but the other couple seemed a left a little flat.Win some,lose some,I guess…