Travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands this winter will be a whole lot easier thanks to new American Airlines service to St. Thomas from Dallas-Fort Worth and Chicago, beginning December 21.
According to acting Tourism Commissioner Joseph Boschulte, the new Saturday flights will operate year-round between Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and Cyril E. King Airport on Boeing 757 aircraft with 176 seats. The Saturday service between Chicago O’Hare International Airport and St. Thomas will operate seasonally on Airbus 319 aircraft with a capacity of 128 seats.
Flights depart Dallas-Fort Worth at 10:35 a.m. CT and arrive on St. Thomas at 5:35 p.m. Atlantic Standard Time, allowing for connections from the Midwest and West Coast. The St. Thomas-Dallas flight departs at 1:50 p.m. Atlantic Standard Time and arrives at 5:20 p.m. CT.
Chicago flights depart at 8:20 a.m. CT and arrive on St. Thomas at 3:15 p.m. Atlantic Standard Time. The St. Thomas-Chicago flight departs at 4:30 p.m. Atlantic Standard Time and arrives Chicago at 7:15 p.m. CT.
“We are delighted with the confidence our airline partners have expressed in our destination,” said Boschulte, who met with American Airlines’ leadership team in Dallas last month. “American has expressed a high confidence in and commitment to our destination and we look forward to making more announcements concerning the strengthening of aerial highways which connect travelers to both our airports, on St. Thomas and St. Croix,” he said.
He said the increase in capacity dovetails seamlessly with the return of traditional accommodations to the island this winter, including The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas, which returns for the winter season with a fully renovated resort experience.
