USVI = St. Thomas (STT) & St. Croix (STX), no passport needed. BVI = Tortola (EIS), passport required, connect via San Juan or ferry.
The Virgin Islands split into two countries, and getting to each one works completely differently. The US Virgin Islands — St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix — are a US territory, so for American travelers a flight there is a domestic flight: no passport, no customs, just a boarding pass and a photo ID. The British Virgin Islands — Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Jost Van Dyke, Anegada — are a British Overseas Territory with their own immigration, so you'll need a passport and there's no nonstop from the US mainland.
Below is the full 2026–27 picture: the four airports that matter, every airline flying in, the brand-new routes (Breeze into St. Thomas this December, Southwest from Nashville next spring), and the big-name carriers that don't serve the islands so you don't waste time searching for them.
The four airports that matter
| Airport | Serves | Passport? | Nonstop from US mainland? |
|---|---|---|---|
| STT — Cyril E. King, St. Thomas | St. Thomas & St. John (USVI) | No | Yes — the busiest USVI gateway |
| STX — Henry E. Rohlsen, St. Croix | St. Croix (USVI) | No | Yes — fewer routes than STT |
| EIS — Terrance B. Lettsome, Beef Island/Tortola | Tortola & the rest of the BVI | Yes | No — connect via SJU or ferry from STT |
| SJU — San Juan, Puerto Rico | Gateway hub for the BVI | No (US territory) | Yes — then a short hop to EIS/VIJ |
St. John has no airport — you reach it by ferry from St. Thomas (see our St. Thomas → St. John guide). Once you've landed, the USVI/BVI taxi-fare lookup and the live ferry schedules take over from there.
🇻🇮 Getting to the US Virgin Islands
Because the USVI is a US territory, every route below is a plain domestic flight for US citizens — REAL ID or passport, standard TSA, no arrival customs. St. Thomas (STT) has by far the most nonstops; St. Croix (STX) has a smaller but growing set. Check live crowds and TSA wait forecasts on the VIslandGuide flight dashboard before you head to either airport.
St. Thomas (STT) — who flies nonstop
| Airline | Nonstop routes to STT | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | MIA, JFK, CLT, BOS, PHL, DCA | Largest network; Miami and JFK year-round, others weighted to winter |
| Delta Air Lines | ATL, JFK | Year-round Atlanta hub feed; JFK adds winter frequency |
| United Airlines | EWR, IAD, ORD, IAH | Newark and Dulles are the primary hubs |
| Southwest Airlines | MCO, BWI · BNA soon | Daily Orlando nonstop; Nashville launches March 2027 (see below) |
| JetBlue | BOS, JFK, SJU | Boston and New York run seasonally; San Juan is a quick hop |
| Frontier Airlines | SJU (+ seasonal mainland) | Ultra-low-cost; inter-Caribbean and seasonal service |
| Sun Country | MSP (seasonal) | Minneapolis winter charters/scheduled peak service |
| Breeze Airways | TPA · NEW Dec 16 | First-ever Tampa–St. Thomas nonstop, 2× weekly (see below) |
| Cape Air | SJU | Frequent regional shuttle from San Juan (also the BVI connector) |
Route mixes shift by season — winter (mid-December to April) is the peak, when carriers add frequency and cities. Always confirm your exact dates on the airline's site.
New & starting soon into St. Thomas
Two brand-new nonstops are joining the STT map, opening whole new markets to the USVI:
- Breeze Airways — Tampa (TPA): the first-ever nonstop between Tampa and St. Thomas launches December 16, 2026, twice weekly on Wednesdays and Saturdays aboard the Airbus A220-300, from $149 one-way.
- Southwest — Nashville (BNA): Southwest adds a new Nashville → St. Thomas nonstop in March 2027 as part of its biggest-ever spring schedule at BNA — a first for Music City travelers.
The full story on the Tampa launch is in our Breeze Airways TPA–STT deep dive, including seat counts, schedule and how to book.
St. Croix (STX) — who flies nonstop
St. Croix's Henry E. Rohlsen Airport is quieter than St. Thomas but has been adding service. Live wait-time forecasts for STX are on the St. Croix flight page.
| Airline | Nonstop routes to STX | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | MIA, CLT | Daily Miami; Charlotte goes daily from mid-December 2026 |
| Delta Air Lines | ATL (seasonal) | Atlanta, roughly May through September |
| United Airlines | EWR · NEW Oct 31 | New Saturday Newark–St. Croix nonstop from October 31, 2026 |
| JetBlue | SJU | San Juan connection |
| Cape Air | SJU | Frequent regional hops from San Juan |
Which airlines DON'T fly to the USVI
Save yourself the search — these carriers have no service to St. Thomas or St. Croix:
- Spirit Airlines — gone. Spirit ceased all operations in May 2026, ending its long-running Fort Lauderdale and Orlando nonstops to STT. Nothing has replaced the Fort Lauderdale route. Full context in our Spirit shutdown explainer.
- Alaska Airlines — no USVI service; West Coast travelers connect through an East Coast or Florida hub.
- Hawaiian, Allegiant and Avelo — none serve the Virgin Islands.
There is no nonstop to the USVI from the West Coast, the Mountain West, or Texas beyond United's Houston (IAH) service — plan on one connection from those regions, usually through Miami, Atlanta, Charlotte, Newark or JFK.
🇻🇬 Getting to the British Virgin Islands
The BVI is a separate country, so bring your passport and expect immigration on arrival. There is no scheduled nonstop from the US mainland to Tortola's Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport (EIS) — the runway on Beef Island is too short for mainline jets. You have two good ways in.
Option 1 — Fly via San Juan (SJU) or another Caribbean hub
San Juan, Puerto Rico is the main gateway. Fly any major airline to SJU (itself a passport-free US territory), then take a short regional hop to EIS. Carriers on the BVI legs include:
- Cape Air — frequent SJU ↔ EIS, under an hour
- interCaribbean Airways — the largest EIS operator; connects SJU, Antigua, St. Maarten, Santo Domingo and more
- Silver Airways / Seaborne and Air Sunshine — additional SJU and regional service
- Winair and LIAT — inter-island links from St. Maarten and the Eastern Caribbean
Check EIS crowd and wait-time notes on the Tortola (EIS) flight page.
Option 2 — Fly to St. Thomas (STT), then ferry to Tortola
Often the easiest and cheapest route: take any nonstop to St. Thomas from the section above, then hop a passenger ferry across to Tortola. Ferries run daily from Charlotte Amalie (downtown) and Red Hook (East End) to Road Town and West End, Tortola. The crossing is about 30–45 minutes; operators include Native Son, Smith's Ferry and Road Town Fast Ferry. Bring your passport and complete the BVI online arrival card before you sail.
Live times and fares are on our USVI/BVI ferry schedule, and if Jost Van Dyke and the Soggy Dollar are on your list, the Jost Van Dyke access guide covers every route. Budget for BVI entry costs with our BVI customs & fees breakdown.
Virgin Gorda, Anegada & the outer islands
Virgin Gorda has its own small airstrip (VIJ) served by interCaribbean and charters from SJU; Anegada (NGD) sees limited regional and charter flights. In practice, most visitors reach the outer BVI by inter-island ferry or by private boat — which is exactly why so many people charter a boat or plan a 7-day BVI bareboat itinerary instead of island-hopping by plane.
Once you land: getting around
Air travel is only half the trip. VIslandGuide keeps the on-island logistics in one place:
- Taxi fares — official USVI & BVI fixed rates, no haggling
- Ferries — live USVI/BVI passenger and car-barge schedules
- Flights dashboard — STT/STX/EIS crowds & TSA wait forecasts
- Weather — current conditions & 7-day island forecast
- Beach finder — today's calmest, clearest water
- Cruise ships in port — how busy town will be
- Mobile Passport Control at STT — skip the customs line coming home from the BVI
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a passport to visit the Virgin Islands?
Not for the US Virgin Islands (St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix) — it's a US territory, so US citizens fly on a REAL ID or photo ID with no customs. You do need a passport for the British Virgin Islands, including a day trip by ferry to Tortola or Jost Van Dyke.
What's the new Breeze flight to St. Thomas?
Breeze Airways launches the first-ever nonstop between Tampa (TPA) and St. Thomas (STT) on December 16, 2026 — twice weekly on Wednesdays and Saturdays, from $149 one-way. It opens Tampa Bay as an entirely new gateway to the USVI.
Is Southwest really adding a Nashville flight to St. Thomas?
Yes. As part of its largest-ever spring schedule at Nashville (BNA), Southwest adds a new nonstop to St. Thomas launching in March 2027 — a first for Nashville, alongside new Southwest routes to Aruba, Des Moines and Wichita.
How do I get to Tortola if there's no nonstop?
Two ways: connect through San Juan (SJU) onto a Cape Air, interCaribbean or Silver/Seaborne hop to Beef Island (EIS); or fly to St. Thomas (STT) and take a 30–45 minute passenger ferry to Road Town or West End, Tortola. The ferry is usually the simplest option for first-timers.