Southwest Airlines is planning a new expansion to the Caribbean, with the low-cost carrier set to add new routes to two sizzling travel destinations: Puerto Rico and Belize. 

On March 9, 2024, Southwest will be adding a new weekly route between Austin and San Juan, Puerto Rico; that flight will operate on Saturdays, adding another Caribbean route for a city that is an increasingly popular pole for Caribbean travel. Southwest will also be flying from Austin to Cozumel, Mexico on a seasonal basis.  

On the same date, Southwest will launch another major route: a new nonstop service between Baltimore-Washington and Belize City. 

The Belize route will be operating weekly on Saturdays as well, accompanying existing Caribbean service from Baltimore-Washington that includes Saturday flights to Grand Cayman and Turks and Caicos. 

San Juan has been one of the hottest markets for new air routes from the mainland United States since the pandemic, leading to record levels of tourism. 

Belize, too, has been one of the region’s more popular destinations since the onset of the pandemic, thanks to a well-managed reopening policy and a surging hotel development pipeline. 

While Puerto Rico remains more of an urban destination whose tourism industry is centered around the San Juan metropolitan area, Belize has cultivated a rather unique position as two destinations in one: a rainforest-focused eco-destination and a classic Caribbean beach hotspot. 

For more, visit Belize.