Southwest Goes International With Flights to the Caribbean

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The view of Cancun across the bay from the southernmost point of Isla Mujeres, also known as Punta Sur. Isla Mujeres, or Island of Women, is a tiny 5-mile-long, half-mile wide island just a half-hour's ferry ride across from Cancun.

Image: Amanda Lee Myers/Associated Press

By Jessica Plautz2014-07-01 14:51:14 UTC

Low-cost carrier Southwest Airlines began its first international flights to destinations in the Caribbean on Tuesday.

The airline's first international departure, to Oranjestad, Aruba, took off from Baltimore, Maryland, on Tuesday. Southwest is adding service to three destinations including to Aruba (AUA), Montego Bay (MBJ) and Nassau (NAS).

Southwest is the largest low-cost carrier in the world, with more than 100 million customers each year.

"This next chapter plants a flag for Bags Fly Free and No Change Fees in foreign sand," said Teresa Laraba, the airline's senior vice president of customers.

The routes are part of the continued integration of AirTran, which Southwest plans to complete by the end of this year. Southwest acquired AirTran in 2011.

Employees celebrated the day at departure gates at Baltimore, Atlanta and Orlando with commemorative beach balls, snorkels and masks.

As part of the launch, Southwest is offering discounts for travel packages booked before July 14, 2014.

The international destinations now serviced by Southwest and AirTran include: Cancun (CUN), Mexico City (MEX), and Cabo (SJD) in Mexico; and Aruba (AUA), Montego Bay (MBJ), Nassau (NAS) and Punta Cana (PUJ) in the Caribbean.