List of Southwest Airlines International Destinations (Maps & Prices) [2021]

Many people still are not aware of just how extensive the Southwest Airlines flight network is.

Southwest travels to over a dozen international destinations spread out across Mexico and the Caribbean and even reaching down into (technically) South America.

Many of these spots are prime hotspots for vacations so you definitely want them to be on your radar. 

In this article, I will show you a list and map of all of the international destinations for Southwest Airlines. I will also provide you with some insight into the prices and fees that you will pay on paid fares and award tickets and how these prices compare to other airlines. And finally, I will throw in some additional tips for visiting some of these places based on my own personal experience.

Tip: Use the free app WalletFlo to help you travel the world for free by finding the best travel credit cards and promotions!

List of Southwest Airlines international destinations

1. Aruba (AUA)
2. Belize City (BZE)
3. Cancun (CUN)
4. Cozumel (CZM)
5. Grand Cayman (GCM)
6. Havana (HAV)
7. Liberia, Costa Rica (LIR)
8. Los Cabos/Cabo San Lucas (SJD)
9. Montego Bay, Jamaica (MBJ)
10. Nassau Bahamas (NAS)
11. Providenciales, Turks and Caicos (PLS)
12. Puerto Vallarta (PVR)
13. Punta Cana (PUJ)
14. San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO)

Best Southwest credit cards

Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Premier Card

The Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Premier Card comes with the following benefits:

• No foreign transaction fees
• 6,000 anniversary points (learn more)
• Earn 1,500 Tier-Qualifying Points for every $10,000 in purchases, up to 15,000 Tier-Qualifying Points each calendar year
• $99 Annual fee

Southwest Airlines Priority Card

The Southwest Airlines Priority Card comes with all of the benefits offered below:

• Bonus spending:
  • 2X Rapid Rewards on Southwest purchases
  • 2X Rapid Rewards on hotel and car rental partner purchases.
  • 1X Rapid Rewards on all other purchases
• $75 Southwest annual travel credit (learn more)
• 7,500 anniversary points each year
• Four Upgraded Boardings per year when available.
• 20% back on in-flight drinks, WiFi, messaging, and movies
• No foreign transaction fees
• Earn tier qualifying points towards A-list Status
• $149 annual fee applied to your first billing statement

Southwest Airlines international destinations map

Here is a map view of all of the international destinations currently served by Southwest Airlines. Although note that Mexico City is no longer a destination as of the end of March 2019.

If you want to play around with the different destinations and figure out which airports have direct flights to these you can do that here. Simply hover over a given destination (the red dots) and you can see which airports offer flights there.

Update: Southwest changed their flight map tool so now if you want to view the nonstop flights to these international destinations, you need to switch to the list view and then select nonstop flights only.

One thing to keep in mind is that the routes below are definitely not daily served routes.

Some of these routes may only have one flight per week. If you want to view flight schedules and see exactly how many flights are between two destinations within a given week, I suggest that you check out this tool right here.

Simply input the two destinations and then click on the flight path between the two airports and you will be able to view the weekly schedule of flights as shown below. 

Southwest international flight fees

If you are used to paying only five dollars in fees for your award tickets then you should note that you will be paying more for these international destinations.

The additional fees can vary but you might have to pay those lovely fees like tourism fees, airport fees, passenger service fees, the list goes on…. 

Sometimes the fees can be above $100 for a roundtrip but it just depends on where you are flying to.

Also, the amount of fees can depend on if you have a nonstop flight or not. So just be prepared for those fees and if you are relying on something like the Southwest Companion Pass be aware that you will have to pay those fees for both passengers. 

Of course, these fees don’t only apply to Southwest. Other airlines will also require you to pay these fees.  

Southwest international flight prices

Southwest is known for its Wanna Get Away fares which are some of the cheapest fares out there. However, when it comes to international flights some of the prices can still be pretty expensive. 

I’ve provided comparison prices for the cheapest flights on other airlines below (for flights four months out) and you can see how wide the price difference can be. I was pretty surprised to find cheaper prices on legacy carriers for almost every destination.

Don’t get me wrong, you might be able to find certain flash deals or other good offers out there for certain destinations and times but many times you might be a little bit surprised to see how expensive Southwest can be, especially if you are not booking far out in advance.

The good news is that you still get your two free checked bags with Southwest on international flights so that can help offset the price difference. 

A word about inventory…

A lot of flights to these top tourist destinations do sell out pretty quickly, or at least the best flights sell out pretty fast. So if you are planning on flying Southwest Airlines to one of these destinations then you really want to try to make your booking as soon as possible.

Many times waiting a month or two before your trip will leave you with very undesirable tickets (if any). And other times, you’ll need to jump on the seats as soon as they open up. You can always check here to see when Southwest will open its next inventory for flights. 

Upgrading International flights

Whenever we fly to international destinations on Southwest Airlines, we usually upgrade to Business Select. The reason is that there are typically few Business Select passengers on board which means that it is easier for us to get some of the better seats with extra leg room or with only two seats in a row.

The cost to upgrade to Business Select varies from $30 to $50 per segment, depending on the route.

• You can read more about Southwest Business Select here.

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

Southwest international destinations

Note that due to coronavirus, many of these routes may not be currently serviced for the time being.

Los Cabos/Cabo San Lucas (SJD)

Los Cabos is one of the easiest Mexican destinations to get to on Southwest. There are quite a few different ways to get there including many different ways from California. Here are some of the current routes:

• Austin, TX (AUS)
• Baltimore/Washington, MD (BWII)
• Chicago (Midway), IL (MDW)
• Denver, CO (DEN)
• Houston (Hobby), TX (HOU)
• Oakland, CA (OAK)
• Orange County/Santa Ana, CA (SNA)
• Phoenix, AZ (PHX)
• Sacramento, CA (SMF)
• San Diego, CA (SAN)

Price estimate: 

Note that these prices could fluctuate a lot depending on the time of year and if you are able to capitalize on a flash deal. 

• Chicago (MDW) to Cabo (SJD): $628 roundtrip; 37,908 Rapid Rewards + $91 in award fees 
• Delta/Aeromexico: $564

Cabo is a stunning place with dry desert mountains that meet a deep blue ocean, creating a beautiful backdrop at every turn.

You can visit the more party centric Cabo San Lucas or you can head out to the more laid-back San Jose del Cabo. While swimming at the beach is in Cabo is generally not recommended (due to strong undercurrents) there are still a lot of things to do like great night life, adventurous activities, and some cool history to check out. It’s very different from Cancun but you can read my comparison of Cancun versus Cabo.

We stayed at the Hyatt Ziva in Cabo and loved the all-inclusive resort! Also, you can use your Priority Pass membership at Cabo’s airport for lounge access.

Puerto Vallarta (PVR)

Puerto Vallarta is a vacation hotspot with a lot to offer. You can look into adventurous activities like kayaking, scuba diving, whale watching, bungee jumping, and many more. They also have a charming downtown area that you can check out for some shopping and strolling.

Here are some of the current routes:

• Denver, CO (DEN)
• Houston (Hobby), TX (HOU)
• Orange County/Santa Ana, CA (SNA)
• Phoenix, AX (PHX)

Price estimate: 

• Oakland (OAK) to Puerto Vallarta (PVR): $500 roundtrip; 28,002 Rapid Rewards + $84 in award fees 
• American: $419

Mexico City (no longer available)

Mexico City is being dropped from the flight map from Southwest in March 2019. However for those curious about which destination that it served you can still find a list of them below just in case this route ever comes back maybe some of those will be in service.

• Los Angeles
• Denver
• Houston

Cancun (CUN)

Cancun is one of the busiest destinations for tourists and so it is no surprise to find many different Southwest flights heading there.

Here are some of the current routes: 

• Austin, TX (AUS)
• Baltimore/Washington, MD (BWI)
• Chicago (Midway), IL (MDW)
• Chicago (O’Hare-Terminal 5), IL (ORD)
• Columbus, OH (CMH)
• Denver, CO (DEN)
• Fort Lauderdale, FL (FLL)
• Houston (Hobby), TX (HOU)
• Indianapolis, IN (IND)
• Kansas City, MO (MCI)
• Milwaukee, WI (MKE)
• Nashville, TN (BNA)
• New Orleans, LA (MSY)
• Phoenix, AZ (PHX)
• Pittsburgh, PA (PIT)
• San Antonio, TX (SAT)
• St. Louis, MO (STL)

Price estimate: 

• Atlanta (ATL) to Cancun (CUN): $380 roundtrip; 19,266 Rapid Rewards + $87 in award fees 
• American: $303

If you are ever in Cancun in the summer you should think about going swimming with whale sharks. It is absolutely a breathtaking experience and you can read more about that here.

Cozumel (CZM)

Southwest will begin service to Cozumel in 2020. The only route that Southwest is currently showing is from Houston (Hobby), TX (HOU).

Belize City (BZE)

• Denver, CO (DEN)
• Houston (Hobby), TX (HOU)

Price estimate: 

• Houston (HOU) to Belize (BZE): $624 roundtrip; 39,390 Rapid Rewards + $82 in award fees 
• Avianca: $552

When visiting Belize you should think about visiting the island of San Pedro. This is one of my favorite places to go in the Caribbean and it also is a great place for getting scuba certified. You’ll need to take a small puddle jumper or ferry over from the mainland to the island but it’s pretty easy to get there. 

Havana (HAV)

Havana Cuba is one of the most attractive destinations ever since the embargo was lifted. However, if you were trying to get there via Southwest Airlines the options are still pretty limited.

• Tampa, FL (TPA)

Price estimate: 

• Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Havana (HAV): $222 roundtrip; 8,424 Rapid Rewards + $82 in award fees 
• JetBlue: $268

Nassau Bahamas (NAS)

The Bahamas is another destination that will usually require a connecting flight to get to on Southwest Airlines.

Here are the current Southwest routes: 

• Baltimore/Washington, MD (BWI)
• Fort Lauderdale, FL (FLL)

Price estimate: 

• Baltimore (BWI) to Nassau (NAS): $649 roundtrip; 37,440 Rapid Rewards + $117 in award fees 
• American: $291

Grand Cayman (GCM)

Here are the current Southwest routes: 

• Baltimore/Washington, MD (BWI)
• Fort Lauderdale, FL (FLL)

Price estimate: 

• Houston (HOU) to Grand Cayman (GCM): $667 roundtrip; 41,208 Rapid Rewards + $95 in award fees 
• American: $455

Related: Southwest Rapid Rewards Value Guide

Montego Bay, Jamaica (MBJ)

Here are the current Southwest routes: 

• Baltimore/Washington, MD (BWI)
• Chicago (Midway), IL (MDW)
• Fort Lauderdale, FL (FLL)
• Houston (Hobby), TX (HOU)
• Orlando, FL (MCO)
• St. Louis, MO (STL) 

Price estimate: 

• Orlando (MCO) to Montego Bay (MBJ): $561 roundtrip; 28,782 Rapid Rewards + $140 in award fees 
• Delta: $437

Jamaica is not regarded as one of the safest places so you do need to be careful when venturing to certain places on the island. However they do have some great resorts there especially in Montego Bay. We stayed at the Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall and it was a pretty fantastic stay at that all inclusive hotel.

There are a lot of things to do in Jamaica like the luminous lagoon so you can definitely stay occupied for a while but be careful when renting a car because the roads are a little bit crazy.

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos (PLS)

Here are the current Southwest routes: 

• Fort Lauderdale, FL (FLL)

Price estimate: 

• Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Turks and Caicos (PLS): $592 roundtrip; 35,724 Rapid Rewards + $91 in award fees 

Punta Cana (PUJ)

Here are the current Southwest routes: 

• Baltimore/Washington, MD (BWI)

Price estimate: 

• St. Louis (STL) to Punta Cana (PUJ): $869 roundtrip; 54,444 Rapid Rewards + $120 in award fees
• Delta: $550

Liberia, Costa Rica (LIR)

Here are the current Southwest routes: 

• Baltimore/Washington, MD (BWI)
• Denver, CO (DEN)
• Houston (Hobby), TX (HOU)

Price estimate: 

• Houston (HOU) to Liberia (LIR): $668 roundtrip; 42,978 Rapid Rewards + $75 in award fees
• Delta: $596

San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO)

Here are the current Southwest routes: 

• Houston (Hobby), TX (HOU)

Price estimate: 

• Houston (HOU) to San Jose (SJO): $563 roundtrip; 34,398 Rapid Rewards + $70 in award fees
• Delta: $447 

Aruba (AUA)

Here are the current Southwest routes: 

• Baltimore/Washington, MD (BWI)

Price estimate: 

• Houston (HOU) to Aruba (AUA): $886 roundtrip; 58,500 Rapid Rewards + $90 in award fees
• American: $491 

Even with its crazy strong winds, Aruba is one of my favorite destinations in the Caribbean. It has a pretty decent lineup of hotels down there and we really liked the Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino. We were able to stay in one of their junior suites which features floor to ceiling glass walls and windows which offered some great views of the beach.

There are a lot of things that you can choose to do, but I would recommend looking into some of the ship (wreck) diving that they are known for. There are a lots of different wreck sites that you can choose from. 

Southwest international destinations FAQ

Final word

As you can see there are many different options for flying Southwest to international destinations. My advice would be to try to book as far in advance as possible and also be prepared to pay some higher fees when it comes to award tickets. Also, be open to exploring alternatives on other airlines which may be cheaper. 

If you have any suggestions for these locations, let me know!