Contour St. Thomas-St. Maarten flights: schedule guide

Contour Airlines scheduled a new nonstop link between Cyril E. King Airport in St. Thomas and Princess Juliana International Airport in St. Maarten from October 5, 2026. The route is planned for Mondays and Fridays in both directions.

The first flight should have finished before this guide's October 5, 7:15 p.m. AST verification. However, the public flight-status sources we checked still showed only a scheduled or estimated record, not a completed arrival. Treat this as a launch schedule, not independent confirmation that the inaugural flight operated. Check Contour's live itinerary before leaving for the airport.

*Original AI-generated OpenSim editorial illustration. The unbranded aircraft, islands and route line are illustrative and do not show a specific Contour flight, airport operation or exact coastline.*

The practical answer: Contour plans the 55-minute STT-SXM route twice weekly. Monday flights leave St. Thomas at 11:35 a.m. and St. Maarten at 1:15 p.m. Friday flights leave St. Thomas at 12:35 p.m. and St. Maarten at 2:30 p.m. Both islands use Atlantic Standard Time year-round, but the ticket and live flight status control.

The planned STT-SXM schedule

Contour's route announcement and the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism publish the same initial timetable:

Current schedule data identifies STT-SXM as LF3208 and SXM-STT as LF3209. It also shows a 12:50 p.m. Friday departure from St. Thomas, 15 minutes later than the announcement. That is a real source conflict. Use the time on the issued ticket, then check it again on the day of travel.

The airline announced 30-seat regional jets. An equipment type can change, so do not use the aircraft announcement to make a seat, cabin-bag or mobility decision without checking the booking.

Twice-weekly service leaves little recovery room. If a Monday flight is canceled, the next nonstop may not be until Friday. Keep the first hotel night, cruise, ferry and any separate onward ticket flexible when missing them would be expensive.

St. Maarten and Saint Martin are not interchangeable in travel forms

SXM airport is on the Dutch side of the island, officially Sint Maarten. The northern side is the French collectivity of Saint Martin. They share one island, but entry rules, addresses and mobile-network coverage can still differ by side.

For arrival at SXM, use the Dutch-side government form at entry.sx. The form asks for passport, contact, accommodation and flight details. Each traveler needs an entry record. A visa, when required for the passport being used, is a separate matter.

U.S. State Department guidance for U.S. citizens lists a passport valid for the stay, the completed ED card, onward or return travel, accommodation and sufficient funds. Travelers using another passport should check the current rules that apply to their nationality rather than copying the U.S. list.

Flying back to St. Thomas is an international arrival into the United States. U.S. citizens do not need a passport for a domestic trip from the mainland or Puerto Rico to the USVI, but this route departs foreign territory. Contour requires a passport for international air travel. Entry permission into St. Thomas depends on citizenship and immigration status, and travelers clear U.S. Customs and Border Protection at their first U.S. port of entry.

Arrive well before the 60-minute cutoff

Contour's current check-in page names both STT and SXM among airports where passengers and bags are no longer accepted within 60 minutes of departure. It also requires passengers at the gate 15 minutes before departure and closes the door 10 minutes before departure.

Those are rejection points, not sensible arrival targets. Princess Juliana Airport recommends three hours before an international flight and two hours before a regional flight. For this route, arriving about two hours early gives time for passport review, bag drop, security and outbound formalities. Use three hours if the airport or airline advises it for the travel date.

Online check-in does not override the airport cutoff. Keep the passport, entry confirmation, ticket and accommodation address easy to reach, not inside a checked bag.

Check the fare before adding a bag

Contour's current fare table permits one carry-on up to 22 by 14 by 9 inches and one personal item without an extra fee. Space on a 30-seat jet is limited, so a compliant carry-on may still be collected at the aircraft. Keep medicines, passports, spare batteries and valuables in the smaller item that stays with you.

For travel from May 1, 2026, the airline lists the first checked bag at $45 on Super Saver and Standard fares. Flexible includes the first checked bag. The second checked bag is $55, and additional bags are $200 each. Fees apply per traveler and direction, and destination limits can still apply. Confirm the exact international itinerary before paying.

Contour lists American, Alaska, JetBlue and United as interline partners on its current partner page. A qualifying single ticket can include protected connections and through-checked bags. Two reservations bought separately do not gain that protection. On an international arrival into the United States, travelers still collect checked bags for Customs when instructed, even if the bag is tagged onward.

There is no scheduled direct passenger ferry in the current USVI list

The Virgin Islands Port Authority's current ferry page covers St. Thomas links to St. John, St. Croix and the British Virgin Islands. It does not list a scheduled passenger ferry to St. Maarten. Likewise, the St. Maarten operators reviewed focus on shorter links such as Anguilla, St. Barths and Saba.

That makes the new flight materially different from the ferries used for nearby island trips. Do not build a backup plan around an assumed STT-SXM boat. Recheck official schedules before travel because seasonal and charter services can change.

At SXM, the airport lists taxis, rental cars, private transfers and hotel shuttles. Public minibuses operate on the island, but there is no direct airport bus. At STT, official airport taxis have a dome light and TP plates, and the Port Authority advises confirming the set rate before boarding. Shared vans may make several stops.

Mobile data needs a side-of-island check

OpenSim's live catalog was checked during this review. It does not currently list the U.S. Virgin Islands or Dutch Sint Maarten as standalone destinations. The Saint Martin OpenSim eSIM is for the French side and currently names an Orange network there. Do not assume it covers SXM airport, Dutch-side accommodation or St. Thomas.

The product can fit a traveler whose itinerary actually includes French Saint Martin, but only after checking the selected package's exact coverage, allowance, validity, speed policy, hotspot terms and top-up field. Not every package is suitable for every side of this trip.

Save the airline itinerary, entry confirmation, accommodation address and transfer details offline before departure. An eSIM supplies data only where its listed network coverage applies. It does not provide inflight Wi-Fi, change border rules or protect a missed connection.

Ten questions about Contour's St. Thomas-St. Maarten flights

Has Contour started flying between St. Thomas and St. Maarten?

The first service was scheduled for October 5, 2026. At the review cutoff, official pages and schedule data supported the launch plan, but the public status sources checked did not yet provide reliable completed-flight confirmation. Check the live flight by date before travel.

Which days does Contour fly STT-SXM?

The initial plan is Monday and Friday in both directions. The limited frequency means a cancellation can create a wait of several days for the next nonstop.

What are the STT-SXM flight times?

On Monday, STT-SXM is published at 11:35 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and SXM-STT at 1:15 p.m. to 2:10 p.m. On Friday, the announcement lists 12:35 p.m. to 1:35 p.m. outbound and 2:30 p.m. to 3:25 p.m. return. Current filed data shows a 12:50 p.m. Friday departure from STT, so use the ticket.

Are St. Thomas and St. Maarten in the same country?

No. St. Thomas is in the U.S. Virgin Islands. SXM is in Sint Maarten, the Dutch country on the southern side of an island shared with French Saint Martin.

Do I need a passport for this flight?

Yes. Contour requires a passport for international air travel. Visa and admission rules depend on the traveler's passport, status and full itinerary.

Do I need the Sint Maarten entry form?

Travelers arriving at SXM should complete the official ED form at entry.sx for each passenger and keep the confirmation available. The form does not replace a visa when one is required.

Is there a direct ferry between St. Thomas and St. Maarten?

No scheduled direct passenger service appears in the current official USVI ferry list. The familiar St. Thomas ferries serve St. John, St. Croix and the British Virgin Islands, not St. Maarten. Check again before travel rather than assuming a boat is a fallback.

How early should I arrive at STT or SXM?

About two hours is a practical minimum for this short international flight unless the airport or airline advises three. Contour stops accepting passengers and bags at both airports 60 minutes before departure.

What baggage does Contour include?

Contour's current fare table includes one carry-on and one personal item. The first checked bag costs $45 on Super Saver and Standard, while Flexible includes it. Verify the international booking because space and destination limits can apply.

Will my bag transfer to a connecting airline?

It can on an eligible single-ticket itinerary with a Contour interline partner. Separate tickets normally require the traveler to manage the transfer, and international arrivals into the United States may still require bag collection for Customs.

Before booking

• Verify the flight's operating status and the time on the exact date.
• Match Monday and Friday times to the correct direction.
• Leave recovery room around a twice-weekly flight.
• Confirm passport, visa and U.S. re-entry requirements.
• Complete the official Sint Maarten ED form.
• Arrive before Contour's 60-minute hard cutoff.
• Price bags with the fare rather than after booking.
• Check whether an onward journey is one ticket or a self-transfer.
• Arrange airport transport and confirm the pickup point.
• Use an OpenSim plan only where its live coverage list matches the actual side of the island.

The useful change is the nonstop itself: it removes the need to connect through another Caribbean airport. The tradeoff is a thin schedule with international formalities at both ends. Confirm the flight, documents and recovery plan as three separate decisions.

*Airline, airport, government, schedule, traveler-question and OpenSim catalog sources were reviewed on October 5 and 6, 2026. Update this guide after the inaugural operation is independently confirmed, or after a material change to the timetable, frequency, baggage, entry form, airport transport, product coverage or route status.*