Southwest Airlines announced their new schedule and the most exciting new route from this is New York (EWR) -San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU), which will begin Dec. 17, 2016. To start, it will be operated only on Saturdays, but hopefully if the demand is there it will be added to a few more days during the week.

To celebrate this launch, Southwest will offer fares starting at $128 or 7,561 Rapid Rewards points each-way.

Per Southwest Airlines,

In celebration of two new, weekly nonstop offerings to operate during the winter season, Southwest® is offering special fares (purchase today through July 14, 2016, 11:59 p.m. in the respective time zone of the originating city, for travel on Saturdays beginning Jan. 7 through March 4, 2017, between Dallas and Reno; and for travel on Saturdays beginning Dec. 17, 2016, through March 4, 2017, between Newark and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Please see below for complete terms & conditions for these fares) now available at Southwest.com.

Other markets in the schedule extension include weekend service between Ft. Myers & Buffalo, Flint, Providence, and Washington Reagan National, and Kansas City, daily. Other weekend service links Orlando & Detroit, Flint, Richmond, Va., and Omaha. The carrier also intends to fly nonstop on Saturdays between Ft. Lauderdale & Minneapolis/St. Paul.

Bottom Line

I’m thrilled to see that Southwest is launching non-stop service from the New York City area to San Juan, Puerto Rico. It would be great if Southwest launches more Caribbean destinations from Newark in the future.

What are your thoughts on this latest route from Southwest?