Below are some important travel tips and information to help make your trip with Tradewind seamless and stress-free.
Caribbean Information
Tradewind flights operate from two primary connection hubs, San Juan (SJU) and Antigua (ANU).
- If you are traveling from the U.S., San Juan features hundreds of airline options from all over the country. San Juan also features direct service from Madrid and points in Central and South America.
- If you are traveling from or through the UK, British Airways provides daily service from London to Antigua. Antigua also features direct flights from the U.S.
- If you are connecting with a private jet, San Juan, St Thomas, and Antigua are excellent transfer points.
Tradewind flights are available as separate flight(s) in conjunction with a commercial flight, or combined with one of our interline partners, American Airlines, United Airlines, JetBlue Airways, and British Airways.
- Book with our interline partners for the convenience of a single reservation and, for connections through San Juan to Tradewind, your luggage will be transferred automatically from your airline to your Tradewind flight. Note that all luggage must be retrieved on the return to SJU from other islands.
- Book your Tradewind and airline flights separately, and be sure that the minimum connection time guidance is followed.
Tip: Check all airline flight options on their websites or travel websites such as Kayak or Google Flights. You might be surprised to see how many connection options exist!
Tip: To optimize your time, book a late arrival to San Juan and take an early morning Tradewind flight to the islands. Rates are typically lower on these flights, and you will not miss a full day for travel. San Juan has many great hotel options near the airport – check out our preferred partners here.
All flights are operated in our modern fleet of Pilatus PC-12 aircraft. As a smaller regional aircraft, the Pilatus luggage capacity is limited by space and regulated weight and balance limitations.
Each seated guest may travel with 50lbs/23kg of total luggage weight, inclusive of carry-on sized luggage and personal items. For example: a 30lb check-in, 15lb “carry-on,” and 5lb personal item.
Guests are allowed one personal item, which must measure 6 inches x 9 inches x 17 inches or less in order to be taken into the passenger cabin. Items that exceed these dimensions will be loaded into the luggage compartment of the aircraft.
Please call ahead to discuss bringing non-standard items aboard such as golf clubs. Non-standard items are not guaranteed for travel.
Tip: If your personal item exceeds these dimensions, we recommend taking out any belongings you wish to keep with you during your flight prior to boarding.
Tip: Some more options for additional luggage include purchasing another seat (if available at the prevailing rate) or flying on a private charter. Private charters provide more flexibility for larger parties or those traveling with additional luggage and/or non-standard items. Contact our charter sales team at 203-267-3305 option 2 or sales@flytradewind.com to inquire.
If you book your Tradewind and airline flights separately, please be sure that your connections follow our minimum-time guidance.
Connecting to Tradewind from your airline arrival:
- Domestic arrival: 90 minutes
- International arrival: 120 minutes
Connecting to your airline departure from Tradewind arrival:
- Domestic departure: 120 minutes
- International departure: 150 minutes
Tip: If traveling with only a carry-on or with our VIP Experience add-on (San Juan only), the recommended time from a commercial airline to Tradewind can potentially be reduced.
We recommend arriving at the airport at least 60 minutes prior to departure for all flights. Please note that check-in for all flights closes 30 minutes prior to departure.
San Juan: Terminal A, to the left of the JetBlue check-in counters. >View Terminal Map
St Barths: St Barth Services, located on the left side of the check-in counters.
Anguilla: Lloyd’s Aviation, located in the center of the check-in counters. After check-in is completed, a Lloyd customer service agent will direct you to the Departure Tax window on the opposite side of the check-in counter. Cash and credit card are accepted. In addition, there will be a screening fee of $6 per person, which is cash only.
Antigua: Express Handlers in the main terminal. All guests with interline booking connections will be met at their arrival gate and escorted through the in-transit area to the Tradewind departure gate.
St Thomas: Execujet Flight Services FBO. Guests will be met at luggage claim and escorted to the FBO from the main terminal. Guests who are already in St Thomas can report directly to the FBO address: 8103 Lindbergh Bay, St Thomas 00802.
Tortola: Platinum BVI Services, located in the main terminal.
Virgin Gorda: Platinum BVI Services, located at counter #1.
All guests traveling internationally are required to travel with a valid passport. Citizens of some countries are required to have a visa to enter St Barths, Anguilla, Virgin Gorda, or Tortola. All passports must have a validity period greater than 6 months at the time of entry.
St Barths: While France is a member of the European Union and the Schengen Area, the overseas departments and territories of France are not part of the Schengen area and apply their own visa policies.
Please click this link and fill out the visa wizard to see if a visa is required for St Barths: https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en/web/france-visas/home
Virgin Gorda and Tortola: The BVI no longer accepts paper customs forms.
Guests are required to complete the online Immigration and Customs Form which will be available 72 hours prior to your arrival in The British Virgin Islands. Once the form is completed, the Immigration and Customs receipts are to be saved to your mobile device or printed and presented to Immigration and Customs upon arrival.
Visit https://bviedcard.gov.vg/ to start your application. Visit https://www.bvitourism.com/travel/entry-requirements to learn more about entry requirements to the British Virgin Islands.
Antigua: All guests must clear immigration when flying through Antigua (ANU), regardless of whether it is their final destination or transiting through. Paper customs forms are not accepted, and all guests must complete the electronic forms at least 72 hours prior to arrival. Guests must access arriveantigua.com using a phone or tablet, as the desktop version is currently not available.
For an elevated transfer experience from your airline arrival to Tradewind departure at San Juan, you may opt to purchase our VIP Experience. With VIP Experience, a member of our team will meet you at your arriving gate and escort you through the airport to the Tradewind private lounge. If you have checked luggage, our team will retrieve and check it in for you.
VIP Experience is available from 6:00 AM – 8:00 PM between November and May, and from 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM between June and October.
To book, select the option during booking, or contact our team to add it on to an existing reservation.
Enjoy complimentary snacks, water, beer, and wine, as well as complimentary WiFi in the exclusive Tradewind private lounge.
The lounge is open from 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM between June and October, and from 6:00 AM – 6:00 PM between November and May.
All flights are operated in our modern fleet of Pilatus PC-12 aircraft, flown by two pilots at all times. The Pilatus is the most advanced aircraft in its class with the technology, reliability, and safety of a larger aircraft.
Our Caribbean aircraft are configured with 8 forward-facing seats, each with a window view for checking out the beautiful scenery along your flight. The aircraft is pressurized to fly at high altitude, providing added safety and comfort.
San Juan:
Guests arriving in San Juan from a Tradewind flight will be escorted to and through immigration and customs by our staff. After customs, you will be guided to the airline check-in area. (For San Juan transfers back to the U.S., be sure to stop at one of the agriculture inspection stations for a quick luggage scan. This is required for all flights to the mainland from U.S. territories.)
If you have a long layover, our private lounge is available for use.
Tip: To expedite your transfer from Tradewind to your airline connection, Global Entry, CLEAR and TSA Pre-Check are available in San Juan. We recommend joining these programs before your travel.
CLEAR is available as an option for travelers departing San Juan on a commercial flight. CLEAR reduces the time spent waiting in line at security checkpoints by providing an expedited identity verification process. Click here to register.
CLEAR Lane and Enrollment Hours
4:00 am – 6:00 pm
Antigua:
Guests arriving in Antigua from a Tradewind flight will be escorted through immigration and to the public side or their connecting flights. Tradewind guests will have access to the Fast Track lane in immigration to expedite the clearing process.
Tradewind has curated lists of recommended hotels at each of our scheduled service destinations, as well as partner experiences to help complete your ultimate getaway. Click here to view our current partner experiences.
Visit our destination pages to view recommended hotels: St Barths, Antigua, Anguilla, Tortola, Virgin Gorda, San Juan, Antigua
General Policies & Information
Click here to view our cancellation and refund policies for all regions.
To check your flight status, please visit our flight status page here.
Ticket Book Holders for our Northeast routes can log into My Tradewind to view their flight status.
Tradewind flights are pet friendly subject to limitations and exclusions as permitted or required by law and for safety and the comfort of all guests.
All pets, including service animals, must be booked in advance of arrival at the airport. Please provide all pet names and weights at the time of booking. Guests arriving with pets not booked in advance may be denied boarding. If possible, the guest and their pet will be re-accommodated on a later flight.
-Each flight may have a maximum of three (3) pets in total
-Each flight may have a maximum of one (1) party with up to two (2) large pets (21 lbs or over each)
-A seat must be purchased and allocated for a pet or party of pets weighing 100 lbs or more in total, and a seated pet is counted towards the total pet allowance
-Large pets (21 lbs or over) must travel in the last row of the aircraft with their owner
-Unforeseen circumstances such as weather may require combining flights and resulting in multiple parties traveling with larger pets on the same flight. We will do our best in these situations to accommodate everyone safely and comfortably.
-Pets must remain leashed and under the control of their owner throughout the duration of their time at the airport and throughout the flight.
-Tradewind reserves the right to require a pet to be placed in an appropriate pet carrier, muzzled, or to revoke privileges of your pet flying with us.
-You are responsible for any and all costs related to cleaning or damage caused by your pet.
-For Northeast flights, please utilize the grass areas outside of the FBOs should your pet need to relieve themselves. In the San Juan Airport, please visit the Pet Relief Area between Terminals A and B.
If traveling internationally with a pet, please visit https://www.aphis.usda.gov/pet-travel for entry requirements.
Tip: A freshly groomed pet is a better flight companion.
Tradewind flights are limited to one lap child (under two years old) per aircraft. Additional infants on any given flight must be allocated a purchased seat. Please contact us to book a seat for this purpose.
Domestic:
Minors aged twelve (12) or under may not travel alone.
- Minors aged twelve (12) or under must be accompanied by a parent, legal guardian, or responsible party over the age of sixteen (16).
- Minors aged thirteen (13) through fifteen (15) are allowed to travel alone domestically. A Domestic Minor Child Consent Form must be completed by a parent or legal guardian and submitted (or be on file) to the Scheduled Service Department 24 hours in advance of flight.
Click here to download our Domestic Minor Consent Form.
International:
Minors aged fifteen (15) or under may not travel alone.
- Minors aged fifteen (15) or under must be accompanied by a parent, legal guardian, or responsible party over the age of eighteen (18).
- If the responsible party is not both parents or legal guardians, a notarized International Minor Child Consent Form must be completed by both parents or legal guardians and submitted (or be on file) to the Scheduled Service Department 24 hours in advance of flight.
- Minors aged sixteen (16) or seventeen (17) are allowed to travel alone internationally. A notarized International Minor Child Consent Form must be completed by both parents or legal guardians and submitted (or be on file) to the Scheduled Service Department 24 hours in advance of flight.
Click here to download our International Minor Consent Form.
Tradewind is certified to fly in most of the same conditions as scheduled commercial airlines. In certain circumstances, pursuant to federal regulations and/or safety, a flight may be delayed, cancelled, or diverted to another airport. In the event of a flight cancellation, guests will be provided with the choice of re-accommodation or the issuance of credit to be retained for future travel purposes.
Federal law forbids the carriage of hazardous materials aboard the aircraft in your luggage or on your person. A violation can result in five years’ imprisonment and penalties of $250,000 or more (49 U.S.C. 5124). Hazardous materials include explosives, compressed gases, flammable liquids and solids, oxidizers, poisons, corrosives and radioactive materials. For more information, please visit https://www.faa.gov/hazmat/packsafe/.
Tradewind Aviation has been purchasing carbon offsets for all flights since January 2022, meeting the 4AIR Level 1 Carbon Neutral rating. Click here to learn more.
Tradewind Aviation offers the option for Travel Insurance through our partner, Allianz Global Assistance. Travel insurance is designed to cover those who elect coverage with financial safeguards in the case of events ranging from inconveniences to calamities. To learn more and find the plan that’s right for you, click here.