New York City is now connected via a non-stop flight to Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, for the first time. The new flight addresses the increasing demand from international tourists for one of Mexico’s most popular beach destinations on the Pacific coast.
The route, operated by Alaska Airlines, offers four weekly flights to Puerto Vallarta from John F. Kennedy International on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
#PuertoVallarta refuerza su conectividad aérea con nueva ruta directa a Nueva York operada por @AlaskaAir
✈️ 4 vuelos semanales conectarán directamente ambos destinos, sumando más de 700 asientos adicionales por semana. @Mich_fridman @PuertoVallarta @aeropuertosGAP pic.twitter.com/DadoZOztLq— Secretaría de Turismo de Jalisco (@Secturjal) January 11, 2025
The flight has a duration of approximately six hours and offers the following schedule:
- Leaving JFK at 9:30 a.m., and reaching PVR at 1:24 p.m. (Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday)
- Leaving PVR at 4:09 p.m., and reaching JFK at 10:29 p.m. (Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday)
During the inaugural flight ceremony on Jan. 13, Jalisco’s Tourism Minister, Michelle Fridman Hirsch, noted that the route will help boost tourism, strengthen the local economy and promote nearby tourist offerings, like Costalegre and the rest of Jalisco state.
Alaska Airlines operates the flight on a Boeing 737-900 aircraft with a capacity for 178 passengers, adding 1,246 seats per week to Puerto Vallarta International Airport (PVR).
Alaska Airlines is the fifth largest operator at PVR in terms of seat capacity and passenger flow. The carrier currently connects PVR with 11 cities, including Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Seattle, positioning itself as a key partner in promoting the sunny destination with international travelers.
PVR is one of Mexico’s top 10 airports in terms of passenger traffic. According to the managing company Grupo Aeropuertuario del Pacífico (GAP), PVR reached a historical high of 6.8 million passengers in 2024 — just 0.2% over the 6.7 million passengers it recorded in 2023.
Major departure airports for PVR in Mexico include Mexico City, Tijuana, Guadalajara, and Monterrey. Airports in the U.S. with frequent connections to Puerto Vallarta include Los Angeles, Dallas, Phoenix, San Francisco and Houston, as well as Vancouver in Canada.
With reports from Inform Vallarta, Simple Flying, Aviacionline and Puntual Jalisco
Note that Jet Blue had direct flights from JFK to PVR for three years before abandoning the route last year.