American Airlines announced plans to double service between Chicago and Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America. As part of the expansion, it will add more flights from Chicago to three popular Mexican beaches.
Starting this winter season, American will launch five new international routes from Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and increase the frequency of flights to warm weather locations, including Cancún, Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta.
In addition to increasing flights to popular Mexican destinations, the airline will add new services from Chicago to the Caribbean, Guatemala and Costa Rica.
“As we get our first taste of spring in Chicago, we are already looking ahead to giving our customers a reprieve from the bitter Midwest winter with more than double the flights to popular vacation spots,” America’s Vice President of ORD Operations Ben Humphrey said in a press release.
American Airlines flies to 30 destinations in Mexico, making it the largest airline in the country. It plans to add more flights from ORD to Cancún (CUN), Los Cabos (SJD) and Puerto Vallarta (PVR) this year.
Starting June 5, American will operate all flights from ORD on dual-class regional jets to offer premium options to customers on all Chicago flights.
Recent changes to boarding and check-in services at ORD, such as new self-service kiosks and a lobby reconfiguration, are expected to support faster check-in and enhance the flow of passengers.
Tickets for the expanded American Airlines service from ORD are now available for purchase via their website and app.
Travelers can also expect to see changes coming to some Mexican airports in coming years.
In February, Mexico’s Pacific Airport Group (Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico, or GAP) announced plans to invest US $2.5 billion for the modernization and expansion of its 12 airports in the central and western parts of the country over the next five years.
The investment will reportedly finance a new 69,000-square-meter terminal at Guadalajara International Airport, a 74,000-square-meter terminal at Puerto Vallarta International Airport and expansions at Tijuana International Airport and San José del Cabo International Airport in Los Cabos.
With reports from Vallarta Daily
Thank you. Where can we get more information on the new terminal at the Puerto Vallarta Airport? A lot of construction, but
no one seems to know anything about it.
Thanks,
Bruce Crockard
It would be helpful to know which airlines are scaling back flights to Mexico.
Based on recent reports, several airlines are scaling back or cancelling some of their routes to Mexico, particularly to the newer Tulum International Airport (TQO), while one airline is ceasing all US routes from a specific Mexican city. Here’s a breakdown:
Airlines Scaling Back or Cancelling Tulum (TQO) Routes:
* Air Canada:
* Cancelled routes from Ottawa (YOW) and Quebec City (YQB) to Tulum (TQO) for the winter 2025-2026 season.
* Reduced flights from Montreal (YUL) to Tulum from 5 times weekly to 3 times weekly.
* Flights from Toronto (YYZ) to Tulum will continue 4 times weekly.
* United Airlines:
* Discontinued its route from Boston (BOS) to Tulum.
* Scrapped plans for a previously proposed route from Denver (DEN) to Tulum.
* Will exit the Los Angeles (LAX) to Tulum market effective March 30, 2025.
* Suspended flights from Chicago (ORD) and Newark (EWR) to Tulum during the summer season of 2025, with Newark service expected to resume on October 26, 2025. The return of the Chicago to Tulum route for winter 2025 is still under evaluation.
* WestJet:
* Continues to operate its Toronto (YYZ) to Tulum route 2 times weekly and its Calgary (YYC) to Tulum route 1 time weekly.
* American Airlines:
* Discontinued flights from Charlotte (CLT) to Tulum on February 13, 2025. However, they continue to serve Tulum from Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) and Miami (MIA).
Airline Ceasing All US Routes from Monterrey (MTY):
* Volaris: Is cutting all eight of its US routes from Monterrey, Mexico, by the end of July 2025. This includes routes to Los Angeles (LAX), Chicago O’Hare (ORD), Miami (MIA), Oakland (OAK), San Antonio (SAT), Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), Denver (DEN), and Houston (IAH).
Most of what you mention are seasonal reductions. I know the route we take has been reduced from 7 days a week to 3 days a week until Nov 1st.
The Tulum airport is the closest to the central american border. I am curious if all the immigration actions has driven the slowdown in demand? In terms of Tulum as a place to visit- maybe the price hikes caught up- impacting demand- Tulum is ridiculously expensive.
What about the new Acapulco Airpott?????
They all need to add many to the new Felipe Angeles (NLU) on the north side of Mexico city. I flew out of it after taking the bus from San Juan del Rio, QRO over to Zihuatanejo. It’s beautiful, lots of stores and places to eat but I bet there wasn’t 500 people traveling the day I did in January. More workers than travelers. Siempre!!
thats one of AMLOs biggest failures… “he built it and they didn’t come”.