The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Advertiser disclosure
The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Deals
Late summer or autumn vacation? Lots of good deals to Cancun
Sean Cudahy is an aviation reporter covering news about airlines, frequent flyer programs and consumer travel issues.
May 23, 2022 • 7 min read
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
Related stories
Quick summary
Travel demand to Mexico, especially Cancun, has increased, prompting more flight options and competitive fares from various U.S. cities.
This fall, round-trip flights to Cancun are widely available for under $300, with some fares dipping into the high $100s on low-cost carriers.
Deals are accessible from major regions including the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest and West Coast, with both legacy and low-cost airlines participating.
Travelers can find the best rates by booking for late summer or autumn, as prices tend to rise during peak summer and holiday periods.
What to consider
Most discounted fares are available for travel from August through November, with limited availability during major holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Itineraries may include layovers, some of which can be lengthy, so reviewing flight details before booking is important.
Low-cost carrier fares may not include extras such as baggage or seat selection, potentially increasing the total trip cost.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed comparison of specific routes, sample fares and practical tips for finding the best value flights to Cancun from multiple U.S. cities.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Demand for travel to Mexico has surged in recent years. Fueled in part by a rise in flights aboard low-cost airlines, the number of U.S. travelers heading south of the border to visit Mexico’s many beaches has grown so much, some domestic airports have begun to re-think how much space they need to keep up with the trends.
As more airlines are servicing Mexico’s most popular vacation destination with more flights, it can also mean deals are available when you depart from a wide swath of the U.S. That’s certainly the case this fall.
From the Northeast to Southeast, deep south to the Midwest and West Coast, right now you can find all sorts of flights to the popular vacation destination of Cancun for under $300. In some cases, you can get a round trip in the low $200s, or even the high $100s, aboard some low-cost carriers — just be sure, when booking, to check the fees you’ll pay.
Scott’s Cheap flights was the first to tip off TPG on these deals. The site offers a premium membership that alerts readers to discounted fares starting from $49 per year for economy-class deals and $199 per year for an elite membership, which also includes first, business and premium economy deals.
Deal Basics
Airlines: America, United, JetBlue, Frontier, Spirit, Viva Aerobus
Routes: BWI/LAX/ORD/HOU/MCO/FLL/ATL/PIT and others to CUN
How to book: Directly through the airlines or through Google Flights
Travel dates: August through November 2022
(Photo courtesy of Club Med)
Sample flights
The deals that caught our eye involved round trips to Cancun International Airport (CUN) in the $200-to-$300 range or less.
While many departure cities are seeing round trips to the popular Mexican vacation destination for several hundreds of dollars, there are fairly widespread options at a much better rate once autumn arrives — or even very late summer.
The deals are available on a whole host of airlines. Depending on the airport, you can get a competitive fare on any of the U.S. legacy carriers, to go along with a host of low-cost airlines and at least one Mexican carrier.
While these deals typically start after summer and exclude the end-of-year holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, we did see some limited examples of good bargains around those times. So be sure to check your options carefully if there are particular dates you’re eyeing.
Here are a few of the itinerary options we found:
Chicago-O’Hare (ORD) to Cancun (CUN) for $235 on United
Los Angeles (LAX) to Cancun for $294 on Viva Aerobus
Baltimore/Washington (BWI) to Cancun for $269 on American
Atlanta (ATL) to Cancun for $285 on Spirit
Pittsburgh (PIT) to Cancun for $282 on American
Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Cancun for $252 on JetBlue
Fort Lauderdale to Cancun for $170 on Spirit
Orlando (MCO) to Cancun for $174 on Frontier
Houston-Hobby (HOU) to Cancun for $264 on American
(Photo by Benji Stawski/The Points Guy)
Let’s start with the itinerary out of Chicago. In addition to being one of the best deals we found on a legacy carrier to Cancun this fall, it also has the benefit of being an itinerary with nonstop flights…at least on the way down. This trip below falls before autumn even starts — you can get this itinerary for $235 departing and returning on either side of Labor Day weekend. It’s about a three-and-a-half-hour flight to Cancun from O’Hare International Airport, with a fairly brief layover at Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) on the way back.
(Screenshot courtesy of Google Flights)
While there are several low-cost carrier options out of Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), most notably on Spirit, I was surprised to see most of the D.C. area’s best deals on U.S. legacy carriers that also flew out of BWI despite American and United each operating hubs at other airports in the region. In any case, you can get a round trip on American out of BWI for $269 for a trip that falls right as it’s starting to get chilly in the mid-Atlantic, at the end of October. The trip involves layovers at Miami International Airport (MIA) on both the outbound and return flights. The stops are a little lengthy, between four and five hours each, but you’re getting a solid deal on the trip.
As mentioned, it’s not just the East or the Midwest benefitting from some cheap deals to Mexico this summer. You can fly to Cancun for under $300 this fall out of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) as well. I did have to do a bit of searching to avoid a really long stop in Mexico City International Airport (MEX), so be sure to vet the itinerary before you book it. I found a $294 round trip on Mexican carrier Viva Aerobus, with reasonable layovers in Mexico City of between two and four hours. This itinerary was for an early October trip to Cancun.
(Screenshot courtesy of Google Flights)
Maximize your purchase
Pay with: The Platinum Card® from American Express will get you 5 points per dollar on airfare you book through the airline, or through American Express Travel (applies to up to $500,000 on purchases per calendar year.) You get 3 points per dollar with the American Express® Gold Card on flights booked with the airline directly or Amex Travel. The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns you 5 points per dollar on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, and 2 points per dollar on all other travel. If you’re booking travel on American Airlines, the Citi® /AAdvantage ® Executive World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees) gets you 4 AAdvantage miles per dollar spent on eligible American Airlins purchases, and comes with an Admiral’s Club membership. The Free Spirit ® Travel More World Elite Mastercard® earns you 3 points per dollar on eligible airline purchases; you'll find Cancun deals from Spirit from numerous U.S. gateways.
The information for the Free Spirit Travel More Mastercard has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
(Photo by Benji Stawski/The Points Guy)
Bottom line
With a lot of interest in travel to Mexico, airlines are adding flights to the country’s most popular vacation and beach destinations, and this fall, that means a combination of good deals and wide availability. This is just the latest reminder that fall can be a great time to take a vacation and save money — especially in a year when summer travel is expected to be expensive.
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
