Deal alert: Flights to Mexico starting under $200 in economy, under $300 in premium economy

Everyone loves good flight deals to Mexico. The country has remained open during the pandemic, and Americans have poured in in part because of how cheap it is to fly to the country.

It’s a great time to book flights for later in the year or early 2022. We’re currently seeing some flights available starting as low as $167 round-trip in economy or $255 in premium economy. Some routes on sale include Los Angeles (LAX) to Miami (MIA) and New York (JFK), among others. Routes are operated on airlines including American Airlines, Aeromexico and Volaris.

Many of the lowest fares are in basic economy, which means you may have to pay more to check a bag and pick seats. That said, you can combat some of the negative aspects of basic economy by using your airline's elite status or a carrier’s co-branded credit card.

Here’s a look at some of the deals currently available and where to book.

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The deal

Airline: American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Delta, JetBlue, United
Routes: LAX/ORD/MIA/DFW/JFK - Destinations in Mexico
Cost: From $167 round-trip in economy, from $255 in premium economy
Dates: Now through early July 2021
Pay with: The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare booked directly with the airline or through Amex Travel, on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year), Citi Premier® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x on air travel), American Express® Gold Card (3x on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through Amex Travel) or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on travel).

Sample itineraries

Chicago (ORD) to Cozumel (CZM) for $167 round-trip in American economy:

Los Angeles (LAX) to Oaxaca (OAX) for $227 round-trip in Volaris economy:

Dallas (DFW) to Mexico City (MEX) for $255 round-trip in Aeromexico premium economy

Miami (MIA) to Mexico City (MEX) for $281 round-trip in Aeromexico premium economy:

New York (JFK) to Cancun (CUN) for $281 round-trip in Delta premium economy:

How to book

There are no tricks to find these fares. Just head to Google Flights and plug in your desired departure and destination cities. Use the calendar function to find dates and prices that work for you and then click through to book with the airline directly or an OTA, such as Expedia or Priceline.

Maximize your purchase

Don’t forget to use a card that earns additional points on airfare purchases, such as The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel), Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express® Gold Card, Citi Premier® Card (3x on airfare) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on all travel purchases). Check out this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.