A Guide to Alaska Flights to Mexico

Alaska Airways is a favourite of many vacationers — notably these on the West Coast. If you happen to’re heading to Mexico, the Seattle-based airline is a superb choice. However Alaska-loyal vacationers who aren’t primarily based within the west aren’t out of luck both. You need to use Alaska Mileage Plan miles to fly with Alaska’s Oneworld alliance associate American Airways.

Here is a take a look at the place Alaska flies in Mexico, ebook flights and what it is advisable to know earlier than you depart.

The place Alaska flies in Mexico

Alaska Airways at present flies to eight locations in Mexico:

Alaska is primarily a West Coast airline, so you will must fly from one in all its hubs or focus cities to get a nonstop flight. Alaska operates nonstop flights to Mexico from six airports:

If you happen to do not dwell close to one in all these six airports, you might have the choice of connecting by way of one in all them to get to your vacation spot. For instance, you possibly can fly from Salt Lake Metropolis to San Jose del Cabo by way of Los Angeles.

From Cancun to Zihuatanejo, Alaska serves a variety of locations in Mexico, however not each route will get equal remedy. Here is what it is advisable to find out about discovering availability on Alaska flights to Mexico.

On standard routes, lots of Alaska’s flights to Mexico depart ceaselessly. As an illustration, you possibly can fly each day to San Jose del Cabo from Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego.

Nonetheless, different routes to San Jose del Cabo function as soon as per week — such because the nonstop flight from Portland. Relying in your departure metropolis and vacation spot, you might want some schedule flexibility to take a nonstop Alaska flight to Mexico.

Some Mexican locations can be found from sure U.S. airports solely. For instance, Alaska operates flights to the coastal resort city of Manzanillo from Los Angeles solely.

Through the summer season, Alaska operates two flights per week on this route. Within the fall, one flight per week is obtainable. Throughout these slower durations, you’d both must spend a whole week in Manzanillo or discover one other airline to fly you dwelling.

Reserving Alaska flights to Mexico

Alaska airfares to Mexico fluctuate primarily based on the season, demand and route. Particularly for leisure locations, having flexibility can prevent fairly a bit of cash.

As an illustration, flights from San Francisco to San Jose del Cabo value over $300 a method on Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, after we priced it out for this text. Nonetheless, you possibly can fly out a number of days in a while Tuesday, Aug. 16, for about half the associated fee.

In contrast to most different U.S. airways, Alaska’s Mileage Plan hasn’t fully deserted its award chart. With that stated, it has carried out a variable pricing component for award flights. Beneath this hybrid system, the mileage value for Alaska flights to Mexico varies primarily based on the flight’s distance and demand for the route.

Major cabin fares for journeys beneath 1,400 miles can value as few as 10,000 Mileage Plan miles every manner — or as many as 35,000 miles. Reserving a first-class award on these similar flights ranges from 30,000 to 50,000 miles every manner.

Routes from 1,401 to 2,100 miles begin at 15,000 miles every manner in economic system or 30,000 miles in top quality. For flights longer than 2,101 miles — resembling Seattle to Cancun — Alaska award charges fluctuate between 17,500 to 50,000 miles in economic system and 30,000 to 95,000 miles in top quality.

Whereas mileage prices on Alaska flights are variable, on American Airways flights to Mexico you’ll pay a set charge utilizing your Alaska miles:

• 27,500 miles in top quality.

For some routes and cabins, these mounted charges on American is usually a higher deal than the award charges on Alaska. Nonetheless, it is value checking all choices when looking for award flights.

When determining whether or not it is a higher deal to make use of money or miles, be sure to issue within the taxes and costs that may be assessed on many routes to Mexico. For instance, you possibly can ebook award flights from Los Angeles to San Jose del Cabo for 20,000 miles round-trip, however the taxes and costs of over $120 actually lower into the worth you are getting out of your miles.

Checking in in your Alaska flight to Mexico

It is necessary to remember the apparent: Mexico is a global vacation spot. Meaning check-in occasions and doc necessities are going to be totally different than flying on Alaska throughout the U.S.

For all worldwide flights, Alaska requires passengers to test in, get a boarding cross and drop any checked luggage no later than 60 minutes earlier than to departure.

If you happen to’re flying dwelling from Guadalajara, you will want to move to the airport even sooner. The minimal required check-in time is 90 minutes earlier than departure — even when you’re not checking a bag.

On the time of writing, a visa is not required for U.S. residents touring to Mexico for tourism, schooling or enterprise for lower than 180 days. Nonetheless, just be sure you have a legitimate passport with greater than six months of validity previous the date of journey.

Earn Alaska Mileage Plan miles with a bank card

In contrast to a few of its bigger rivals, Alaska solely provides two co-branded bank cards — one for private vacationers and one for small-business house owners.

Listed here are the present sign-up bonus provides for every of those playing cards:

• Alaska Airways Visa Signature® bank card: Purchase one ticket, get one for simply the taxes and costs ($0 fare plus taxes and costs from $22) and obtain 40,000 bonus miles with this supply. To qualify, make $3,000 or extra in purchases throughout the first 90 days of opening your account.

• Alaska Airways Visa® Enterprise card: Get 40,000 bonus miles plus Alaska’s Well-known Companion Fare™ from $121 ($99 fare plus taxes and costs from simply $22) with this supply. To qualify, make purchases of $2,000 or extra throughout the first 90 days of opening your account.

Along with the sign-up bonus, cardholders will earn 3x miles on Alaska Airways purchases and 1x miles on all different purchases.

If you wish to fly Alaska Airways to Mexico

Alaska at present flies to eight cities in Mexico, making it simple for West Coast vacationers to move south. Even when you do not dwell close to the Pacific Ocean, you possibly can nonetheless use your Mileage Plan miles to get there — both by routing by way of an Alaska hub or reserving an award ticket by way of American.

You need a journey bank card that prioritizes what’s necessary to you. Listed here are our picks for the greatest journey bank cards of 2022, together with these greatest for: