Cancun flight deals: Enjoy warmth this winter for under $250 round-trip

If you think an escape to the warmth of Cancun might be in the cards for this upcoming winter, it’s a good idea to book when you get a window where the airfare is running cheaper; it happens every so often. Right now is one of those times.

There are currently a handful of U.S. cities from which you can fly to the popular Mexico destination for $250 or less round-trip. You’ll find some of the deals as soon as November, which is rapidly approaching, with many more options after the start of the New Year.

There are a ton of great resorts with sprawling pools and convenient beach access throughout Cancun, both all-inclusive and not.

Scott’s Cheap Flights was the first to flag the deals to Cancun. Premium memberships with the site start at $49 annually for alerts on economy deals, with memberships that get you premium economy and business class alerts starting at $199 annually.

The temperatures are dropping across the country and they won’t be getting much warmer as we near the end of the year. A getaway to Mexico might be exactly what you’re looking for come January or February, so be sure to lock in these prices before they rise.

JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa. ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

Deal Basics

Airlines: American, Delta, JetBlue, Aeromexico.

Routes: Austin, Chicago, New York, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, St. Louis and others to Cancun.

Travel dates: November 2022 through March 2023.

How to book: We recommend finding the best itinerary on Google Flights, then booking directly with the airline.

Sample Flights

We took note of round-trip airfare to Cancun (CUN) for around $250 or below. However, if you don’t see your city listed here, check prices from your home airport. There are many U.S. cities with round-trip availability to Cancun for just above the price range we flagged, including trips from Washington, D.C., Dallas, Houston and Los Angeles.

Here are a few of the options we liked most:

Austin to Cancun for $252 on American.
Chicago to Cancun for $222 on a SkyTeam combination of Delta and Aeromexico.
Denver to Cancun for $251 on Aeromexico.
Fort Lauderdale to Cancun or $238 on JetBlue.
New York to Cancun for $243 on American.
St. Louis to Cancun for $257 on American.

Let’s look first at one of the shortest flights available at a low price point: Austin Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) to Cancun. It’s a nonstop flight of under two and a half hours on the southbound trip aboard American Airlines. This particular itinerary gets you on vacation just after the new year.

GOOGLE FLIGHTS

A number of these itineraries do involve connections somewhere. In fact, be sure to check how long your layover is before you book a particular itinerary. I found options that looked great out of some cities, but with a 10-plus hour stop at a U.S. airport.

The layovers are more reasonable (but not totally) ideal on this itinerary. Departing from O’Hare International Airport (ORD), you’ll fly down to Cancun aboard SkyTeam carrier and Mexican flagship airline Aeromexico. It’s a relatively brief, two-hour stop in Mexico City, before the final leg of the trip. On the way back, you’ll have a three-plus hour layover in New York at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).

GOOGLE FLIGHTS

In a lot of cases for these deals, you trade convenience for price, so it all comes down to what you’re OK with.

Here’s a bit simpler option: Nonstop flights from South Florida aboard JetBlue. For $238, you’ll reach Cancun by mid-day, in time to spend the afternoon on the beach. Likewise, on the way home, you won’t depart until early afternoon, so you can enjoy the final few hours at your resort before heading to the airport.

GOOGLE FLIGHTS

Maximize your purchase

Don’t forget to use a card that earns bonus points on airfare purchases, such as The Platinum Card® from American Express, which earns 5 points per dollar on airfare booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year). The Citi Premier® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve earn 3 points per dollar on airfare, and the American Express® Gold Card also earns 3 points per dollar on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through Amex Travel. Meanwhile, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 2 points per dollar on travel. Learn more here about maximizing your air travel purchases.

Hilton Cancun. BENJI STAWSKI/THE POINTS GUY

Bottom line

Because prices to Cancun can fluctuate as with any destination, you want to make sure you’re booking your airfare at a time when you can get the best deals, as opposed to paying $400 or more round-trip. Get a warm weather, winter getaway on the books now by paying a far lower cost to get to Mexico and back.