While many Americans' first introduction to Mexico comes through resort towns like Cancun and, increasingly Tulum (what was once simply a fishing village with famous Mayan ruins became so popular among influencers as to warrant the construction of its own airport), tourist numbers have been rising all over the North American country of 127.5 million people.
At the start of July, Delta Air Lines (DAL) and Aeromexico (GRPAQ) came together to launch new flights to Mexico City from Raleigh-Durham, Tampa Bay and Washington, D.C. while Spain's flagship airline Iberia and budget Mexican carrier Volaris (VLRS) recently expanded their network so that one's primary flight from Madrid can be linked to 25 different destinations within Mexico.
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Looking westward for customers, Alaska Airlines (ALK) is now announcing two new routes to Mexico from Los Angeles — one to the Baja California Sur capital of La Paz, which Alaska used to run in the past but cut from its schedule 11 years ago, and another to Monterrey International Airport. The Nuevo León capital of just over 1.19 million people, is home to six Michelin-starred restaurants and attracts tourists interested in experiencing Mexico's mountain culture.
'Proud to connect travelers with the rich culture and natural beauty'
The LA-La Paz service will begin on Nov. 20 and run between two and three times a week (the number of flights will be upped during peak travel periods) while the Monterrey route will run daily as of Feb. 13, 2025. Both will run on an Embraer E175 (ERJ) plane.
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"We recently celebrated 35 years of service to Mexico and are proud to connect travelers with the rich culture and natural beauty of the country," Alaska Airlines Vice President Of Revenue Management And Network Planning Kirsten Amrine said in a statement. "We look forward to continuing to serve as the carrier of choice from the West Coast, especially as we prepare to start service to these popular destinations in Mexico."
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Alaska Airlines set its sights on these two Mexican regions. Will others follow?
While the start of the La Paz route is timed with the beginning of the sun-seeking winter period, the Monterrey flight is also meant to serve locals who may be traveling to LA or transferring through it for other U.S. destinations for business or to visit relatives. On the flip side, Monterrey lawmakers hope the new route will attract travelers who might have otherwise picked other cities for their Mexican vacation.
Aeromexico, meanwhile, has also held Monterrey in its route expansion plans but has increasingly been focusing on more faraway clients — in 2024, the country's flagship carrier launched direct Monterrey routes from Spain's Madrid, South Korea's Seoul and Atlanta.
"We are pleased to announce that Alaska Airlines will begin operations from Monterrey Airport to Los Angeles, expanding its services from our airports along with Mazatlán and Zihuatanejo," Ricardo Dueñas, who heads the Grupo Aeroportuario del Centro Norte airport coalition, said in a statement. "Through LAX, this new route will offer access to new destinations on the West Coast, as we continue to increase international connectivity from Monterrey to meet both business and leisure travel demand."
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