In a surprise move, United Airlines has announced plans to slash its Tulum service, joining the ranks of American Airlines and JetBlue in scaling back flights to the popular Mexican beach destination. The Chicago-based carrier will exit the Los Angeles to Tulum market effective March 30, 2025, and temporarily suspend flights from Chicago and Newark during the summer season.
The decision comes as no surprise given the rapid influx of U.S. airlines flocking to Tulum since the opening of its new international airport last year. United had initially introduced service from four domestic hubs: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and Newark, but it seems that demand hasn’t lived up to expectations.
“We regularly adjust our schedule for a variety of reasons, including demand and the broader needs of our network,” said a United spokesperson in a statement.
However, not all is lost for Tulum. United will increase service from Houston to Tulum to twice daily during the peak summer schedule from May 22, 2025, through Aug. 18, 2025.
The sudden scale-back in flights highlights the challenges faced by airlines in meeting demand for travel to popular destinations like Tulum. As American Airlines’ network chief Brian Znotins put it, “the whole industry getting in there all at the same time was too much capacity to absorb all at once; we need to get people more familiar with Tulum — there are plenty of people familiar with Tulum, but we had way more seats than people familiar with Tulum, so you’re seeing us and the whole industry scale back and take a step back a bit.”
As the airline industry continues to evolve, it remains to be seen how Tulum will adapt to changing demand and capacity. One thing is certain, however – United Airlines’ decision to cut back on its Tulum service will undoubtedly have an impact on travelers and the local economy.
Source: The Points Guy
