American Airlines (AA) recently revealed a significant expansion to its winter schedule, opening new routes to Mexico and further solidifying its leadership role within the U.S.-Mexico travel market. As its operations approach just over 430 seasonal daily departures to 97 destinations throughout Mexico, the Caribbean, and Latin America, this further validates its intentions to build further connectivity between the U.S. and Mexico’s key destinations. The new routes aim to increase flexibility and convenience for passengers, to cosmopolitan cities, historic towns, or beach resorts.
Year-Round Flight from Chicago to Mexico City
One of AA’s most prominent seasonal schedule announcements is the introduction of year-round service between Benito Juárez International Airport (Mexico City) and Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD). From October 26, this service will offer an appealing, one-stop, direct service between two leading international centers and streamline travel between leisure and business travelers alike.
The new service will join flights by United Airlines and three leading Mexican carriers—Aeroméxico, Viva Aerobus, and Volaris—in offering consumers more choices on flights from the United States to Mexico. The fact that the flight will have year-round availability means that this will not only address seasonal travel, but will also serve year-round business travel, and will provide more flexibility to consumers intending to travel to Mexico City on holiday purposes.
The leading US carrier in Mexico, the Caribbean, and Latin America, American Airlines opened this service to solidify its commitment to responding to the growing necessity to travel to Mexico’s capital. Mexico City, famous for its culture, history, and gastronomy, still attracts tourists from all over the world, and American Airlines’ improved connectivity ensures that tourists and businessmen have regular, reliable access to this cosmopolitan city.
Seasonal flights to Queretaro
As part of its new year-round Mexico City service, American Airlines will launch a seasonal service from Chicago O’Hare to Querétaro, Mexico, this winter holiday season. Flying every day from December 18, 2025, through January 5, 2026, this new service will offer travelers an opportunity to visit one of Mexico’s most scenic colonial cities. Querétaro owes its beautifully preserved historic center, designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, and its very core location near key sites such as the quaint town of San Miguel de Allende and one of Mexico’s leading wine regions to its rich cultural and colonial history.
Querétaro has come to be an up-and-coming travel destination, offering a unique blend of colonial architecture, modern infrastructure, and cultural diversity. The city falls between the cracks, being overlooked by better-developed Mexican cities like Mexico City and Guadalajara, but this new service offers Americans a chance to explore, more easily, a previously inaccessible, yet not-less-scenic, corner of Mexico.
As a seasonal alternative to traveling to central Mexico, this service is a great alternative. Although historically rich, the region offers a variety of landscapes, charming towns, and delicious cuisine and vineyards. The seasonal flight to this region caters to holiday tourists who want an alternative to the mainstream beach destinations and offers them a chance to experience Mexico’s cultural bounty on a smaller, more subdued scale.
Most recently, American Airlines also revealed expansion intentions further inside Mexico. The airline will introduce its 30th network point inside Mexico, and year-round service will start on December 3, 2025, between Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). The new flight will travel twice weekly, offering more convenience to one of Mexico’s most beautiful and inaccessible coastal areas. Puerto Escondido has beautifully preserved beaches, a laid-back atmosphere, and world-class surf spots.
Also, Oaxaca, which is a renowned city for its cultural diversity, pre-Hispanic antiquities, and delicious gastronomy, will have a straight connection to the U.S. through this new flight. Oaxaca, one among Mexico’s leading cultural tourism sites, features indigenous culture, colonial cities, and unique cuisine. Travelers, owing to the new flight by American Airlines, can experience Puerto Escondido’s coastal ambiance and Oaxaca’s cultural treasures without much difficulty.
The new flights are one example of American’s overall initiative to provide more diverse travel options to and within Mexico’s off-the-beaten-path regions. More and more U.S. Travelers are looking for experiential travel and destinations off the typical tourist path, and Puerto Escondido and Oaxaca provide just that. From sunning on private beaches to exploring Oaxaca’s historic treasures, this new service provides broader access to these off-the-beaten-path destinations.
Frequent Service on Regular Routes
As well as new cities, American Airlines is also increasing its weekly flight frequencies to several of Mexico’s most-popular destinations. From its O’Hare airport base in Chicago, the airline will have three flights a day to Cancún International Airport, one of the most-popular beach destinations on the Caribbean Sea. Renowned for its white sand beaches, luxurious resorts, and vibrant nightlife, Cancún still features highly on many travel bucket lists from nations all around the world.
The airline will also boost up to two flights a day from Chicago O’Hare to San José del Cabo (Los Cabos), to accommodate consumers’ desire to escape to Baja California’s beaches. Los Cabos, located on Baja California’s southernmost tip, is famous for its stunning beaches, luxurious resorts, and majestic desert views. Daily service from and to Los Cabos during the optimal holiday season means that tourists will have flights to one of Mexico’s most luxurious travel destinations.
Also, there will be two daily flights between Puerto Vallarta
International Airport, one of the beachgoers’ favorite destinations, and Chicago O’Hare. Puerto Vallarta’s service will increase by American Airlines from December 18, 2025, to January 6, 2026, so that tourists will arrive easily and quickly to the city during the busy period of the winter season.
Seasonal frequency increases to Mexico’s top destinations like Cancún, Puerto Vallarta, and Los Cabos are an indication of American’s push to take advantage of the seasonal travel increase to Mexico’s beach destinations. Increasing flights and better connections, the airlines aim to offer travelers hassle-free and budget-friendly travel to Mexico’s top tourist spots.
The added service to Mexico by American Airlines follows its leadership position in the U.S.-Mexico transborder market. According to the CAPA-Aviation Center, American Airlines leads 19.8% two-way seat share, well ahead of its competitors. United Airlines holds the second rank owing to 16.2% share, and Mexican carriers such as Volaris, Aeroméxico, and Viva Aerobus share the remaining market share.
This leadership on the market attests to the long-time Mexican and Latin American bet placed by American Airlines. The company continues to solidify its penetration on the continent by providing new destinations and added frequencies, providing consumers with a diverse offering of destinations and value proposition that favor travel related to work and vacations.
Conclusion
The announcement by American Airlines of new Mexico routes and increased flight frequencies demonstrates the company’s ongoing attempts to solidify its presence within the Latin American market. Featuring year-round Mexico City service, seasonal service to Querétaro, and new service to Puerto Escondido and Oaxaca, American Airlines continues to provide travelers more access to Mexico’s rich attractions.
With its increase in leadership in the U.S.-Mexico transborder market, the airline continues to ensure that consumers have easy and hassle-free access to one of the most attractive destinations for international travel. From Oaxaca’s vibrant culture to Puerto Escondido’s stunning beaches, and from Cancún’s and Los Cabos’ resort destinations, consumers are discovering that travel to Mexico has never been easier, and that’s thanks to American Airlines. As travel to Mexico continues to increase, the additional service from American Airlines provides an easy experience to customers, flexibility, convenience, and first-class service to meet the needs of today’s traveler.
Source: travelandtourworld
