Mexico is world-famous for being a colorful country with various landscapes, an incredible culture, delicious food, and impeccable beverages!
Whether you’re into beachside party culture, underwater adventures, natural exploration, or historical museums, Mexico has what you’ll like.
And as one of the closest destinations to the U.S., it’s no wonder why Mexico is one of the easiest, most convenient places to access for those based in North America (not just the U.S.).
Surprisingly, flights to Mexico, particularly leisure destinations like Cancún (CUN), Cozumel (CZM), Puerto Vallarta (PVR), and Cabo (SJD) can get very pricey very quickly, despite some flights being just over an hour-long!
This paves the way for some amazing ways to use points and miles for flights to Mexico, saving you thousands of dollars in the process.
In this complete guide, we’ll show you the best ways to fly to Mexico using points, step-by-step!
Best Programs To Use To Book Flights
Assuming you’re flying from the U.S. to Mexico, you’re in for a short-haul flight. In almost all cases, your best-case scenario is a wide, recliner-style seat on a full-service carrier.
Sure, there are flights on low-cost carriers like Volaris, Frontier, and Spirit, but why settle for that when you can enjoy a more comfortable flight for a few more points?
In general, the 4 best airlines you can book to Mexico are:
All of these airlines more or less offer a similar type of service (except rare widebody aircraft frequencies aboard American Airlines and Aeromexico), so the 2 factors you should use to make your decision are convenience (nonstop vs. connecting flights) and points price.
Chances are that there’s a nonstop flight to Mexico from the international airport near you, so just keep that in mind when searching for flights.
As far as award programs go, we’ve identified numerous programs that offer at least 1 of these benefits:
- Rock-bottom region-based pricing (e.g. Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles)
- Sweet spot distance-based pricing (e.g. British Airways Executive Club)
- Enhanced award availability when redeeming a mileage premium (e.g. United MileagePlus)
So without further ado, here are our best ways to fly to Mexico using points and miles!
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
United first class is a comfortable way to fly to Mexico. Image Credit: United AirlinesAt first glance, you might be wondering what Turkish Airlines is doing in a guide on flying to Mexico.
However, Turkish Airlines is a member of the Star Alliance, of which United Airlines is also a member. That means you can use Turkish Airlines miles for flights on United and vice-versa.
Interestingly, Turkish Airlines miles are incredibly valuable because you would pay just 15,000 Turkish Airlines miles for a one-way flight between the U.S. and Mexico aboard United Airlines business class (or 10,000 miles in economy).
Since Turkish Airlines’ award search engine is a bit clunky, we’d recommend following the steps below to search for award space:
- Search for partner-level United award availability via a website like Air Canada
- If you’re familiar with partner-level award space, you can still use United’s website, but you’ll just need to specifically look for flights with availability in the Business Saver Award column
- Visit Turkish Airlines’ website
- Click Sign In in the top-right corner and log in using your Turkish Airlines account information
- If you haven’t created an account, click Sign up in the top-right corner
- After logging in, you’ll be redirected to the homepage, where you’ll find a search box in the middle of the homepage
- Click the checkbox that says Award ticket – Buy a ticket with Miles
- Enter your departure and destination airport codes, departure date(s), cabin class, and the number of passengers; click the red search button
- If your desired flights show up, simply confirm the reservation, redeem your miles, and use a credit card for taxes and fees
- If the desired flights don’t show up, call Turkish Airlines at 800-874-8875 to complete the reservation
Here are some amazing, high-value routes you can book:
- Chicago (ORD) – Cozumel (CZM) one-way in United business class for 15,000 Turkish Airlines miles + ~$59 in taxes and fees
- Houston (IAH) – Guadalajara (GDL) one-way in United business class for 15,000 Turkish Airlines miles + ~$59 in taxes and fees
- Houston (IAH) – Heroica Veracruz (VER) one-way in United business class for 15,000 Turkish Airlines miles + ~$59 in taxes and fees
- Los Angeles (LAX) – Cozumel (CZM) one-way in United business class for 15,000 Turkish Airlines miles + ~$59 in taxes and fees
- Newark (EWR) – Mexico City (MEX) one-way in United business class for 15,000 Turkish Airlines miles + ~$59 in taxes and fees
- Newark (EWR) – San José del Cabo (SJD) one-way in United business class for 15,000 Turkish Airlines miles + ~$59 in taxes and fees
- San Francisco (SFO) – Cancún (CUN) one-way in United business class for 15,000 Turkish Airlines miles + ~$59 in taxes and fees
- San Francisco (SFO) – San José del Cabo (SJD) one-way in United business class for 15,000 Turkish Airlines miles + ~$59 in taxes and fees
- Washington, D.C. (IAD) – Cancún (CUN) one-way in United business class for 15,000 Turkish Airlines miles + ~$59 in taxes and fees
Earning Turkish Airlines Miles
At the moment, Turkish Airlines’ frequent flyer program, Miles&Smiles, is only transfer partners with Citi ThankYou Rewards.
Luckily, you can transfer Citi ThankYou Points to Turkish Airlines at a 1:1 ratio. Transfers take around 1 to 2 days to process.
Here are our favorite ways to earn Citi ThankYou Points:
Recommended Citi ThankYou Rewards Cards
| CREDIT CARD | CARD INFO |
|---|
Citi Premier® Card
Learn More (at our partner's secure site) | - Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.
- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants, Supermarkets, Gas Stations, Air Travel and Hotels.
- Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
- Annual Hotel Savings Benefit
- 60,000 Points are redeemable for $600 in gift cards when redeemed at thankyou.com
- No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases
- Good to Excellent (670-850)
- Annual Fee: $95
$960 |
Limited Time Offer
Citi Rewards+® Card
Learn More (at our partner's secure site) | - Earn 20,000 bonus points after you spend $1,500 in purchases with your card within 3 months of account opening; redeemable for $200 in gift cards at thankyou.com
- For a limited time, earn 5 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on air travel and hotels up to $6,000 in the first 12 months and then 1 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent thereafter.
- 0% Intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months from date of first transfer and on purchases from date of account opening. After that, the variable APR will be 14.24% – 24.24%, based on your creditworthiness. There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
- The Citi Rewards+® Card – the only credit card that automatically rounds up to the nearest 10 points on every purchase – with no cap.
- Earn 2X ThankYou® Points at Supermarkets and Gas Stations for the first $6,000 per year and then 1X Points thereafter. Plus, earn 1X ThankYou® Points on All Other Purchases.
- The standard variable APR for Citi Flex Plan is 14.24% – 24.24%, based on your creditworthiness. Citi Flex Plan offers are made available at Citi’s discretion.
- Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840)
- Annual Fee: $0
$320 |
Hot Tip: Need a hotel too? Check out these Mexico hotels to book with points including options in popular spots like Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta, and Cancun.
United MileagePlus
Redeem United miles to enjoy greater award availability when booking United premium cabin flights to Mexico. Image Credit: UnitedUnited’s own frequent flyer program, MileagePlus, enjoys several advantages over other programs; namely, because of its dynamic award pricing system, only a small fraction of flights are bookable with partner awards.
On the other hand, United makes many times more flights available to those redeeming United miles.
We recommend using United MileagePlus if you’d like to have the easiest time searching for flights, thanks to the seamless online search engine, the abundance of availability (albeit probably more expensive mileage-wise), and the ease of earning United miles.
Remember, United uses variable award pricing, so you’ll notice mileage prices all over the board. In some cases, these flights are bookable for as little as 30,000 miles — on other dates, you’ll see prices as high as 90,000+ miles! To get around this, just adjust your flight dates (if possible).
Here’s how we would recommend booking a United flight to Mexico using United miles:
- Visit United’s website
- On the homepage, you’ll see a search box
- Choose Roundtrip or One-way
- Check off the box that says Book with miles
- Enter the origin and destination cities
- Select your departure date
- Choose the number of travelers
- Toggle the cabin class (business class)
- Click Find flights
- Your flight results will populate; choose the dates and flights that work the best for you and complete the booking by entering the traveler information and a credit card for taxes and fees
Here are some amazing nonstop routes you can book on United in business/first class:
- Chicago (ORD) – Monterrey (MTY) one-way in United business class from 30,000 United miles + ~$35 in taxes and fees
- Houston (IAH) – León (BJX) one-way in United business class from 30,000 United miles + ~$35 in taxes and fees
- Los Angeles (LAX) – Ixtapa (ZIH) one-way in United business class from 32,500 United miles + ~$35 in taxes and fees
- Newark (EWR) – Puerto Vallarta (PVR) one-way in United business class from 30,000 United miles + ~$35 in taxes and fees
- San Francisco (SFO) – Mexico City (MEX) one-way in United business class from 30,000 United miles + ~$35 in taxes and fees
Earning United MileagePlus Miles
Earning United miles is easy. In general, the 2 best ways to earn United miles are either via transfers from Chase Ultimate Rewards or directly from United’s co-branded credit cards.
Generally, it’s much easier to earn Chase points quickly; once your points are accumulated, you can transfer them at a 1:1 ratio to United, which process almost instantly!
Alternatively, you can make purchases on co-branded United cards, though you’ll probably rack up points slower.
Lastly, United is a transfer partner with Marriott Bonvoy at a 3:1.1 ratio. If you transfer 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points to United, you’ll earn a bonus of 5,500 miles for a total of 27,500 United miles earned.
Recommended Chase Cards (Personal)
| Credit Card | Benefits & Info |
|---|
Chase Sapphire Preferred®
Learn More (at Chase's secure site) | - Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $1,000 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- Enjoy benefits such as a $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases, plus more.
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 80,000 points are worth $1,000 toward travel.
- With Pay Yourself BackSM, your points are worth 25% more during the current offer when you redeem them for statement credits against existing purchases in select, rotating categories
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Good to Excellent (670-850)
- Annual Fee: $95
$1,600
Must Reads: For more info on the Chase Sapphire Preferred, see our thoughts on its benefits and travel insurance coverage, which includes primary car rental insurance. Take a look at our full review to see why it’s one of our favorite cards. |
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Learn More (at Chase's secure site) | - Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Earn 5x total points on air travel and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 50,000 points are worth $750 toward travel
- With Pay Yourself BackSM, your points are worth 50% more during the current offer when you redeem them for statement credits against existing purchases in select, rotating categories
- 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
- Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority PassTM Select and up to $100 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck®
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more
- Excellent (740-850)
- Annual Fee: $550
$1,000
Must Reads: For more on the Chase Sapphire Reserve, see our thoughts on its benefits, global airport lounge access, and travel insurance protection. Take a look here for our full review. |
If you’re a business owner, there are a number of Chase business credit cards to choose from.
Recommended United Cards
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
One of the handiest transfer partners for those looking to fly United to Mexico, especially with Amex points, is Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer. Image Credit: UnitedOur favorite frequent flyer program for United flights, particularly for Amex Membership Rewards loyalists, is Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer.
Most known for being the only loyalty program you can use to book Singapore Suites and Singapore Airlines’ long-haul business class, KrisFlyer is incredibly useful for flights on United.
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles can also be redeemed for Alaska Airlines flights, but the premium cabin redemption rates aren’t as attractive, which is why we aren’t discussing Alaska Airlines redemptions.
Just like with Turkish Airlines, you’ll need to first locate partner-level availability. Follow these steps to set yourself up for success:
- Search for availability on the Air Canada or LifeMiles websites; alternatively, you can visit United’s website and perform a search for Business Saver Award tickets
- Call Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer at 312-843-5333
- Feed the agent the flight information, including the airport codes, flight date(s), flight numbers, number of travelers, and cabin class
- The agent should be able to see partner-level availability and confirm your ticket
- Redeem your KrisFlyer miles, complete the reservation, and pay for any taxes and fees using a credit card
KrisFlyer charges 12,500 miles one-way in economy and 23,000 miles in business (round-trip is simply double the price).
Here are some fantastic routes you can book using KrisFlyer miles on United Airlines business class:
- Chicago (ORD) – San José del Cabo (SJD) one-way in United business class for 23,000 KrisFlyer miles + ~$35 in taxes and fees
- Houston (IAH) – Oaxaca (OAX) one-way in United business class for 23,000 KrisFlyer miles + ~$35 in taxes and fees
- Los Angeles (LAX) – Manzanillo (ZLO) one-way in United business class for 23,000 KrisFlyer miles + ~$35 in taxes and fees
- Newark (EWR) – Cancún (CUN) one-way in United business class for 23,000 KrisFlyer miles + ~$35 in taxes and fees
- San Francisco (SFO) – Puerto Vallarta (PVR) one-way in United business class for 23,000 KrisFlyer miles + ~$35 in taxes and fees
- Washington, D.C. (IAD) – Mexico City (MEX) one-way in United business class for 23,000 KrisFlyer miles + ~$35 in taxes and fees
Earning Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Miles
Earning KrisFlyer miles is made easy by the numerous transfer partners available.
You can transfer Amex Membership Rewards points, Chase Ultimate Rewards points, Citi ThankYou Points, and even Brex points at a 1:1 ratio. These transfers usually take 1 business day.
Our favorite transfer partner to leverage with this redemption is Amex Membership Rewards, simply because it’s so easy to earn tons of Amex points on everyday purchases.
You can also transfer Capital One miles at a 1:1 ratio and Marriott Bonvoy points at a 3:1 ratio with a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points transferred.
Recommended Amex Cards (Personal)
| Credit Card | Key Benefits & Info |
|---|
New 100k Welcome Offer
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Learn More (at Amex's secure site) | - Earn 100,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card®, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu.
- Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
- $200 Hotel Credit: Get $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings, which requires a minimum two-night stay, through American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®.
- $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Audible, Disney+, The Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The New York Times. Enrollment required.
- $155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax.
- American Express has expanded The Centurion® Network to include 40+ Centurion Lounge and Studio locations worldwide. There are even more places your Platinum Card® can get you complimentary entry and exclusive perks.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year in baggage fees and more at one select qualifying airline.
- $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only.
- $300 Equinox Credit: Get up to $25 back each month on the Equinox+ digital fitness app, or eligible Equinox club memberships when you pay with your Platinum Card®. Enrollment required.
- $179 CLEAR® Credit: Use your Card and get up to $179 back per year on your CLEAR® membership.
- Good to Excellent (670-850)
- Annual Fee: $695
- Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum card, click here.
$2,200
Must Reads: For more info on the Amex Platinum, see our thoughts on the cards incredible benefits and perks, which includes travel insurance coverage, and so much more. Check out our full review to see why it’s one of the best travel credit cards. |
American Express® Gold Card
Learn More (at Amex's secure site) | - Rose Gold is here to stay. Card Members can choose between a Gold or Rose Gold Card.
- Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X).
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® Points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year.
- $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Boxed, and participating Shake Shack locations. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Good to Excellent (670-850)
- Annual Fee: $250
- Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Amex Gold Card, click here.
$1,320
Must Reads: For more info on the Amex Gold Card, see our guides on its benefits and perks, as well as our full review. |
See our list of recommended Amex business credit cards if you’re a business owner.
British Airways Executive Club
By booking American Airlines business class using BA Avios, you can take advantage of comfortable recliner seats at excellent prices. Image Credit: American AirlinesAmerican Airlines, just like United, has plenty of ways to fly nonstop to Mexico. And although a couple of cities are serviced by both United and American Airlines, you’ll notice that each of them more or less have their own “territory.”
For example, United has a stronghold in San Francisco (SFO) while American Airlines has incredible power in Dallas (DFW).
So in this section, we’ll show you our favorite way to redeem points for American Airlines flights to Mexico: British Airways Executive Club.
Overall, using British Airways miles (known as BA Avios) is generally attractive for shorter-haul flights and exorbitant for long-haul flights.
Luckily, this falls into the short-haul category! British Airways only has access to American Airlines’ partner-level award space, so you wouldn’t want to search on American Airlines’ website as a general rule.
Here’s how American Airlines flights can be booked using British Airways Avios:
- Visit British Airways’ website
- Click Log in in the top-right corner and enter your British Airways Executive Club information
- Once you’ve been logged in and get redirected to the homepage, hover over the Book button in the top ribbon and click Book a flight with Avios
- Enter your departure and destination cities, travel dates, cabin class, and the number of passengers; click Get flights
- Choose the flight you’d like to book and click Continue
- Confirm the ticket by redeeming your Avios, entering the traveler information, and using a credit card to pay for taxes and fees
If you can follow these steps, you could potentially get some incredible value regardless of which cabin class you end up booking. Here are some of our favorite routes you can book using BA Avios:
- Boston (BOS) – Cancún (CUN) one-way in American Airlines business class for 22,000 BA Avios + ~$35 in taxes and fees
- Dallas (DFW) – Acapulco (ACA) one-way in American Airlines business class for 16,500 BA Avios + ~$35 in taxes and fees
- Dallas (DFW) – Chihuahua (CUU) one-way in American Airlines business class for 15,000 BA Avios + ~$35 in taxes and fees
- Los Angeles (LAX) – San José del Cabo (SJD) one-way in American Airlines business class for 12,500 BA Avios + ~$35 in taxes and fees
- Miami (MIA) – Cozumel (CZM) one-way in American Airlines business class for 12,500 BA Avios + ~$35 in taxes and fees
- Miami (MIA) – Mérida (MID) one-way in American Airlines business class for 16,500 BA Avios + ~$35 in taxes and fees
- New York City (JFK) – Cancún (CUN) one-way in American Airlines business class for 22,000 BA Avios + ~$35 in taxes and fees
- Phoenix (PHX) – Hermosillo (HMO) one-way in American Airlines business class for 12,500 BA Avios + ~$35 in taxes and fees
- Phoenix (PHX) – Mazatlán (MZT) one-way in American Airlines business class for 16,500 BA Avios + ~$35 in taxes and fees
Earning British Airways Avios
We are big fans of British Airways Avios due to the outsized value you can get, particularly for shorter flights.
British Airways Avios can generally be earned through transfer partners or directly via the co-branded British Airways card.
Currently, British Airways Executive Club is transfer partners with Chase Ultimate Rewards (1:1), American Express Membership Rewards (1:1), Capital One Miles (1:1), and Marriott Bonvoy (3:1 with a 5,000-mile bonus after transferring 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points).
In nearly all cases, British Airways Avios transfers should be processed almost instantly. Transfers from Marriott Bonvoy take around 3 business days.
Hot Tip: If you happen to have Iberia Avios or Aer Lingus Avios, you can actually transfer them at a 1:1 ratio to British Airways Avios, too!
Recommended British Airways Card
American Airlines AAdvantage
American Airlines’ flights to Mexico are typically serviced with recliner-style business class seats. Image Credit: American AirlinesAmerican Airlines AAdvantage is best utilized if you want to book an American Airlines flight but can’t locate any partner-level award space.
With AAdvantage miles, you can access a greater award inventory, but you might have to pay higher mileage prices. This is a great alternative if you have a bunch of American Airlines miles sitting around that you’d like to utilize.
To redeem AAdvantage miles for an American Airlines flight to Mexico, follow these steps:
- Visit American Airlines’ website
- On the homepage, you’ll see a search box
- Click Round trip or One way
- Click the box that says Redeem miles
- Choose your origin and destination airports
- Select the number of passengers and the departure and/or return dates
- Click Search
- Find the desired flights you’d like to book and use your AA miles to confirm your ticket
This straightforward process is probably the easiest way to book an American Airlines flight to Mexico. Here are some great routes to consider booking:
- Chicago (ORD) – Cancún (CUN) one-way in American Airlines business class from 20,000 AAdvantage miles + ~$35 in taxes and fees
- Dallas (DFW) – La Paz (LAP) one-way in American Airlines business class from 23,500 AAdvantage miles + ~$35 in taxes and fees
- Dallas (DFW) – Mazatlán (MZT) one-way in American Airlines business class from 20,000 AAdvantage miles + ~$35 in taxes and fees
- Los Angeles (LAX) – Mexico City (MEX) one-way in American Airlines business class from 22,500 AAdvantage miles + ~$35 in taxes and fees
- Los Angeles (LAX) – Puerto Vallarta (PVR) one-way in American Airlines business class from 20,000 AAdvantage miles + ~$35 in taxes and fees
- Phoenix (PHX) – Ixtapa (ZIH) one-way in American Airlines business class from 20,000 AAdvantage miles + ~$35 in taxes and fees
- Phoenix (PHX) – Mexico City (MEX) one-way in American Airlines business class from 20,000 AAdvantage miles + ~$35 in taxes and fees
- Miami (MIA) – Mexico City (MEX) one-way in American Airlines business class from 20,000 AAdvantage miles + ~$35 in taxes and fees
- Miami (MIA) – Monterrey (MTY) one-way in American Airlines business class from 20,000 AAdvantage miles + ~$35 in taxes and fees
- New York City (JFK) – San José del Cabo (SJD) one-way in American Airlines business class from 20,000 AAdvantage miles + ~$35 in taxes and fees
- Philadelphia (PHL) – Cancún (CUN) one-way in American Airlines business class from 20,000 AAdvantage miles + ~$35 in taxes and fees
Earning American Airlines AAdvantage Miles
AAdvantage miles are relatively easy to earn directly, thanks to co-branded products from Citi and Barclays.
However, since American Airlines’ sole transfer partner is Marriott Bonvoy at a 3:1 ratio and a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points transferred, it’ll be a bit more difficult to earn AAdvantage miles on your daily spending.
Transferring to American Airlines from Marriott Bonvoy takes around 2 business days, so just remember to account for that.
Recommended American Airlines AAdvantage Cards
Hot Tip: If you’re looking for a widebody business class product on American Airlines flights to Mexico, you might have some luck looking at Dallas (DFW) to Cancún (CUN).
Delta SkyMiles
Delta first class consists of recliner-style seats; you’ll often find incredible deals with Delta SkyMiles. Image Credit: DeltaDelta offers one of the best in-flight products available, and it’s generally regarded higher than United and American, so if you happen to live near a Delta hub, you’ll want to pay attention to this section.
Delta SkyMiles, just like United and American, offers a variable award pricing system for its own flights.
So if you’re performing a search and notice drastically different prices than what’s quoted here, you should consider shopping around nearby dates.
To book Delta flights to Mexico using Delta SkyMiles, follow these steps:
- Visit Delta’s website
- At the top banner of the page, you’ll see a search ribbon
- Enter your destination and origin airports
- Choose Round Trip, One Way, or Multi-City
- Check off the box that says Shop with Miles
- Under Best Fares For, click First Class
- Click the red arrow button to perform the search
- Your search results will populate in a week-long view
- Click your desired date and choose Continue
- Find your favorite flight option, enter your traveler information, redeem your SkyMiles, and pay for taxes and fees using a credit card to complete the booking
Delta’s flights to Mexico are concentrated in its hub airports of Atlanta (ATL), Los Angeles (LAX), New York City (JFK), Salt Lake City (SLC), and Seattle (SEA).
Here are some terrific flight redemptions you can make:
- Atlanta (ATL) – Cancún (CUN) one-way in Delta first class from 37,000 Delta SkyMiles + ~$36 in taxes and fees
- Atlanta (ATL) – Mexico City (MEX) one-way in Delta first class from 28,000 Delta SkyMiles + ~$36 in taxes and fees
- Atlanta (ATL) – Monterrey (MTY) one-way in Delta first class from 20,000 Delta SkyMiles + ~$36 in taxes and fees
- Atlanta (ATL) – Puerto Vallarta (PVR) one-way in Delta first class from 37,000 Delta SkyMiles + ~$36 in taxes and fees
- Atlanta (ATL) – San José del Cabo (SJD) one-way in Delta first class from 54,000 Delta SkyMiles + ~$36 in taxes and fees
- Boston (BOS) – Cancún (CUN) one-way in Delta first class from 54,000 Delta SkyMiles + ~$36 in taxes and fees
- Los Angeles (LAX) – Cancún (CUN) one-way in Delta first class from 29,000 Delta SkyMiles + ~$36 in taxes and fees
- Los Angeles (LAX) – Mexico City (MEX) one-way in Delta first class from 20,000 Delta SkyMiles + ~$36 in taxes and fees
- Los Angeles (LAX) – Puerto Vallarta (PVR) one-way in Delta first class from 29,000 Delta SkyMiles + ~$36 in taxes and fees
- Los Angeles (LAX) – San José del Cabo (SJD) one-way in Delta first class from 29,000 Delta SkyMiles + ~$36 in taxes and fees
- New York City (JFK) – Cancún (CUN) one-way in Delta first class from 35,000 Delta SkyMiles + ~$36 in taxes and fees
- New York City (JFK) – Mexico City (MEX) one-way in Delta first class from 29,000 Delta SkyMiles + ~$36 in taxes and fees
- New York City (JFK) – San José del Cabo (SJD) one-way in Delta first class from 62,000 Delta SkyMiles + ~$36 in taxes and fees
- Salt Lake City (SLC) – Cancún (CUN) one-way in Delta first class from 43,000 Delta SkyMiles + ~$36 in taxes and fees
- Salt Lake City (SLC) – Guadalajara (GDL) one-way in Delta first class from 22,000 Delta SkyMiles + ~$36 in taxes and fees
- Salt Lake City (SLC) – Mexico City (MEX) one-way in Delta first class from 29,000 Delta SkyMiles + ~$36 in taxes and fees
- Salt Lake City (SLC) – Puerto Vallarta (PVR) one-way in Delta first class from 28,000 Delta SkyMiles + ~$36 in taxes and fees
- Seattle (SEA) – Cancún (CUN) one-way in Delta first class from 20,000 Delta SkyMiles + ~$36 in taxes and fees
- Seattle (SEA) – Puerto Vallarta (PVR) one-way in Delta first class from 18,000 Delta SkyMiles + ~$36 in taxes and fees
- Seattle (SEA) – San José del Cabo (SJD) one-way in Delta first class from 17,000 Delta SkyMiles + ~$36 in taxes and fees
Earning Delta SkyMiles
Delta SkyMiles are ridiculously easy to earn. With a wide variety of co-branded credit cards issued by American Express, you can accumulate Delta miles and enjoy certain perks, complimentary with your credit card.
Even better, Delta is also 1:1 transfer partners with American Express Membership Rewards and transfers are almost instant.
Lastly, Delta is a 3:1 transfer partner with Marriott Bonvoy. You’ll earn a bonus of 5,000 miles for every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points transferred to Delta SkyMiles. Marriott transfers to Delta process within 1 business day.
Recommended Delta Personal Credit Cards
Recommended Delta Business Credit Cards
Korean Air SKYPASS
Aeromexico’s route network focuses on Mexico City and Guadalajara — for a unique experience, try using Korean Air SKYPASS to book Aeromexico business class! Image Credit: AeromexicoThe very last way we suggest booking flights to Mexico with points and miles is with the Korean Air SKYPASS frequent flyer program.
Korean Air is a SkyTeam airline, which means you can book flights on Delta and the flag carrier of Mexico: Aeromexico.
Aeromexico focuses on flights to Mexico City (MEX) and Guadalajara (GDL), so you generally won’t see leisure routes represented in Aeromexico’s network.
If you are willing to book round-trip tickets, Korean Air SKYPASS offers attractive redemption prices. For a round-trip ticket in business class, you’ll spend 45,000 Korean Air miles (25,000 miles in economy).
There are 2 ways to book Aeromexico flights using Korean Air miles — online or over the phone. In general, we find the agents at SKYPASS to be very competent; sadly, the online search engine isn’t always the most reliable.
Here is the recommended plan of action to book Aeromexico flights using SKYPASS miles:
- Find partner availability on Delta’s website
- Write down the flight numbers, dates, and times
- Call Korean Air SKYPASS at 800-438-5000
- Request to make an award booking with the representative, and provide the travel information
- Pay for taxes and fees and confirm the ticket by using SKYPASS miles
Here are most (if not all) of Aeromexico’s nonstop routes to the U.S., which are fantastic redemptions you can make using Korean Air miles:
- Austin (AUS) – Mexico City (MEX) round-trip in Aeromexico business class for 45,000 Korean Air miles + ~$35 in taxes and fees
- Chicago (ORD) – Guadalajara (GDL) round-trip in Aeromexico business class for 45,000 Korean Air miles + ~$35 in taxes and fees
- Chicago (ORD) – Mexico City (MEX) round-trip in Aeromexico business class for 45,000 Korean Air miles + ~$35 in taxes and fees
- Dallas (DFW) – Mexico City (MEX) round-trip in Aeromexico business class for 45,000 Korean Air miles + ~$35 in taxes and fees
- Denver (DEN) – Mexico City (MEX) round-trip in Aeromexico business class for 45,000 Korean Air miles + ~$35 in taxes and fees
- Houston (IAH) – Mexico City (MEX) round-trip in Aeromexico business class for 45,000 Korean Air miles + ~$35 in taxes and fees
- Las Vegas (LAS) – Mexico City (MEX) round-trip in Aeromexico business class for 45,000 Korean Air miles + ~$35 in taxes and fees
- Los Angeles (LAX) – Guadalajara (GDL) round-trip in Aeromexico business class for 45,000 Korean Air miles + ~$35 in taxes and fees
- Los Angeles (LAX) – Mexico City (MEX) round-trip in Aeromexico business class for 45,000 Korean Air miles + ~$35 in taxes and fees
- Miami (MIA) – Mexico City (MEX) round-trip in Aeromexico business class for 45,000 Korean Air miles + ~$35 in taxes and fees
- New York City (JFK) – Mexico City (MEX) round-trip in Aeromexico business class for 45,000 Korean Air miles + ~$35 in taxes and fees
- Orlando (MCO) – Mexico City (MEX) round-trip in Aeromexico business class for 45,000 Korean Air miles + ~$35 in taxes and fees
- San Antonio (SAT) – Mexico City (MEX) round-trip in Aeromexico business class for 45,000 Korean Air miles + ~$35 in taxes and fees
- San Francisco (SFO) – Guadalajara (GDL) round-trip in Aeromexico business class for 45,000 Korean Air miles + ~$35 in taxes and fees
- San Francisco (SFO) – Mexico City (MEX) round-trip in Aeromexico business class for 45,000 Korean Air miles + ~$35 in taxes and fees
- Seattle (SEA) – Mexico City (MEX) round-trip in Aeromexico business class for 45,000 Korean Air miles + ~$35 in taxes and fees
Earning Korean Air SKYPASS Miles
Earning Korean Air miles isn’t as straightforward as the other options listed above, but that should give you an idea of how valuable they can be!
For the vast majority of us, the best way to earn Korean Air miles is indirectly via Marriott Bonvoy.
Since Marriott transfers at a 3:1 ratio with a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points transferred to Korean Air SKYPASS, you can rack up points on your everyday spending this way.
Sure, there are co-branded cards from U.S. Bank, but we don’t find these cards to be as rewarding as Marriott credit cards.
Recommended Marriott Bonvoy Cards
| Credit Card | Benefits & Info |
|---|
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
Learn More (at Chase's secure site) | - Earn 3 Free Nights (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after qualifying purchases.
- New Benefit! Earn 3X Bonvoy points per $1 on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining.
- New Benefit! Earn 1 Elite Night Credit towards Elite Status for every $5,000 you spend.
- 1 Free Night Award (valued up to 35,000 points) every year after account anniversary.
- Earn up to 17X total Bonvoy points per $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Card.
- 2X Bonvoy points for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
- Receive 15 Elite Night Credits annually, automatic Silver Elite Status each account anniversary year, and path to Gold Status when you spend $35,000 on purchases each calendar year.
- No foreign transaction fees.
- Good to Excellent (670-850)
- Annual Fee: $95
$1,050 |
New 100k Welcome Offer
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card
Learn More (at Amex's secure site) | - Earn 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points and 1 Free Night Award after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months.
- Enjoy up to $300 in statement credits each year of Card Membership for eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program.
- Earn 6 Marriott Bonvoy points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program. 3 points at U.S. restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines. 2 points on all other eligible purchases.
- Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points) at a participating hotel. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- Enjoy unlimited airport lounge visits when you enroll in Priority Pass™ Select membership.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Good to Excellent (670-850)
- Annual Fee: $450
- Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card, click here.
$700 |
Hot Tip: Aeromexico’s lie-flat seats can generally only be found on select frequencies on the New York (JFK) – Mexico City (MEX) route, and once in a while, Los Angeles (LAX) – Mexico City (MEX).
Other Options To Fly to Mexico
There is a mind-boggling variety of other ways to fly to Mexico using points, but what we’ve done is show you our favorites.
Between using Turkish Airlines miles for United flights, BA Avios for American Airlines flights, and Delta SkyMiles for Delta flights, we’ve pretty much got all our bases covered.
However, there are other frequent flyer programs like Air Canada Aeroplan, Qantas Frequent Flyer, Air France/KLM Flying Blue, as well as Etihad Guest, though they generally don’t have favorable award charts for flights between the U.S. and Mexico.
Final Thoughts
Well, there you have it!
If you’re flying on United to Mexico, we like redeeming miles from Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles (Citi transfer partner), United MileagePlus (Chase transfer partner), or Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer (Amex transfer partner).
If you’re flying on American Airlines to Mexico, we like redeeming British Airways Avios (Chase, Amex, and Capital One transfer partner) and American Airlines AAdvantage miles (Marriott transfer partner).
If you’re flying on Delta to Mexico, it’s hard to beat Delta SkyMiles on pricing and availability.
Lastly, if you want to try out Aeromexico, the best deal is to redeem Korean Air SKYPASS miles.
We hope you’ve found this guide of the best ways to fly to Mexico using points and miles useful!
The information regarding the Citi Prestige® Card, Chase Freedom Unlimited® card, Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard®, CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.
For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Business Gold Card, click here.
For rates and fees of The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card, click here.
