This Popular U.S. Airline Will Soon Fly To Puerto Vallarta

Last Updated 1 month ago

Puerto Vallarta has recently established itself as one of the best Mexican destinations for beach gateways and luxurious winter holidays. 

This is why new airlines add flights to this popular locality every year. The last company to announce new routes to the Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport, the main airport in the municipality, was Alaska Airlines. 

This decision was officially taken in November, but the first flight took place a few days ago, on Thursday 14th. Here is everything you need to know about this new direct flight!

Everything you need to know about the new Alaska Airlines flight

The new direct Alaska Airlines flight connecting Las Vegas to Puerto Vallarta has a duration of roughly three hours and 30 minutes and departs four times per week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. 

The average capacity of each plane is about 1,216 seats, even though the first flight only had 76 passengers on board. 

In particular, tourists on the first flights were given gifts by the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Trust as well as the Secretary of Tourism of Nayarit and were welcomed by traditional mariachi music.

Talking about this new route, Alaska Airlines station manager, Miguel Arreola, mentioned that the flight is only temporary at the moment and will operate for the whole winter season until April 14, 2024. 

However, if the market response is positive the route may be extended for the summer period. 

“We handle six destinations right now (…) including Las Vegas, there would be seven. We fly directly to Puerto Vallarta from Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San José, San Diego, Portland, and this new route, that is from Las Vegas,” commented Miguel Arreola. 

Why this new route? 

There are several reasons why this new route has been added.

First of all, Puerto Vallarta’s popularity keeps increasing, meaning that more and more people every year decide to spend their holidays in this wonderful municipality thanks to its stunning nature, luxury resorts, and its vast range of activities able to satisfy all tourist types. 

Another main factor is that, at the beginning of September 2023, the US Federal Aviation Authority decided to give a new ranking to Mexico, upgrading this country from level two to level one. But what does this mean?

To put it simply, countries categorized as ‘level 1’ have the highest security ranking given by the US. This upgrade comes with a few additional benefits. For instance, it allows airlines to offer more direct flights to these destinations.

This may probably be one of the main factors that led Alaska Airlines to add a new route from Las Vegas to Puerto Vallarta. 

Other airlines offering direct flights from the USA

Of course, Alaska Airlines is not the only company offering direct routes to Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport. 

For instance, American Airlines offers non-stop flights connecting Puerto Vallarta to several U.S. cities, such as Austin, Dallas, Chicago, and Santa Barbara, just to mention a few. 

Similarly, United Airlines offers several non-stop routes. Among these are flights departing from Chicago, San Francisco, Denver, and Houston. 

However, it’s important to remember that, at the moment, Alaska Airlines seems to be the only company offering direct flights connecting Puerto Vallarta to Las Vegas, meaning that people living close to this metropolis only have this option to choose from.

Why do tourists keep choosing Puerto Vallarta?

But why do people keep choosing Puerto Vallarta for their holidays? The reasons are many! 

First of all, Puerto Vallarta is renowned for its stunning beaches characterized by crystal-blue waters and golden sand. Some of the most popular ones are Boca de Tomates Beach, Playa de Oro, and Los Tules. 

This destination is also renowned for its many all-inclusive resorts and five-star hotels, allowing American tourists to enjoy the most opulent holiday!

Last but not least, this is the perfect place for outdoor people and nature lovers. From whale-watching tours to hiking paths passing through the most unspoiled Mexican nature and plenty of water sports to choose from, such as kayaking and surfing, every tourist will find the perfect activity to turn this holiday into an unforgettable experience to cherish for life.