Unless you live in Florida or another warm part of the country, the weather is just starting to turn nasty enough to make some start dreaming about that tropical getaway.
Several studies have now shown that even starting to plan and think about a vacation sends those dopamine levels soaring and improves one’s mood.
Related: Delta adds a route U.S. tourists have been begging for
Targeting that mid-November period before many's vacation-planning amps up, Alaska Airlines ALK just dropped its Mexico sale to commemorate the 35-year anniversary of first starting to offer service to the United States' southern neighbor in 1988.
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This is what you need to do to score that $99 flight to Cancun
Between Nov. 14 and the end of Nov. 16, one will be able to find one-way fares to popular resort towns such as Acapulco and Zihuatanejo from many U.S. cities for $99 on the airline's site.
"Alaska has connected travelers to the rich culture and natural beauty of Mexico since 1998 and has grown to be the #1 U.S.-based carrier from the West Coast with the most flights to the most destinations in Mexico," the airline told TheStreet in a statement. "The company continues to expand its footprint in the market and earlier this year announced new routes to Zihuatanejo, a popular resort destination along Mexico's Pacific Coast."
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The latter town is a resort an hour's north of Acapulco that has been growing in popularity among sun-seekers in recent years. U.S. cities from which the $99 routes are available include Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego, San Jose, Los Angeles and Portland, Ore.
As Alaska Airlines mainly services the West Coast, one will need to be in one of those cities to take advantage of the low rates. Travel also needs to be booked between Nov. 29 and March 13, 2024 with some blackout dates during popular holiday periods.
Mexico is a hot destination this year (here’s where you can go)
The most expensive routes are Portland to Puerto Vallarta and Seattle to San José de Cabo starting at $149 instead of $99. These prices are for Alaska’s Saver fare which allow one carry-on bag and no cancelations or early seat selection.
Both airlines and Mexican cities themselves are expecting an influx of sun-seeking tourists from the U.S. this coming winter season.
With the new Felipe Carrillo Airport at the resort town of Tulum nearing its completion, both Delta DAL and Spirit SAVE announced new routes that it will start running in the spring of 2024 — from Atlanta for Delta and from Orlando and Fort Lauderdale for the latter.
American Airlines AAL also recently hopped onboard with a Tulum route.
The airlines are also offering low introductory fares for those who will be able to commit to traveling in the spring now. What was once a quiet resort town known largely for its Mayan history exploded in popularity among travel influencers in the last five years and brought within it an influx of regular tourists.
Tulum was previously accessible only by an hour-and-a-half’s ride by road after flying in to Cancun. Over two million visitors came to the resort town in 2022.
