Flying News

Spirit Airlines offers new nonstop from Dallas to favorite Mexico beach

This plane is headed for the beach.

Courtesy of Spirit

There's a new nonstop going out of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport to one of the most popular vacation destinations in Mexico. Spirit Airlines is continuing its international expansion by adding Licenciado Gustavo Diaz Ordaz International Airport (PVR) in Puerta Vallarta to its route map starting July 1.

There'll be flights from the airport to three U.S. cities: Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and Los Angeles. Yay us.

The airline will offer daily flights between Puerto Vallarta and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Service to and from Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) will operate three days per week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays.

Spirit Airlines VP of Network Planning John Kirby says in a release that "offering convenient flights to beautiful destinations and spectacular beaches is what Sprit Airlines is all about, which makes Puerto Vallarta the perfect new market to connect to major cities in our network."

"We’re delighted to add the great culture and warmth of Mexico’s Pacific coast to our variety of destinations across Mexico, including Cancun and Los Cabos," Kirby says.

Let's do Spirit Airlines' new service to Puerto Vallarta in bullet form:

Los Angeles (LAX) - daily
Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) - 3X Weekly
Houston (IAH) - 3X Weekly

Spirit will also add nonstop service between LAX and Los Cabos, Mexico starting May 5. It'll be Spirit's first international service from Los Angeles, which will be joined by Puerto Vallarta when it launches the following month.

Raúl Revuelta, CEO of Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico, says in a staement that it's all about the beaches.

"Passengers are looking for destinations that offer the characteristics of Mexican beaches, such as Puerto Vallarta, and that are relatively close to their destination of origin," Revuelta says.

Obligatory COVID nod
Spirit's commitment to Safe Travels includes a multi-layered safety approach that requires all customers and staff members to wear masks or face coverings. Every plane uses state-of-the-art, high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters that capture 99.97 percent of particles and filter the air for contaminants every three minutes.

Between each flight, enhanced cleaning procedures focus on high-touch areas such as tray tables and armrests. Spirit also uses two EPA-registered fogging treatments. The first applies a safe, high-grade disinfectant that's effective against coronaviruses. The second uses an antimicrobial product that forms an invisible barrier on all surfaces that kills bacteria and viruses on contact for 30 days.

Spirit Airlines claims to be the leader in customizable travel options starting with an unbundled fare. You pay only for the options you choose such as bags, seat assignments and refreshments.

vacation transportation

Holiday News

American Airlines expects record-setting travel on Thanksgiving 2024

Photo courtesy of American Airlines

American Airlines ready for takeoff.

The holidays are looming and American Airlines is ramping up. Over the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend, the Fort Worth-based airline expects to process nearly 8.3 million customers across more than 77,000 flights.

According to a statement from American's COO David Seymour, the airline is having a good fall season and canceled fewer flights than its peers during October.

“Thanks to the hard work of our 130,000 team members, we canceled fewer flights than any of our major competitors this October and beat our own records for on-time departures and arrivals,” Seymour says.

That's surely good news. One hates to rain on their parade, but in June 2024, the only flight I booked this year, my flight was canceled less than 24 hours before take-off. I had made hotel reservations, scheduled a pet sitter, planned events, and arranged for a friend to pick me up at the destination airport. One employee speculated that it may have been "insufficient crew." Their only solution offered was: Feel free to reschedule your flight.

Thanksgiving facts and figures
The travel window runs from November 21 to December 3, and the airline expects to carry more than 500,000 more customers than it did last year.

The most-traveled day will be Sunday, December 1. The second most-traveled day will be Monday, December 2.

The peak of peak: 1,035 mainline and regional aircraft will be enroute at 10:45 am on Sunday, December 1 — the highest number of flights handled at any given time during American’s travel period.

The airline expects to serve more than 6.8 million Biscoff cookies on board from November 21 to December 3.

Travel tips
Download the American Airlines app and check in for your flight, noting added any bags to your trip. This will save you time at the airport.

If traveling internationally, download the Mobile Passport Control app, which can speed up your entry into the U.S. Global Entry members can download the Global Entry app, which allows you to submit your entry and go straight to the officer.

Upon arrival at the airport lobby, scan your mobile boarding pass to print bag tags quickly at a kiosk. If you’re not checking bags, go straight to TSA security with your mobile boarding pass.

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