In the wake of Mexicana's shutdown, several U.S. carriers are expanding in Mexico, including the newly merged Continental Airlines and United Airlines.
Continental is scheduled to start daily nonstop service between Los Angeles and Leon/Guanajuato, subject to Mexican government approval, Nov. 1. The flights, using Boeing 737s, serves the airport that is the closest to two colonial cities, Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende; the latter is a popular second home and snowbird destination for Americans. Continental has long served Leon/Guanajuato from Houston.
Continental also filed for authority to begin once-weekly nonstop service to Cancun from three new cities: Austin and San Antonio, Texas, and Raleigh-Durham, N.C. The Saturday services would begin Feb. 19 with Boeing 737s with seating for 124 customers: 12 in first class, 112 in economy. United applied for authority to place its UA code on Continental-operated flights between these cities.
Continental -- which flies to 30 destinations in Mexico, more than any other airline from the U.S. -- serves Cancun 76 times weekly from its hubs in Houston, Newark and Cleveland. United flies to Cancun 31 times weekly from Denver, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco and Washington Dulles.
Meanwhile, United is expanding service into Mexico City from its hubs in Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles and San Francisco. United launched a second daily flight from Los Angeles to Mexico City on Oct. 15 and will add a third daily beginning Jan. 4.
From Chicago, United's current Saturday-only service to Mexico City will become twice-daily beginning Nov. 4. From San Francisco, daily service to Mexico City becomes twice-daily on Nov. 4. From Denver, United will offer once-daily service to Mexico City between Dec. 16 and Jan. 3.
All flights will be operated with Airbus A319 and Airbus A320 aircraft.
Meanwhile, Delta plans nonstop Saturday flights from Memphis to Mexico City starting Jan. 8, pending Mexican government approval. Delta's existing Mexico service consists of seasonal flights to Cancun and Cozumel.