Why Are Flights To Cabo So Expensive?

Wondering why flights to Cabo are so expensive? Me too!

Everyone wants to head to the sun and the southern tip of Baja California is the perfect spot to do – Cabo St Lucas!

You would expect flights to a cheap destination like Cabo to be cheap, but there are a whole host of reasons why they are expensive sometimes.

Let’s take a look…

Lack Of Competition & Direct Flights

Cabo is a relatively popular destination with 46 direct connections to major cities around the world, However, in comparison, Cancun has 120 direct flights and Belize City has 28, which would explain why Belize is also not cheap to fly to!

Cabo vs Cancun direct flights

One of the reasons for this is that although Cabo’s airport is modern and well-equipped, it is not large by international standards. On top of this, a lot of the flights include a connection, especially the international ones. This adds even more to the price.

So, the lack of flights and competition means consumers like you and me pay more for flights to Cabo.

Seasonality 

Seasonality is going to play a big role in flight prices to Cabo.

For example, September is the rainiest month in the area as it is the peak of hurricane season in Mexico, which runs from June until November. So, most people will not fly to Cabo during that month and as a result, flights are cheaper.

Over the last 12 months, the largest number of visitors to Cabo was in:

• December 
• March
• July

These months often correspond to popular periods like school holidays and end-of-year breaks. 

These periods will see flights to Cabo rise in price significantly.

Distance

Longer distances always make flights to places like Cabo more expensive. And although Cabo is only a few hundred miles south of the border, it means flights are always further than most domestic flights for the majority of Americans.

Various flights from New York below show you some examples:

• New York – Cabo:  5 hours 35 minutes
• New York – San Diego: 5 hours 40 minutes
• New York – Austin: 3 hours 45 minutes
• New York – Miami: 2 hours 55 minutes

You can see that there is a 2.5-hour flight time difference between Miami and Cabo from New York. While San Diego, which is the furthest you can get inside the lower 48 is around the same distance.

As you can imagine, this means that any flight to Cabo includes a lot more flight time – which means an increase in costs for things like fuel, personnel, food and drinks, etc.

New York Flight distance comparison to Cabo

Fuel Costs

Aviation fuel prices over time – Data source Index Mundi

The cost of fuel has risen since the war started in the Ukraine last year. And although it has dropped again this year, these savings take a while to trickle down.

One reason for this is that Airlines take out longer-term contracts with fuel suppliers to lock in prices. and with fuel being around 25% of their costs, depending on the price of course, changes in fuel prices greatly affect the cost of a ticket to Cabo.

So, unless fuel prices drop significantly in the future, this will make your next flight to Cabo more expensive than it used to be.

How To Save Money On Flights To Cabo

There are a number of ways you can save money on flights to Cabo San Lucas:

• Be flexible with travel dates and try to avoid peak season.
• Compare prices from different airlines and booking platforms.
• Consider alternative airports or nearby destinations that may offer more affordable options.
• Sign up for fare alerts or newsletters to stay informed about any discounts or promotions.
• Book flights in advance or look for last-minute deals, depending on the availability and timing.
• Use your miles to decrease the price of the flight