Carriers Cut Flights to Mexico as Demand Plummets
In the wake of swine flu fears that have crippled passenger traffic, many U.S. airlines have announced plans to temporarily reduce service to Mexico.
Continental Airlines, the largest U.S. carrier to Mexico, will cut in half the number of daily seats to Mexico, beginning on Monday.
US Airways said it would reduce its May and June departures to Mexico by 38%, beginning on May 10.
Delta Airlines said it would reduce its Mexico service to match declining demand, but it did not indicate how deep the cuts would be.
United Airlines said it will cut its weekly flights to Mexico from 61 to 24 for the month of May, beginning on Tuesday. Its June schedule will drop from 90 flights per week to 52.
AirTran Airways, which operates only 16 weekly flights to Mexico (all to Cancun), will cut two of those flights.
Most of these airlines have indicated that they will not eliminate service to any particular Mexican city. Instead, they will reduce their schedules by cutting flight frequencies and flying smaller planes.
The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention has advised against non-essential travel to Mexico.
Meanwhile, the Caribbean is reporting an unexpected jump in tourism as travelers intending to go to Mexico are now looking elsewhere for their vacations.