United Airlines is adding two new nonstop routes between the US and Mexico from late October, and one of them is genuinely notable: the first direct US flight to Chiapas in more than a decade.
Starting 28 October, United will fly three times a week between Houston's George Bush Intercontinental and Tuxtla Gutiérrez, the capital of Chiapas — Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays on Embraer E175 jets. It's a short hop: wheels up at 9:50 a.m., on the ground at Ángel Albino Corzo airport by 12:45 p.m., with the return leg leaving at 1:35 p.m. and landing in Houston mid-afternoon. Chiapas hasn't had a nonstop US link since 2013, so this changes the maths for anyone who has been put off by multi-stop itineraries to reach one of Mexico's most rewarding southern states.
And it's a state worth the effort. Tuxtla is the gateway to Sumidero Canyon, a dramatic river gorge you can tour by boat, and it's an easy connection on to San Cristóbal de las Casas, the highland colonial town that anchors most Chiapas trips. Further afield sit the Maya ruins of Palenque and the Lacandon Jungle. Previously, reaching any of these from the US usually meant connecting through Mexico City; a direct Houston flight cuts hours off the trip for Gulf Coast travellers and anyone using Houston as a hub.
The second route serves a much more familiar crowd. From the same date, United will link Washington Dulles with San José del Cabo in Los Cabos four times a week — Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays — ramping up to daily service in December for peak season. The outbound flight leaves Dulles at 8:30 a.m. and arrives at lunchtime, a well-timed schedule for a beach week on the Baja California Sur coast. Los Cabos already draws heavily from the US East Coast, and this gives Washington-area travellers a nonstop option they haven't had.
Both routes fit Mexico's Tourism Ministry push to spread arrivals beyond the big beach resorts and connect destinations with higher-spending source markets. They also slot into a broader winter expansion: Air Canada has planned seasonal Vancouver–Mazatlán service, and Volaris will fly Puebla–Chicago O'Hare.
Who should care? If Chiapas is on your list — and it should be if you've already done the Yucatán — the Houston flight removes the main friction of getting there. Book early: three weekly frequencies on a small regional jet means seats will be tight around holidays. For East Coast sun-seekers, the Dulles–Los Cabos route is a straightforward win, especially once it goes daily in December. Either way, October 28 is the date to watch.