I have not been paid by any entity in any way (financially, benefits) to write the following post. Any airport, airline, lounge, and/or loyalty program policies may have changed since then.
New years are all about resolutions; if you’re like me, one of your resolutions is to travel more. In 2023, all three RGV airports were working hard to open up more travel options, including new nonstop flights on various airlines. Here’s your guide to the upcoming flight options you’ll have out of all three RGV airports.
McAllen International Airport
The RGV’s northernmost airport is served by three mainstay airlines: United, American, and Allegiant. But in 2024, you’ll start seeing both AeroMexico and Delta Air Lines serving the upper RGV by flying to Mexico City and Austin. You can read more about this development here! Here is the destination breakdown:
- AeroMexico: Mexico City Felipe Angeles (NLU)
- Allegiant: Las Vegas (LAS), Orlando Sanford (SFB)*, Los Angeles (LAX)*
- American Airlines: Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW)
- Delta Airlines: Austin (AUS)
- United Airlines: Houston-Intercontinental (IAH)
* Seasonal Route
McAllen will again serve Mexico City for the first time since Aeromar ceased operations. However, the Mexico City flight, operated by AeroMexico Connect, will land at the new (and distanced) Felipe Angeles Airport instead of the larger, closer global hub, Benito Juarez Airport. Prior to Aeromar, Continental Airlines flew from McAllen to Mexico City.
The addition of Delta’s Austin flight, which will be operated by their Delta Connection subsidiary, will compete directly with Southwest’s Harlingen-Austin flight and will make McAllen the first airport to be served by all three major alliances (SkyTeam, Star Alliance, and Oneworld) full time.
Valley International Airport (Harlingen)
The mid-valley airport hosts several airlines year-round, including American, United, and Southwest. Seasonally, they are served by Delta and Sun Country and recently got new routes added, including a route to Cancun. Here is the destination breakdown:
- American Airlines: Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), Chicago O’Hare (ORD)*
- Delta Air Lines: Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP)*
- Southwest Airlines: Austin (AUS), Dallas Love Field (DAL), Houston Hobby (HOU)
- Sun Country: Cancun (CUN)*, Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP)*
- United Airlines: Houston-Intercontinental (IAH), Chicago O’Hare (ORD)*, Denver (DEN)*
* Seasonal Route
A swath of these seasonal routes will start in March 2024, including the two flights to Chicago and United’s Denver route. Sun Country’s flight to Cancun will operate every Wednesday and Saturday from May 29-August 10, 2024. Delta’s flight to Minneapolis started in October 2023 and will end in May 2024. While Harlingen is served by all three alliances, Delta’s route is seasonal. Here’s a cool tidbit: Harlingen is the only RGV airport that has a lounge!
Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport
The lower RGV’s airport is also the RGV’s newest airport, having opened its new terminal in 2021. The airport is the closest to South Padre Island, which can be enticing to folks looking to get to the beach ASAP.
- American Airlines: Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW)
- Avelo: Orlando International (MCO), Burbank/Los Angeles (BUR)*
- United Airlines: Houston-Intercontinental (IAH)
* Seasonal Route
Brownsville is uniquely served by Avelo, an ultra-low-cost carrier. They’re also the only airline that flies mainline jets like the Boeing 737 to Brownsville. Also, arriving in Orlando opens you up to incredible theme parks and international flights.
Conclusion
2024 is gearing up to be an exciting year for traveling from the RGV, with so many choices coming up at all three airports. Which route are you most excited for?
As always, Live Life One Trip at a Time!