United to end Tulum flights in January and add two SFO routes

United Airlines has confirmed it will end all service to Tulum International Airport (TQO) in Mexico just after the new year, according to The Points Guy. The carrier announced the change on a Friday, alongside two new transcontinental routes from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Virginia. Travellers booked on United flights to Tulum in early January are the most directly affected.

Last Tulum flights

The Points Guy reports that United Airlines flights from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) will operate for the last time on 2 January. Nonstop service from Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) will end after the flight on 4 January. The news was first spotted by Ishrion Aviation, according to the outlet.

In a statement, United said it makes "regular adjustments" to its schedule based on seasonality, demand and other market factors. United had already dropped Tulum flights from Chicago and Los Angeles before this decision.

Tulum's difficult start

Tulum's new airport first welcomed international passengers in March 2024, and airlines quickly added flights from major US hubs. It was promoted as a more convenient gateway to Tulum's resorts than Cancun International Airport (CUN), which is more than two hours away by car to the north.

Within months, however, carriers began cutting capacity, citing disappointing demand, The Points Guy says. JetBlue has left Tulum entirely. Delta Air Lines will serve Tulum only from Atlanta this winter, having previously flown from Detroit and Minneapolis. American Airlines still flies from Dallas and Miami but once also served Charlotte. Data from analytics firm Cirium, cited by the outlet, shows US air service to Tulum will be down more than 50% compared with two years ago.

New San Francisco routes

United is adding two routes from its San Francisco hub, both to Virginia and both beginning on 28 March:

• San Francisco to Richmond (RIC): twice weekly, on Thursdays and Sundays.
• San Francisco to Norfolk (ORF): twice weekly, on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

The Points Guy describes this as United's second SFO expansion in as many weeks, following an announcement of three new domestic routes from the Bay Area days earlier. The outlet adds that United is preparing to open a new United Club at the airport later this year, featuring an outdoor terrace.

What this means for travellers

• Passengers holding United tickets to Tulum on or after the final flights from Newark (2 January) and Houston (4 January) should expect to be contacted about changes or refunds; the sources do not detail United's rebooking policy, so check the booking directly with the airline.
• Those wanting to fly nonstop from the US to Tulum will have fewer options. Delta from Atlanta and American from Dallas and Miami are named as continuing services, though schedules may change.
• Cancun remains an alternative, though it is more than two hours from Tulum by road.
• Travellers in the Bay Area now have nonstop options to Richmond and Norfolk from 28 March, with two weekly flights on each route. Fares and aircraft types were not given in the sources.

Comparing the carriers' wider networks? See our American Airlines vs United Airlines comparison.

Sources: The Points Guy