Ever since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (on March 11th, 2020), life as we knew it changed. But after nearly two years, it seems that we are finally taking steps forward in getting back to normality. The travel industry predicts a rush in summer vacation bookings for this year. Travelers are giddy with holiday fever and keen to get their fix of tropical sunshine and bottomless Micheladas – and who can blame them after being stuck at home for so long?
With the vaccine being administered by the thousands each day and people complying with practical health and safety precautions, such as social distancing, mask-wearing, and hand sanitization, it seems that international travel is becoming much safer.
Fortunately, the rise in international travel bookings is an assuring indication that normality is making a comeback and has prompted a number of airlines who regularly fly to Puerto Vallarta to take the anticipated decision to restart flights that were paused during the height of the pandemic. And, more excitingly, new flights from New York to Puerto Vallarta have been added to the agenda for 2022!
New York Airports
New York is home to two impressively large airports, one being the John. F Kennedy International Airport (JFK), which was ranked the 6th largest airport in the United States of America in 2019. The other is Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). Both airports are located in the convenient New York metropolitan area and operate hundreds of flights per day.
Currently, only two airlines offers travelers a nonstop direct service from New York to Puerto Vallarta (PVR).
United Airlines direct flights to Puerto Vallarta depart from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). If you’re traveling on a direct flight from EWR to PVR, flying time is approximately 6 hours and 5 minutes.
Previously, there were no direct flights departing from JFK to PVR. A number of airlines fly from JFK to PVR, but all have at least one-stop, meaning that the journey can range from 7 hours to 9 hours depending on the length of the layover.
However, at the beginning of 2022, JetBlue launched their first-ever nonstop flights from John. F Kennedy International Airport (JFK) all the way to paradisiacal PVR! Flying time is approximately 6 hours and 10 minutes.
The launch came as part of the “Northeast Alliance” that JetBlue has with American Airlines. “with the Northeast Alliance, we are finally able to give our customers in New York and Boston what they’ve been asking for years – more JetBlue service and more JetBlue low fares”, the company said.
JetBlue decided to select Puerto Vallarta as one of its new flight destinations from JFK airport after recognizing that Puerto Vallarta is one of Mexico’s fastest-growing tourism destinations and has a continuous appeal amongst American travelers.
Luis Villaseñor, the managing director for the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board said, “We are delighted to have been selected as a JetBlue city for 2022”. He went on to add that the decision to launch follows a recent STR (a company specializing in tourism and real estate data) study confirming that Puerto Vallarta, as one of the leading Mexico beach destinations, showed the best tourism recovery for hotels in Mexico signaling that the city should have an exciting travel rebound by the end of year.
Other Direct Flights from the US to Puerto Vallarta
JetBlue can expect to join many other major airlines who offer a nonstop service to Puerto Vallarta, such as:
- Alaska Airlines: Los Angeles (LAX), San Jose (SJC), Seattle (SEA), San Diego (SAN), and Portland (PDX)
- American Airlines: Phoenix (PHX), Dallas (DFW), Chicago (ORD), and Los Angeles (LAX)
- Delta Airlines: Atlanta (ATL), Salt Lake City (SLC), Seattle (SEA), and Minneapolis (MSP)
- Frontier Airlines: Denver (DEN) and Las Vegas (LAS)
- Southwest Airlines: Houston (HOU), Santa Ana (SNA), Phoenix (PHX) and Denver (DEN)
- Spirit Airlines: Los Angeles (LAX), Houston (IAH), and Dallas (DFW)
- Sun Country Airlines: Dallas (DFW)
- United Airlines: Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), Denver (DEN), Houston (IAH), and Newark (EWR)
We are proud to announce that Puerto Vallarta has received the “Safe Travels” stamp of approval from the World Travel & Tourism Council based on the quality implementation of all COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Puerto Vallarta is also currently in “green” in Mexico’s COVID-19 stoplight system, which means that all activities are allowed and signifies a low risk of contagion.
The entry requirements to Mexico are now the same as they were pre-COVID. While travelers were required to fill out a health declaration form throughout the pandemic, as of January 1, 2022, this form has been discontinued. Now visitors to Mexico are only required to fill out an Entry Immigration Form (FMM), and upon arrival customs officials will stamp the form allowing visitors to stay in Mexico up to 180 days. The form is available online.
Mexico does not require proof of vaccination to be shown to enter the country or a negative COVID test. However, before leaving Mexico, visitors will need to present a negative COVID test prior to boarding their inbound flights to the USA, Canada, and other countries. Check the specific requirements in your country. On-site COVID testing is available at several resorts. COVID testing is also offered at the airport, at medical clinics and laboratories, and at the hospitals. CityHealth is a COVID-19 Test Site in Puerto Vallarta located on Avenue Los Tules #140, close to Plaza Caracol. CityHealth is open daily from 7:00 am – 7:00 pm and appointments can be booked online.
Travelers can expect to come to Puerto Vallarta and have a safe vacation. We hope to see you soon!
