Flights Ciudad de México → Houston: airlines, fares, timing
The MEX–HOU route appears in our catalogue with 21 weekly departures (~3.0 per day) across 3 airlines, 2.3 h of block time and 1,198 km great-circle between Ciudad de México and Houston.
This variant of the Mexico City–Houston route adds around 21 flights a week and shares the same passenger profile as the Texas corridor — families visiting relatives, business travellers in the energy sector, and tourists. At a little over two hours’ block time it is one of the shortest international sectors out of the capital.
| Field | MEX → HOU |
|---|---|
| Great-circle distance | 1,198 km |
| Catalogued block time | 2.3 h |
| Weekly departures | 21 |
| Departures per day (avg) | 3.0 |
| Catalogued airlines | 3 |
| Airports | MMMX / KHOU |
| Destination timezone | America/Chicago |
At ~3.0 departures a day, missing a flight rarely costs the whole day: there is room for the airline to move you onto another of its own services the same day. That density also cushions fares, because the seats compete against each other within a single day.
Airlines operating this route
3 airlines operate MEX–HOU: Aeromexico, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines. 2 are full-service and 1 low-cost; included checked allowance ranges from 23 to 25 kg depending on the operator. Between them they run 21 weekly departures over 2.3 h of block time; alliances present: SkyTeam, Star Alliance.
Three carriers fly MEX-HOU: Aeroméxico and United Airlines operate full-service with baggage included, while Southwest Airlines flies it on a US low-cost model with its own baggage policy. Southwest alongside the two full-service carriers widens the spread of departure times across the day.
| Airline | Type | Alliance | Economy bag | Home | Regime |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aeromexico (AM) | full-service | SkyTeam | 25 kg | Mexico | AFAC / Art. 47 Bis |
| United Airlines (UA) | full-service | Star Alliance | 23 kg | the United States | DOT (refunds) |
| Southwest Airlines (WN) | low-cost | no alliance | 23 kg | the United States | DOT (refunds) |
Miles only count inside the right alliance. SkyTeam, Star Alliance are present on this pair. Crediting the flight to a programme in a different alliance normally earns nothing, and the cheapest fares typically credit a reduced share of miles or none at all. If the goal is status rather than price, check the specific booking class before buying, not just the airline name.
MXN fares — what to expect
In the 2026-W29 reading, the minimum fare for MEX-HOU was $4,636 MXN one-way; the most recent one, with the date it was found, is shown in this page’s fare observation.
MEX-HOU fares move with the family calendar — December, Holy Week and the summer are the peaks. For those dates, booking two to three months ahead is sensible. The rest of the year, four to six weeks usually secures a reasonable fare in MXN, and it is worth comparing the full-service and low-cost models depending on baggage.
Buying window: a general market rule of thumb. At 21 weekly departures the usual reference is 4 to 8 weeks ahead on ordinary dates and 8 to 12 weeks for December, Holy Week and summer. That is a general Mexican-market rule of thumb, not a measurement of MEX-HOU: our series records observed prices, not the lead time at which each ticket was bought. What the data does support is that the lower the frequency, the sooner cheap inventory runs out.
About Houston
Houston (HOU) appears in 2 routes in our catalogue from 2 Mexican airports, totalling 37 weekly departures. William P. Hobby Airport (HOU, ICAO KHOU) lies 1,198 km from Ciudad de México and runs on America/Chicago.
Houston, in Texas, is a centre of the energy industry and a major medical hub, with a very large Mexican community that shapes much of this route’s traffic. For Mexican travellers it is mostly a family-visit or business destination, with an airport well connected across the rest of the United States.
| Origin | Airlines | Freq/wk | Lowest fare (20 Jul 2026) | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ciudad de México (MEX) | AM, UA, WN | ~21/sem | $4,636 MXN | MEX-HOU |
| Monterrey (MTY) | AM, UA, WN, Y4 | ~16/sem | — | MTY-HOU |
Destination record. Hobby Airport — Southwest Airlines hub. Closer to Houston downtown than IAH. Useful for paisanos with Southwest connections.
Currency and paperwork at destination. Spending in Houston runs in USD, while the fare is compared in pesos. For a Mexican passport our record lists: B1/B2 required. That field is a starting reference; the real requirement depends on the purpose of travel and is set by the destination’s immigration authority, not the airline.
How the MEX-HOU fare has moved
Across 6 weekly readings between 2026-W20 and 2026-W29 of 2026, the detected minimum for MEX-HOU moved between $3,562 MXN and $4,636 MXN, a 30% range. The cheapest reading fell in week 2026-W23. The 2026-W29 reading sits 16% above the 2026-W27 one.
| ISO week | Minimum detected | Itinerary carrier |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-W20 | $4,309 MXN | — |
| 2026-W23 | $3,562 MXN | — |
| 2026-W24 | $4,311 MXN | — |
| 2026-W25 | $4,356 MXN | — |
| 2026-W27 | $3,997 MXN | — |
| 2026-W29 | $4,636 MXN | — |
Method and limits of this series. These are 6 observations, one per collector pass, taken between 2026-W20 and 2026-W29 on the same pair and in the same currency (MXN). It is not a price index: it does not control for departure date, booking lead time or fare class, and a missing week means the query returned nothing, not that no flights existed. At that N it is good for placing today’s quote inside a known range, and for nothing else.
How to use it when buying. If today’s quote sits near $3,562 MXN you are at the low end of what was observed in this window and waiting rarely pays. If it is above $4,636 MXN, or your dates fall in December, Holy Week or summer, the figure you see is probably seasonal rather than structural. In no case extrapolate the series forward: six readings do not predict the seventh.
Passenger rights on the MEX–HOU route
25% of the ticket price is the minimum Art. 47 Bis of the Ley de Aviación Civil requires on the MEX → HOU leg, which departs Mexico, for a delay over 4 h attributable to the airline. On the return from the United States there is no federal delay compensation.
| Leg | Governing rule | What it covers | Authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| MEX → HOU (departing Mexico) | Ley de Aviación Civil, Art. 47 Bis | ≥25% compensation for delay >4 h, assistance from 1 h | AFAC / PROFECO |
| HOU → MEX (departing the US) | 14 CFR / DOT rules | Refund on cancellation or significant change; denied-boarding payment | US DOT |
What does apply on departure from Mexico. Mexico’s Ley de Aviación Civil (Art. 47 Bis), enforced by AFAC and PROFECO, covers flights taking off from Mexican territory regardless of the airline’s nationality: a delay over 4 hours attributable to the carrier entitles you to at least 25% of the ticket price, and from the first hour the airline owes assistance that escalates with duration. Keep the boarding pass and the purchase receipt — a claim stands on those two documents.
What US DOT does not cover. The United States has no federal delay compensation: the Department of Transportation regulates refunds — your money back when the airline cancels or significantly changes the flight and you decline the alternative — but it does not require a payout for the hours you lost, the way EU261 does. The single federal exception is involuntary denied boarding from oversales, priced under 14 CFR Part 250; that is a different mechanism from delay and is not triggered by a late departure.
Documents to sort out before buying
Checked 2026-10-23 against the official source: with a Mexican passport, Estados Unidos — Visa B1/B2 obligatoria. Cost: $185 USD no reembolsable (tarifa MRV). Maximum stay: La fija el oficial de CBP al ingresar. Confirm the current amount before paying. Buying the ticket before the document exists is the expensive mistake on this route.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Document | Visa B1/B2 obligatoria |
| Cost | $185 USD no reembolsable (tarifa MRV) |
| Maximum stay | La fija el oficial de CBP al ingresar |
| Operational note | Tarifa MRV publicada en ais.usvisa-info.com/en-mx/niv/information/fee. Algunas renovaciones de la misma clase de visa pueden calificar para exención de entrevista; revisa los criterios en la página de la Embajada. |
| Official source | https://mx.usembassy.gov/visas/ |
Check the current amount before paying. The consular fee and stay limit above were checked against the official source on 2026-10-23. Consulates revise those amounts without notice and publish no change calendar, so confirm the current figure at the official source on the day you pay. A receipt issued at the old rate is neither refunded nor credited — it is simply paid again.
The right order: document first, ticket second. A cheap fare does not survive a pending immigration formality. The airline will not refund a non-refundable ticket because your visa was denied or delayed, and the change fee usually exceeds the saving you were chasing. Buy once the document is issued, or buy a changeable fare and accept that the premium is the price of the risk.
FAQ
Which airlines fly Ciudad de México to Houston? Direct MEX-HOU flights are operated by Aeromexico, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines. Compare baggage, fares and schedules in the carrier table above.
How long is the MEX-HOU flight and how often does it run? Block time is about 2.3 hours. The MEX-HOU route runs roughly 21 flights per week across all carriers.
How far ahead should I book MEX-HOU for the best fare? As a general Mexican-market rule of thumb — not a measurement of this route — booking runs 4-8 weeks ahead for regular dates and 8-12 weeks for peak season (Holy Week, Christmas, paisano summer). See the month-by-month fare heatmap above.
What is the checked baggage allowance on MEX-HOU? It varies by carrier and fare class — full-service carriers on this route usually include 23-25 kg, while low-cost carriers sell it separately. Confirm the current policy on the airline’s site before booking. Paisano travelers should check each carrier’s additional-baggage allowance.
Do Mexican passport holders need a visa for USA? B1/B2 required. Check the latest requirements with the consulate before buying your ticket.
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Published by FlightsMX. Fares are reference brackets — verify with the airline before booking.