Matching Airlines With Cancun Terminals–How to Meet Up With Fellow Travelers

My latest trip to Cancun (which was Feb./March 2017) involved something I’d never done before–meeting up with another traveler coming into Cancun from a different city and different airline.  Since all my trips to Cancun had wound up in the same place and the same terminal (by the Air Margaritaville palapa hut which is now outside Terminal 3), I assumed my fellow traveler would wind up in the same place.  WRONG.

I came into Cancun from LAX via Virgin America, while my co-traveler came from Seattle via Alaska Airlines and arrived at Terminal 2.  While I had carefully planned a similar arrival time for our two flights, I had completely forgotten to check terminal arrival information–another reminder to never assume.  Since my travel companion had never been to Cancun before, there was mutual confusion as to how to meet up to take planned transportation to our resort.  As a result of our mishap we lost almost 2 hrs. of vacation time trying to reach one another–the first hr. waiting for my travel companion to come out the exit doors of Terminal 3 (while they were waiting for me to come out the exit doors of Terminal 2), and the second hr. trying to suggest ideas as to how my travel companion could get from Terminal 2 to Terminal 3 in order to take our transportation which was waiting.  Ugh.  While the beginning was a total disaster, the rest of the trip was great, so all’s well that ends well.

In order to save other travelers from the same frustration and lost vacation time, here is a list of airlines flying into Cancun and their respective terminals.  While I believe this to be the most current information, one must remember that the completion of Terminal 4 is not far off, so adjustments will most likely be made to this list.  (The completion of Terminal 4 is scheduled for later this year in 2017).

Terminal 1:  This Terminal is primarily used for private planes and freight.

  • MagniCharters
  • Maya Air
  • Viva Aerobus
  • TAR Aerolineus

Terminal 2:  This Terminal is primarily used for domestic and international flights.

  • Aeromexico
  • Aerolineas Argentinas
  • Air Transat
  • AirTran Airways
  • Alaska Airlines
  • Belair Airlines
  • Copa Airlines
  • Cubana de Aviación
  • Dynamic Airways
  • First Choice Airways
  • Interjet
  • Jetair
  • Lan Chile
  • Ryan International Airlines
  • SkyService Airlines
  • Southwest Airlines
  • SunWing Airlines
  • Varig
  • Volaris

Terminal 3:  This Terminal is primarily used for international flights.

  • Air Berlin
  • Air Canada
  • Air Europa
  • American Airlines
  • British Airways
  • Condor
  • Continental Airlines
  • Delta Airlines
  • Frontier Airlines
  • Iberia
  • Iberworld
  • JetBlue Airways
  • Spirit Airlines
  • Sun Country Airlines
  • Thomas Cook
  • Thomson Fly
  • United Airlines
  • USA 3000
  • Virgin America
  • Virgin Atlantic
  • WestJet

I got this list from the following link; I will be tracking it to see what updates occur, particularly as Terminal 4 becomes operational.  If you have any updates of your own or if I’ve forgotten any airlines, please let us know what they are and the Terminal at which they arrive!!

Oh, and by the way, it is incredibly difficult to just walk over from Terminal 2 to Terminal 3 and vice versa–there is an electronically-controlled barrier which the Mexican security personnel seem to guard very carefully (the rest is barred by trees and foliage).  This was particularly bothersome since I could see my travel companion but could not reach this person except through this gate.  If you speak Spanish it might be a lot easier to pass through, but I just know a few words to get me by at a resort.  Thank goodness for a very nice gentleman working transportation who convinced the security guard to let me pass, get my companion, and pass through again.  Muchas gracias!!

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