Flight: CUN to BNA
Getting There: We flew to Merida, MX and took a car across to Cancun, MX
Coming Back: 3:45-6:11p/8:15-10:13p (6h 27m)
United Flights to Merida
I had a Google flights tracker set to watch prices for flights from Cancun to Nashville. Although JetBlue offered non-stop flights that were slightly cheaper, I didn’t like the cancellation policy and we decided that United, with 1-stop through Houston, was a better option for us. Also, keep an eye out for Southwest flights to Cancun, especially if you have a Companion Pass or lots of extra points. We purchased one-way flights on United for $210 per person. If you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve, you can use points per person through the travel portal. At this point in time, we still liked using the airlines directly as much as possible for ease of flight changes and cancellation options.
COVID Testing in Cancun
It’s important to stay up to date on testing requirements. At the time of our stay in October 2021, the US was requiring negative PCR or antigen tests within 3 days of travel. The hotel we were staying at, the Hyatt Riviera Cancun provided testing on-site. The testing cost was free because we stayed 3 nights, but I believe it was pretty inexpensive otherwise. On our second day, after breakfast, the 4 of us went to the room (it was actually in a hotel room), filled out some paperwork, and completed our nose swabs. Our kids are well-versed in testing these days and the process went by quickly. The following morning, I received 4 separate emails with everyone’s negative results.
Uploading Info to the United Travel Ready Center
The United app made it very easy to see what information we needed and gave me peace of mind knowing that we wouldn’t run into problems at the airport. I uploaded our passports by scanning a picture and attached the pdf of the negative results. Within a few hours, everyone was approved to travel. At the airport, there was an additional form to complete at the Mexican government website. If you’re traveling soon, you could set up an account and answer the questions prior to the airport, but it didn’t take us very long to do it there.
Global Entry for Immigration
Another perk we got from several credit cards is Global Entry. When we arrived in Houston, there was a long line for immigration. We skipped all of it. There was no one in the Global Entry line. There is a kiosk where we took everyone’s picture and printed a receipt and we took that to the desk and went right on through. This benefit saved us at least 30 minutes, which is awesome when you have kids who are antsy after being on a plane. For more on this benefit and how to use a credit card to receive it for free, see here.
Airport Lounges and Other Perks
When traveling with layovers or to new cities, we always check the website of the airport and the Priority Pass lounge website prior to the trip (link). The Chase Sapphire Reserve card (in addition to others) comes with Priority Pass access, which gets you access to lounges at different airports. Often, it is more common internationally. In Cancun, our terminal was not connected to any of the priority pass lounges. The Houston airport had several options, and we ate dinner at Cadillac Mexican Kitchen. Using the Priority Pass restaurant benefit, we were able to take $56 off of our bill and eat for free.
Flight Details
The flights themselves were quick and easy. For more on our favorite activities and tips for flying, see our post here. These are our favorite masks for adults and kids from Amazon. The kids watched a Paw Patrol movie on the United app on the first flight and slept on the second flight. A tired end to a busy week of fun!
