El Buen Fin 2026 for travelers: cheap flights and hotels without the traps

Q: Which travel windows are worth buying

January and February 2027 : low season on the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, with the best fares of the year and good weather. This is where the discount shows most. The February 1, 2027 long weekend (Constitution Day, first Monday of February): three days made for Cancún , Puerto Vallarta or the Bajío. Holy Week 2027 : March 21 to 28, with school vacations from March 22 to April 2. Flights rarely make it into the promotion, but hotels do, and they sell out. Summer 2027 : some airlines extend validity through August; if you already know where you are going in July, it is a safe buy. Christmas and New Year 2026 : almost always excluded. If you must travel in December, do not wait for El Buen Fin: buy now. To pick a destination by month, see our guide to the best time to visit each destination .

El Buen Fin 2026, Mexico's answer to Black Friday, runs from Friday, November 13 to Tuesday, November 17, five days that include the Monday 16 public holiday. For travelers it is the best window of the year to buy flights for January through May 2027 and hotels for spring break, as long as you compare the final price with bags instead of the one-peso fares the airlines advertise. Here is what Volaris, VivaAerobus and Aeroméxico offered in 2025, what the consumer agency Profeco advises, and a day-by-day plan.

Dates and what changes in 2026

The 16th edition of El Buen Fin takes place November 13 to 17, 2026, Friday through Tuesday. That is a day longer than most previous editions and covers the third-Monday-of-November holiday for the Mexican Revolution, so many people will have Monday off to shop calmly. Businesses register for free at elbuenfin.org between September 8 and November 12, and only registered ones may use the official logo: if an offer reaches you on social media without that seal, be suspicious.

Mexican airlines usually launch their promotions a few days before the official start and extend them a day or two past the end, so it pays to watch their sites from November 10.

What the airlines offered in 2025 and what to expect

All three major carriers joined El Buen Fin 2025 (November 13 to 17) with mechanics that repeat almost every year:

VivaAerobus: fares from 10 MXN plus TUA on selected domestic routes and as low as 1 MXN plus TUA to some destinations, with specific travel dates and limited seats.
Volaris: up to 60 percent off the base fare plus an extra 10 percent for vClub members, buying November 13 to 17 for travel through August 31, 2026.
Aeroméxico: flights from 1,639 MXN on domestic routes and from 4,113 MXN on international ones, with interest-free installments for loyalty program members.

Expect a similar pattern in 2026: percentage discounts or token base fares, valid for travel between January and May or through summer 2027, with blackout dates around Christmas, New Year and Holy Week. Read the fine print: peak days are almost always excluded.

The one-peso fare trap: how to work out the real price

TUA is the airport usage fee and is never discounted; at big airports it makes up most of a ticket advertised from one peso. Then add what basic fares leave out: a checked bag, sometimes a full-size carry-on, seat selection and changes. The fair comparison is the final price per passenger with the bags you will actually bring. Our comparison of Volaris, VivaAerobus and Aeroméxico explains what each fare includes.

Build the booking all the way to the payment screen before deciding: that is where the total with TUA and taxes appears.
If you check a bag, a full-service airline's mid-tier fare sometimes equals or beats a low-cost basic fare once the extras are added.
Percentage discounts apply to the base fare, not the total: 60 percent off a flight with a 1,500 MXN base fare and 900 MXN in TUA and taxes is nowhere near 60 percent of what you pay.

Hotels and booking sites: where the savings are real

Booking, Expedia and Despegar usually run November campaigns that overlap El Buen Fin and Black Friday, and Mexican hotel chains publish their own codes for advance bookings. The real savings sit in two places: beach destinations in the January and February low season, and reservations for Holy Week 2027, which family hotels sell out early. Always compare the refundable rate against the non-refundable one: the difference is usually small and it protects you if the flight changes. Check our hotels section before the week starts so you have a reference price.

Interest-free installments and the tax agency raffle

Participating banks offer 3, 6, 12 and up to 18 interest-free monthly installments on credit cards at registered airlines, online agencies and hotels. It is worth it if you pay on time every month; if not, the card's regular interest eats the discount. Before November 13, confirm in your bank's app which merchants and terms participate, and check afterwards that the charge was actually posted as installments rather than a single payment. In past editions the SAT, Mexico's tax agency, has run a raffle for card purchases at registered businesses; if it returns in 2026, keep your receipts, they are your ticket.

Which travel windows are worth buying

January and February 2027: low season on the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, with the best fares of the year and good weather. This is where the discount shows most.
The February 1, 2027 long weekend (Constitution Day, first Monday of February): three days made for Cancún, Puerto Vallarta or the Bajío.
Holy Week 2027: March 21 to 28, with school vacations from March 22 to April 2. Flights rarely make it into the promotion, but hotels do, and they sell out.
Summer 2027: some airlines extend validity through August; if you already know where you are going in July, it is a safe buy.
Christmas and New Year 2026: almost always excluded. If you must travel in December, do not wait for El Buen Fin: buy now.

To pick a destination by month, see our guide to the best time to visit each destination.

What Profeco recommends and your rights

Profeco publishes a yearly guide to online shopping that applies directly to travel: use a secure network, check that the site starts with https and shows the lock icon, and confirm the seller lists a physical address, phone number and a way to file complaints. Before paying for a package, look the company up in the Buró Comercial at burocomercial.profeco.gob.mx to see previous complaints. Be wary of travel packages priced far below the market: Profeco itself has warned about fraud using exactly that hook.

Save screenshots of the offer, the payment receipt, the contract and confirmation emails; they back you up in a complaint.
Cancellation and change policies must be visible before you pay; if they are not, do not buy.
During El Buen Fin, Profeco opens a special help line at 55 5568 8722.

Day-by-day action plan

November 1 to 5: settle the destination, flexible dates and who is traveling. Without that, no offer is useful.
November 6 to 10: create accounts with the airlines and booking sites, set price alerts, register your card in the bank app and check its installment terms.
November 11 and 12: write down the current final price of your flights and hotels. Without a reference price you cannot tell whether a deal is real.
November 13, early: the token fares from Viva and Volaris sell out within hours. Buy what you had already decided; do not improvise.
November 14 to 17: compare hotels and packages calmly, check cancellation terms and close on the best refundable rate.
Afterwards: file the receipts and check your statement to confirm the charge went through as installments.

Practical tips

Compare the total on the payment screen, with TUA, taxes and bags, never the advertised fare.
Keep a day of flexibility either side: discounts usually land on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Traveling as a group, book in a single transaction so the promotional discount applies to every passenger.
Prefer fares with free changes if your plan might move; a paid change wipes out the saving.
Never pay for a travel package by wire transfer or deposit to a personal account.
For bus travel, check the carriers' promotions the same week; our guide to traveling Mexico on a budget has more ways to trim costs.

Frequently asked questions

When is El Buen Fin 2026?

From Friday, November 13 to Tuesday, November 17, 2026, five days that include the Monday 16 holiday for the Mexican Revolution.

Do airlines take part in El Buen Fin?

Yes. In 2025 VivaAerobus, Volaris and Aeroméxico launched fares from 1 or 10 MXN plus TUA, discounts of up to 60 percent on base fares and flights from 1,639 MXN, for travel between January and the following summer.

What is TUA and why does it inflate one-peso tickets?

It is the airport usage fee, a fixed charge per passenger that is never part of the promotion. In a one-peso offer, TUA and taxes are almost everything you pay.

Should I buy Christmas flights during El Buen Fin?

Usually not: Christmas and New Year tend to be excluded. If you travel in December, buy earlier; El Buen Fin works for January through May.

How do I know whether a travel deal is real?

Note the final price a week earlier and compare. Check that the site has https, an address and a phone number, look the seller up in the Profeco Buró Comercial and be wary of packages far below market price.

Can I pay for flights in interest-free installments?

Yes, with credit cards from participating banks at registered airlines, agencies and hotels. Confirm the terms in your bank's app and verify afterwards that the charge was posted as installments.