From Seattletimes · · 3m
Airlines Add New Routes to Puerto Rico’s Extended Christmas Season
Airlines launch holiday flights to San Juan as Puerto Rico’s Christmas season stretches into January.
In brief
Airlines launch holiday flights to San Juan as Puerto Rico’s Christmas season stretches into January. Airlines add seasonal flights to San Juan from Dallas, Houston, Cleveland, Miami, Philadelphia, Jacksonville, Norfolk, Richmond, and Buffalo to serve Puerto Rico’s 4-month Christmas holiday period. Originally reported…
Puerto Rico’s Christmas season starts early
Puerto Rico’s Christmas holiday period stretches from October through mid-January, with celebrations continuing until the Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián on the third weekend of January.
Airlines target extended holiday demand
Carriers add flights to San Juan from cities as far apart as Dallas and Buffalo to serve Puerto Rico’s 4-month holiday season.
Frontier Airlines adds direct flights
Frontier Airlines launches seasonal daily flights from Dallas, Houston, and Cleveland to San Juan, running November 20 through January 4.
New routes add 15,624 seats
The three Frontier routes add 15,624 seats to Puerto Rico’s tourism market, expected to contribute $10.4 million to the local economy.
American Airlines strengthens Miami gateway
American Airlines plans up to eight daily Miami-San Juan flights to strengthen the island’s busiest mainland gateway.
JetBlue expands direct routes
JetBlue adds five new direct routes from San Juan to Philadelphia, Jacksonville, Norfolk, Richmond, and Buffalo, making 22 nonstop destinations.
Southwest Airlines schedules late holiday flights
Southwest Airlines starts weekly Saturday service between Columbus, Ohio, and San Juan on January 9, 2027, during the Octavitas holiday period.
Iberia doubles Madrid-San Juan flights
Iberia doubles its Madrid-San Juan service to up to 14 weekly flights during the 2025-26 winter season.
Puerto Rico tourism hits record
Puerto Rico reported nearly 7.9 million hotel and short-term rental nights booked in 2025, its fifth consecutive record year.
Tourism contributes $9 billion to GDP
Tourism contributed about $9 billion to Puerto Rico’s gross domestic product in 2025, up from $6 billion two years earlier.
Airport passenger traffic declines
Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport handled about 9.4 million passengers from January to August 2026, down 3% from the same period a year earlier.
Spirit Airlines ends Puerto Rico operations
Spirit Airlines ended its Puerto Rico operations in May, affecting nine routes.
Puerto Rico’s Christmas ends later
Puerto Rico’s Christmas celebrations continue through Three Kings Day on January 6 and the Octavitas holiday period.
Coquito is a holiday staple
Coquito, a thick, chilled blend of coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, rum and spices, is served in small glasses to beat the heat.
Parranda is a key tradition
Parranda, a Christmas tradition where friends gather outside homes after 10 p.m. to sing with cuatros, guiros and panderos, grows into a procession.
Nochebuena features family meals
Nochebuena, Christmas Eve, brings the year’s biggest family meal followed by Misa de Gallo, the traditional midnight Mass.
Guavate offers lechon asado
Guavate, a mountain community in Cayey, is where many Puerto Ricans travel for lechon asado, a whole roasted pig.
Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico
The Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico is a 72-acre beachfront peninsula in Río Grande, 15 minutes from El Yunque National Forest.
Puerto Rico’s manatee population
Puerto Rico is home to the only established U.S. manatee population outside Florida’s range.
In short
Airlines add seasonal flights to San Juan from Dallas, Houston, Cleveland, Miami, Philadelphia, Jacksonville, Norfolk, Richmond, and Buffalo to serve Puerto Rico’s 4-month Christmas holiday period.
