Airfare to Cabo San Lucas: Prices Dropped, Here Is How to Use It

Fares into Los Cabos are not one number. They swing with the calendar, and when they drop, the difference between a good week and a great one is what you do with the savings. Here is how we watch airfare to Cabo San Lucas, and what we would spend the leftover on.

The airport, and why it matters for the fare

You fly into Los Cabos International, code SJD, which sits closer to San José del Cabo than to Cabo San Lucas. Direct flights land from a long list of US cities. A nonstop is worth a little extra on the fare, because a connection eats a good part of your first day.

When airfare to Cabo drops

Cabo's high season runs November through April. That is when the weather is at its best, the whales are here, and every seat is full, so fares sit at their highest from December through April. Fares soften in the shoulder months, May through June and October through November, and they are lowest in the summer, which is also hurricane season, June through September. Summer is hot and humid, but the sunsets do not take the season off and hotels drop their rates too, so the whole trip gets cheaper, not just the flight.

Our rules for catching a drop:

• Set a fare alert for SJD a couple of months before you want to travel and let it do the watching.
• Fly midweek. Tuesday and Wednesday departures are usually cheaper than Friday and Sunday.
• Keep your dates loose by a day or two. Shifting a Saturday arrival to a Thursday can change the fare more than the airline you pick.
• Book early for December through April. Prices there rarely fall close to the date. They climb.
• Watch late April, May and early November. These are the sweet spots: good weather, fewer people, softer fares.

What to do with the money you saved: three ideas

Get on the water in whale season

If your cheap fare lands between December and April, spend the savings on a whale-watching morning. Humpbacks and gray whales fill the bay in those months, and the peak sightings run from mid December to mid April, with January through March the most consistent. Book a morning departure. The water is calmer, the whales are more active, and the light is better for photos. A group tour is the affordable way out; a private boat for a few hours is the upgrade.

Fish in the right months

Fishing here is good year round, but the biggest marlin show up between June and November, which overlaps with the cheapest airfare. A shared trip on a smaller boat is the budget entry. A private charter for a half or full day is where the fare savings go if you have a group. Book ahead, especially around the fall tournaments, because the good boats fill early.

One sunset dinner

Put the rest toward a table with a view. Sunset Monalisa at km 6 on the Corridor is a $$$$ room open 4pm to 10:30pm, rated 4.5 by over 2,100 people, and it is the sunset dinner in Los Cabos. El Farallon on the cliffs is the other $$$$ pick, open 3pm to 11pm. Both need a reservation a week or more ahead from December through April. Summer is easier. If the budget is tighter, Salvatore G's downtown is $$$ with a 4.8 from close to 2,000 reviews, and tacos at a place like Tacos Gardenias cost almost nothing and are still the best meal of the day.

Landing at SJD

• Pre-book your airport transfer. Cabo San Lucas is a drive down the Corridor from the airport, and a reserved car beats the arrivals-hall pitch every time.
• Hydrate on the flight. Cabo is warmer and, in summer, more humid than where you left.
• Carry a few pesos. Small notes for tips and the first taco stand. A bank ATM in town covers the rest.

Watch the shoulder months, fly midweek, and spend the difference on a morning with the whales or one dinner at sunset. When you are ready to plan the water part, our adventures and tours page has them all.