Nonstop Flights to Cartagena from the US: Every Route

Updated: 1 October 2026 · CABÚ Viajes, ground operator in Cartagena de Indias (RNT 215668) · Rated 5.0/5 on Google from 16 reviews — see the Google Maps listing.

In short: only two US cities have a dependable year-round nonstop to Cartagena — Miami (American, 5 a week) and Fort Lauderdale (JetBlue, daily). Atlanta runs one a week, and New York JFK is a winter route that is not flying at all this month — and three more open in December 2026: Houston and Washington Dulles with United from 17 December, year round, and Orlando with Frontier from 19 December. That makes seven origin cities flying in the December-to-April window, the widest choice of the year. From Miami it is about three hours. Everywhere else connects, usually through Miami, Bogotá or Panama City. The timing matters more than it looks: the three new routes open right at the start of the 2027 planning season, and United has said its two will run year round rather than only through the winter.

Every nonstop route, verified 16 September 2026

From	Airline	Runs
Miami (MIA)	American Airlines	Year round, 5 flights a week — the only carrier on the route
Fort Lauderdale (FLL)	JetBlue	Year round, daily — the only carrier on the route
New York (JFK)	JetBlue, Avianca	Winter only — JetBlue resumes in October, Avianca in December. Nothing in September
Atlanta (ATL)	Delta	1 flight a week as of September 2026
Houston (IAH)	United	New — from 17 Dec 2026, year round, 4x weekly
Washington Dulles (IAD)	United	New — from 17 Dec 2026, year round, 4x weekly
Orlando (MCO)	Frontier	New — from 19 Dec 2026, 1x weekly

The part nobody writes down: how thin the nonstop map actually is right now

“Nonstop from the US” sounds like a solved problem. Checked flight by flight on 16 September 2026, it is not. Two routes carry almost all of it:

Miami — American Airlines, 5 flights a week. American is the only airline on MIA–CTG. Not two, not three. One.
Fort Lauderdale — JetBlue, daily. Also the only carrier on its route, and the only genuinely daily nonstop from the United States.
Atlanta — Delta, 1 flight a week at this point in the calendar.
New York JFK — nothing in September. JetBlue resumes in October and Avianca in December. JFK is a winter route, not a year-round one.

So the honest summary is this: the nonstop map to Cartagena is a winter map. In September there are two dependable year-round nonstops from the United States — Miami and Fort Lauderdale — plus a weekly Delta out of Atlanta. Between October and December it roughly triples: JFK comes back, Avianca comes back, and United and Frontier add Houston, Dulles and Orlando.

That is not a detail. It is the difference between sixteen people landing together and sixteen people landing across a Tuesday.

What to do with it:

If your dates are December to April, you have the widest choice of the year — seven origin cities, and the only stretch when that is true.
If your dates are September or October, plan around Miami and Fort Lauderdale. They are the two routes that do not disappear, and a connection through either is short.
Never assume a route exists because it existed last year, or because a guide says “year-round”. Of the four US routes commonly listed as year-round, one is not running at all this month and another is down to a single weekly flight.
One carrier per route means no rebooking cushion. If American cancels your Miami flight, there is no second airline on that route to move you to — you go through Bogotá or Panama City. Build a buffer day on the front end if the whole group is on one flight.

Frequencies move every season. These were checked on 16 September 2026 against FlightConnections route data; the sources are listed at the end of this page.

For context on the airport itself: Rafael Núñez International (CTG) is served by 19 airlines from 26 airports worldwide, with roughly 2,200 arriving flights a month. It is a real international airport, not a regional strip — but it is small enough that you are outside with your bag quickly.

Schedules change. Confirm the route on the airline's own site before you build a plan around it, particularly the three that open in December 2026.

Three new nonstop routes open in December 2026

Between 17 and 19 December 2026 the United States goes from four nonstop cities to Cartagena to seven. For a 2027 bachelor or bachelorette trip this is the biggest single change on this page, and most planning guides have not caught up with it yet.

Houston (IAH) — United, from 17 December 2026. Four times a week: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, on a Boeing 737. Out at 9:35 a.m., into Cartagena at 2:50 p.m.; the return leaves at 2:20 p.m. and lands at 5:45 p.m.
Washington Dulles (IAD) — United, from 17 December 2026. The same four days. Out at 8:20 a.m., into Cartagena at 1:10 p.m.; the return leaves at 4:00 p.m. and lands at 8:40 p.m.
Orlando (MCO) — Frontier, from 19 December 2026. Once a week, and Frontier’s first service to Colombia; the announced introductory fare was $129.

United’s announcement is explicit that these are year-round routes: “Flights will operate year-round from both hubs, starting with four flights per week during the winter season.” That matters for how these trips get planned. Engagements peak in December, planning starts about five months before the wedding, and nearly half of bachelorette parties happen in summer — so a Texas or DC group planning in January for a June weekend now has a nonstop it did not have in 2026.

What it changes for your group:

Four flights a week, not seven. The United routes run Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. A Thursday-to-Sunday weekend fits exactly; a Friday-to-Monday one does not — worth knowing before sixteen people book separately.
Orlando is once a week. Excellent if it lands on your dates, useless if it does not. Check it before you build the trip around it.
Fares on a brand-new route move. Introductory fares are real but limited, and a route in its first months has fewer seats to sell before the price steps up.

Practical rule: check that the nonstop exists on your exact travel days, not just in your travel month, before you lock the dates.

If your city isn't on the list

There is no nonstop from the West Coast, the Midwest outside Houston, or most of the country. Three routings do the work:

Through Miami or Fort Lauderdale. The simplest option and usually the shortest total time, because the final leg is only about three hours.
Through Bogotá. Avianca's hub, with frequent onward flights to Cartagena. Domestic connection, so allow time for the transfer.
Through Panama City. Copa's hub, useful from a lot of US cities.

One warning that costs groups a whole day: book realistic connection times. On a three-night trip, a missed connection doesn't cost you two hours, it costs a third of the trip. If the group is arriving on separate itineraries, the tight one is the one that breaks.

Arriving: what actually happens

The airport sits inside the city, roughly a fifteen-minute drive from the Walled City in normal traffic. That is unusual and it is genuinely useful — you are at the house and changed before the afternoon is over, rather than losing three hours on a transfer road.

Arrange the transfer as one booking for the group rather than everyone finding their own car at arrivals. It is cheaper, it avoids the taxi price negotiation with luggage in hand, and it means the group starts together.

If most of the group lands mid-afternoon, that first night works for dinner and drinks but not for a full night out — remember that clubs here close at 3am by law, so the night starts earlier than you are used to.

Book the house before the flights

This is the sequencing mistake I see most often, and it is expensive in both directions.

Flights feel like the big commitment, so groups book them first and then look for a house. But in Cartagena the flights are the flexible part — there are multiple carriers on the main routes — while large houses in the Walled City and good boats are a small, finite inventory. Book flights first and you end up choosing between a house you don't want and paying to change eight tickets.

The order that works: dates and head count, then the house and the boat, then flights, then everything else.

Entry requirements

The short answer for US citizens, checked 1 October 2026: no visa for tourist stays of up to 90 days; a passport valid for the whole stay with one blank page (six months of validity is the safe margin); proof of a return or onward flight if immigration asks; and an optional, free Check-Mig form. Up to 10,000 USD in cash can be carried in or out without declaring it.

US citizens do not need a tourist visa for short stays in Colombia. Everyone in the group needs a valid passport — check this in the first week of planning, because an expired passport discovered in month two is the single most common reason an international bachelorette party changes destination.

Check-Mig is Migración Colombia’s online pre-registration form. It is no longer mandatory to fly in or out, but Migración still recommends it because it speeds up the immigration line, and the US State Department still lists it as a step to complete 1 to 72 hours before the flight. It is free on the official Migración Colombia site — ignore third-party sites that charge 50 USD or more for it. Requirements change, so confirm with your airline before you fly rather than trusting any page, including this one.

Safety advisory. The US State Department rates Colombia as a whole at Level 3, “Reconsider Travel” (issued 31 March 2026). Its Do Not Travel areas are departments far from Cartagena, and the only warning that names Cartagena is about rough seas for small tourist boats to the islands in December and January — which is why, on a boat day, the captain’s call on the weather beats the schedule.

When to fly

December to April is the dry season and the busiest, most expensive window. Booking further ahead matters more in this stretch, and United’s two new nonstops open on 17 December 2026, right at the start of it.

Late April to early June is the quietest good window: similar weather, more availability in houses and boats, and it overlaps with the spring end of wedding season.

Summer works — Cartagena is warm year round — and it is when nearly half of bachelorette parties happen. Expect rain in short bursts rather than all-day weather.

One seasonal note that belongs here rather than in the weather section: in December and January the trade winds pick up on this coast, the sea gets rough, and the maritime authority closes the port when conditions turn. If your boat day falls in that window, ask in advance what happens if the port closes on your date.

Keep reading

Sources

FlightConnections, route data for Rafael Núñez International Airport (CTG), consulted 16 September 2026 — four US nonstop origins today, seven from December 2026, 19 airlines, 26 airports, approximately 2,200 arriving flights per month.
FlightConnections, route-level data for MIA–CTG, FLL–CTG, JFK–CTG and ATL–CTG, consulted 16 September 2026 — American is the only carrier Miami–Cartagena (5 weekly); JetBlue the only one Fort Lauderdale–Cartagena (daily); Delta 1 weekly from Atlanta; JFK resumes with JetBlue in October and Avianca in December.
United Airlines, “United Announces New Nonstop Flights from Houston and Washington, D.C. to Cartagena”, press release, consulted 16 September 2026 — service begins 17 December 2026, four flights a week, year round from both hubs.
Frontier Airlines newsroom, “Frontier Announces Major International Expansion with First-Ever Service to Colombia”, consulted 16 September 2026 — Orlando to Cartagena from 19 December 2026, once a week.
US Department of State, Colombia Travel Advisory and country information, Level 3 issued 31 March 2026, consulted 1 October 2026 — visa-free stays up to 90 days, passport with one blank page, Check-Mig 1–72 hours before travel, 10,000 USD cash limit, small-boat warning between Cartagena and the islands in December–January.
Migración Colombia, Check-Mig pre-registration service, as reported in September 2026 — free, online and not mandatory, recommended to speed up immigration control.

Frequently asked questions

Which US cities have nonstop flights to Cartagena?

Two dependable year-round ones as of September 2026: Miami with American, five flights a week, and Fort Lauderdale with JetBlue, daily. Atlanta with Delta is running one flight a week, and New York JFK is a winter route — JetBlue resumes in October and Avianca in December, so nothing is flying JFK to Cartagena in September. Three more open in December 2026 — Houston and Washington Dulles with United from 17 December, year round and four times a week, and Orlando with Frontier from 19 December, once a week. From 2027 that is seven US cities with a nonstop to Cartagena.

How long is the flight from Miami to Cartagena?

About three hours nonstop. It is one of the shortest international flights from the US to a Caribbean city of this size, which is why Cartagena is often closer in practice than destinations that feel nearer on a map.

Is there a nonstop flight from the West Coast to Cartagena?

No. West Coast groups connect, most often through Miami, Bogotá or Panama City. Build in a realistic connection time — on a three-night trip a missed connection costs a third of the trip, not an afternoon.

Are the Houston and Washington flights year round?

Yes. United opens both routes on 17 December 2026 and has said they will operate year round rather than only through the winter season, starting with four flights a week — Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday — on a Boeing 737. Before that date there is no United nonstop to Cartagena from either city. What still constrains your dates is the four-days-a-week pattern, not the season.

How far is Cartagena airport from the Old City?

Rafael Núñez International is inside the city, roughly a fifteen-minute drive from the Walled City in normal traffic. Arrange one transfer for the whole group rather than everyone taking separate taxis at arrivals.

Should we book flights or the house first?

The house and the boat first, always. Flights are the flexible part — several airlines serve the main routes — while large houses in the Walled City and good boats are a small, finite inventory. Groups that book flights first end up either choosing a house they don't want or paying to change eight tickets.

Do Americans need a visa for Colombia?

US citizens do not need a tourist visa for short stays, but everyone needs a valid passport. Check every passport in the first week of planning: an expired passport discovered later is the most common reason a group changes destination.

Is Check-Mig still required to enter Colombia?

Not anymore. Migración Colombia describes Check-Mig as free and optional, but still recommends it because it speeds up the immigration line, and the US State Department lists it as a step 1 to 72 hours before the flight. Use only the official Migración Colombia site, which is free, and confirm with your airline before travelling.

What is the best month to fly to Cartagena?

December to April is the dry season, the busiest and the most expensive, and it needs the most lead time. Late April to early June is the quietest good window, with similar weather and better availability in houses and boats. Summer works too — the city is warm year round.

How many airlines fly to Cartagena?

Nineteen airlines serve Rafael Núñez International from 26 airports worldwide, with roughly 2,200 arriving flights a month, and United and Frontier both join in December 2026. It is a genuine international airport, and small enough that you clear it quickly.

Also worth reading

How to get a quote

Message Marta Fernández, founder of CABÚ Viajes and a local operator based in Cartagena, on WhatsApp at +1 754 201 9833. She answers personally, in English or Spanish, at any hour of the day —CABÚ answers 24/7— and always within 24 hours.

To get a complete quote on the first message, send four things: how many people, which dates, how many nights and what kind of plan you want. You get back a proposal naming the actual house and the actual boat, a day-by-day plan and a per-person price broken down by item, with no agency commission.

▶ Message CABÚ Viajes on WhatsApp: +1 754 201 9833

CABÚ Viajes is a tour operator registered with Colombia's National Tourism Registry, RNT 215668.

Last updated: September 8, 2026.

Written by Marta Fernández, founder of CABÚ Viajes, a local tour operator in Cartagena de Indias registered with Colombia's National Tourism Registry under RNT 215668. CABÚ runs bachelor and bachelorette parties, group trips and private experiences in Cartagena, contracting directly with the houses, boats, restaurants and suppliers of the city, with no middlemen.

Sources: US State Department Colombia Travel Advisory

The five pages that answer the rest

All of it is open on the site, with no form in the way:

The number, now: the budget calculator — people, nights and level, and it returns the per-person price with the breakdown.
Which house and which boat fit a group of 6, 12 or 18: by group size.
Which day each thing goes on: the 3, 4 and 5-night itinerary, with the five mistakes groups repeat most.
If someone offers you a fixed package: what it must include before you can compare it.
How to pay without risking the deposit: deposit, invoice and what goes in writing.

Still comparing destinations? Before you decide, read the best international bachelor party destinations from the US in 2027: Puerto Rico, Cancún, Tulum, Cabo, Punta Cana, Costa Rica, Cartagena and Medellín compared on passport, nonstop flights, boat day, how each trip is billed and where Cartagena loses.

Planning around a long weekend? The 2027 US long weekends that work best for Cartagena, the nonstop flights including the new United routes from December 17, 2026, and what it costs: Cartagena long weekends 2027 from the US.

Which month? Rain, wind and sea for island days, month by month from IDEAM data: best time to visit Cartagena.

Write to us now, and what happens next

Message us on WhatsApp → +1 754 201 9833 · answered at any hour, 24/7. Prefer email or a form? Ask for your quote here.

Send these five things and nothing else is needed: the dates or the month, how many nights, how many people, what is non-negotiable for this group, and the city everyone is flying from.

Within 24 hours on a working day you get two or three houses or boats that actually fit those dates, with what we checked on each one, and an itemised quote: each line priced separately, what is included and what is not, and the payment calendar. No agency fee.
You choose. Nothing is held or booked until you confirm in writing. If nothing fits, we say so instead of pushing a substitute.
Deposit against a company invoice — never 100% upfront, never to a personal account — and each traveller can pay her own share and receive her own receipt.
One named contact on WhatsApp before, during and after the trip, who answers at eleven at night on the 31st. RNT 215668, verifiable in the public Colombian registry.

December and the first week of January are quoted on the actual house, in writing, because those two weeks sell out first.

Tell us what you need and get it back in 24 hours

You do not need to have it all decided. With these four things we send a real quote, not a brochure:

Dates (or the month) and how many nights.
How many people. Here you pay per unit: the house, the boat and the van cost the same for 8 people as for 16, so the headcount moves the per-person price a lot.
What is non-negotiable for the group: an island day on a private boat, a chef at the house, a club table.
Where you are flying from, and whether everyone lands the same day.

In under 24 hours you get an itemized breakdown per unit with what is included and what is not, plus the payment schedule: a deposit to hold the house and the balance before the trip, against a company invoice. No agency fee and no commitment — the quote is a draft open to changes, and nothing is reserved until you confirm.

Request your quote here · Local operator in Cartagena, RNT 215668.

Travelling as a couple? Read the Cartagena honeymoon guide: boutique hotel or private house, private boat and islands.

Planning a trip with friends or family rather than a bachelor party? See the Cartagena group trip and girls trip guide: villas, boats and cost per person.