Cancun International Airport — Local services in Quintana Roo

Cancun International Airport is literally like two worlds in one. Let me explain...

Arriving at Cancun International Airport was amazing. The deplaning process was smooth, the staff was super friendly and the space was very clean.

Navigating through the airport was super smooth as the airport has all signs in Spanish and English. As I got off the plane, I followed the signs to the baggage claim area as I could obtain my luggage. Getting to baggage claim was smooth as the airport design is very straight forward. I didn't get lost nor did I feel overwhelmed by being in an unknown place.

I arrived at baggage claim, retrieved my bags, and was on my way to customs. As Mexico offers an online process, I did the majority of my confirmations in advance. This allowed me to be able to go to the electronic line, scan my passport, and I was on my way. Smooth, Simple, Effective, and Easy to Navigate.

Once I was scanned through I was on my way to the taxi area.

As my travel was coordinated through Lomax, I was able to follow their instructions to get to the applicable area. Upon arriving, it was easy to check in, confirm my ride, and I was on my way.

Now... The Departure is a WHOLE NOTHER STORY...

I arrived at the airport to check-in for my flight. The lines weren't bad and things were moving swiftly. As I had checked in online, I went to the kiosk to print my boarding pass (and boy am I glad I did. I'll explain later). After printing my pass I headed to security.

Security looked like the line to a concert. Though it was super traffic heavy, there were multiple points of check-in so it went rather quickly. My Apple Watch did cause me to beep so I had to go through twice, however, I was able to take it off and hop right back in line. Whew!

Upon getting through security, it became a mad house! Getting through the duty-free area was smooth but past that point my life changed severely.

The gate area looks like a documentary on herding cattle. Everyone is all over the place and the structural setup of the airport is not the best (in my opinion). I was in Terminal 3 and the gates sit on the exterior of the area and there are restaurants in the middle along with stores all over. It reminded me more of a mall than an airport and the traffic matched that of a mall.

The gate agents don't call out updates until it is time to board your flight. As such, you have to ensure to watch the board for your flight updates.

I personally had to watch the board like a hawk as I had no service and I was unable to connect to the internet. This is why I was soooooooooo glad I had a printed copy of my boarding pass as I was unable to connect to the Delta app.

The seats at the gate are plastic so comfort is not a thing at all. LoL!!! As I arrived at the airport 3.5hrs early, you can't imagine how much I had to keep getting up to ensure my lower body didn't go numb. lol! Furthermore, there weren't enough seats at the gates so every time I got up, it was like a game of musical chairs.

As the time came to depart, my flight was called on time and my flight did depart on time. I was so glad to depart from Cancun International Airport and be on my way home.

On a great note, the departure area is super clean as well as the...

My name is Alina Kudymova. I am a Ukrainian citizen and have legally resided in Germany for seven years, working as an intensive care nurse. I traveled to Mexico with a valid e-visa, a return flight, sufficient financial means, and a confirmed address where I planned to stay with acquaintances for the first two days.

On May 27, I arrived in Cancún and was stopped at passport control. Despite having all necessary documents, I was treated with suspicion from the beginning. I answered all questions about my status, plans, and accommodation. I clearly stated that I would stay with acquaintances for the first two days and provided their full address and contact information. This is a perfectly human and lawful way to begin a trip, especially when visiting a country for the first time.

I offered to book a hotel on the spot if necessary, but this was refused. I explained that I had not booked a flight to Oaxaca yet because I planned to travel by bus – something many travelers do. The relevant Mexican bus app is not available in Germany, but that should not be seen as suspicious.

I want to emphasize: it is completely normal to plan only the first part of a trip and rely on local contacts or flexible travel methods later. That is not suspicious – it’s normal, human, and reasonable.

Instead of receiving any official decision, I was silently taken aside. My phone was confiscated. I was denied any contact with my family or legal assistance. I was interviewed a second time and again explained my plans in detail. No explanation was ever given. No police officer ever officially informed me that I was being denied entry.

One officer took my unlocked phone without permission, listened to private voice messages, took screenshots, and left – all without saying a word. I never received a legal explanation.

Later, I was led to the gate by unidentified staff and put on a plane without any formal notice or opportunity to speak to authorities. Another Ukrainian woman, who had pre-booked a full three-week vacation, was deported along with me.

Just before boarding, a staff member made a humiliating remark to the flight crew, implying that I was being picked up by “an amigo” – suggesting inappropriate intent. This was degrading, sexist, and completely false.

Only a kind flight attendant gave me Wi-Fi so I could message my mother. Until then, I was silenced, isolated, and treated like an object.

This was not just bureaucratic failure – it was gender-based profiling and institutional discrimination. Our only "mistake" was being Eastern European women traveling alone.

I fully respect every country’s right to deny entry. But I cannot accept being stripped of my dignity, denied my rights, and treated without a voice. I demand accountability and a fundamental rethinking of how travelers – especially women from vulnerable countries – are treated at international borders.

I speak for myself and for all Ukrainian women who carry the trauma of war and deserve to be treated with respect –...

This review is a comprehensive breakdown of the airport. NOT everything is bad but the one thing that's terrible and makes me want to fly to Mérida or somewhere else and, then drive to Cancún. (That's how BAD it is!!) even if it's a 2 1/2 car drive, is the "security checkpoint". Or if they can even be called that. The terminals and finding them is VERY easy, there's a lot of curb space to pull over and get off to access the terminals. There are also a lot maleteros (baggage runners) available which are super friendly and nice and professional. They will help you even to check in the self serve kiosks and walk you all the way to your airline carrier to drop off your bags. You just gotta tip them, but they are very nice. The MAIN issue IS THE SECURITY CHECKPOINT. They are a complete joke. Their employees are incompetent, rude and just a joke! They make TSA look good, which is a tall order lol. They have enough staff to check for bags and x ray machines BUT they have all these stupid rules which contradict each other and all these idiosyncrasies that make absolutely NO sense. First off, before you get to the checkpoint they claim they have signs everywhere which state 'that laptops and tablets must come off bags and be put on separate bins" before padding x-rays. Well we didn't see any. And the people checking the passports and tickets at the beginning of the checkpoint do NOT remind passengers about this policy. I also can tell it wasn't just us that never saw anything. It was like 75% of the passengers. Both Spanish and non-Spanish speakers. Also for example they let my daughters Fire Tablets through without any issues. But yet, me and my wife's iPad and Android tablets had to be taken out of our backpack and put in separate bins?? And come back again and start the whole process again?? WHY?! It's the same type of devices!! Also, they claim that any type of liquid even if it less than 100 ml which is allowed to be carry-on, has to be discarded before passing through security. But you guessed it: no signs of those policies anywhere. It's like they make them up as they go. Bottom line if you want to get extremely frustrated and waste 1 hr before you flight or even miss your flight because of their stupid security, use Cancún airport!!! Now once past security the food options are good it is clean , plenty of restrooms etc. The "security checkpoints" ruin the whole airport for me. Until they get their act straight I'm staying off Cancún Intl , and flying to Mérida only. And this review is coming from a very well seasoned...