If you’re flying to Mexico from the USA or have to get from one airport to a different throughout the nation, there’s one identify you’re going to run into repeatedly. Flying on Volaris is one thing you’re in all probability going to expertise ultimately for the sake of time or comfort, even if you happen to’re a luxurious traveler. So right here’s our tackle what to anticipate.
First of all, you could know that Volaris is firmly and unapologetically a funds airline. No frills, numerous additional charges, and no pampering. This is just not uncommon: there’s just one true full-service airline left standing in Mexico and that’s Aeromexico, which normally sends you thru a busy hub. The relaxation have raced to the underside, with the same expertise as you’ll discover with the likes of Allegiant, Ryanair, or Air Asia. A step up from Spirit and Viva Aerobus, however not an enormous step.
The excellent news is, their web site is in each English and Spanish, capable of spit out costs in a number of currencies, and more often than not it does what it’s alleged to do. You simply should reset it again to English if you happen to do a number of searches from inside Mexico as a result of it’ll maintain reverting again to Spanish and pesos.
Where They Fly
This airline can get you plenty of locations, particularly if you happen to’re an expat dwelling in Mexico. By most measures they’re the nation’s largest service now, forward of the flagship Aeromexico, and are increasing extra quickly. Unfortunately, whereas the previous will get you Skymiles factors they usually have codeshares with Delta, Volaris is just not aligned with anybody besides observe no-frills airline Frontier.
Assume you will get to most of Mexico with Volaris, however additionally they fly to plenty of totally different nations.
USA: Atlanta, Chicago, DC, Dallas, and plenty of California cities, plus codeshares with Frontier.
Canada
Guatemala
El Salvador
Costa Rica
Honduras
Colombia
Peru
Figuring out these routes is just not at all times simple although as a result of there’s no map and a few of the combos are a fake-out. Your departure metropolis and vacation spot metropolis will likely be out there as selections, however then once you attempt to decide a day, no dates can be found in any month.
The Volaris Evolution to Budget Carrier
It wasn’t at all times the case that this was a low-frills funds airline, billing themselves as an “ultra low-cost airline.” I first flew on Volaris again in 2011, at a time after they had been making an attempt to woo clients with extra facilities and higher service. They had been competing arduous with Interjet (now kaput) and on the time they had been each extra prone to shock you to the upside than the draw back. To present how far downmarket they’ve gone, right here’s what I wrote again then:
Attendants hand out headphones to make use of to look at TV in Spanish on the seatback screens. Soon a drink cart got here round with all kinds of non-alcoholic drinks. (It was early within the morning; they might provide beer and cocktails later within the day). My daughter squealed with delight when she noticed the snack they had been giving us: Krispy Kreme doughnuts! There had been some ads on three overhead baggage panels, however all of us ended up with a free can of the marketed iced tea earlier than deplaning, so not a foul trade-off. They additionally had a basket of taffy sweet to choose from as we walked off the aircraft. Nice contact.
Be suggested that none of that’s in place now. Plus the free checked bag and open seat choice we had then are each gone too.
Assume that you simply’ll pay additional for something and all the things not included within the base fare when flying on Volaris. Your ticket is mainly only a license to enter the aircraft. They even do a bait-and change with the fares that come up on their web site: these don’t embody any of the airport taxes, though the taxes are necessary and you must pay them it doesn’t matter what. Volaris is simply sneaky they usually add them to your fare as you progress by the reserving course of. So your possibilities of paying the primary value you see are zero.
Volaris Luggage Fees and a Personal Item
There’s one piece of baggage you might be allowed to convey on when flying on Volaris: a private merchandise that may match beneath the seat. The dimensions for which might be a skimpy 35 by 45 by 20 centimeters, so it’s takes some tremendous packing abilities to get away with that. That’s mainly a laptop computer bag with just a few gadgets in it.
If you may plan forward, you’ll save a small fortune by choosing a bundle deal that features baggage once you ebook your ticket. For occasion, right here’s the fare distinction (earlier than necessary taxes) for a one-way excessive season ticket between Oakland and Los Cabos:
Zero (Base fare solely) – $211
Basic – $221 consists of carry-on and restricted flight change
Plus – $263 consists of carry-on, 55-pound checked bag, precedence boarding, totally refundable/changeable ticket
So except you’re actually pinching pennies, it’s greatest to go for the highest possibility and get the very best choices for simply $42 extra.
Domestic flights are likely to have extra of a value distinction, nonetheless, with the Mexican vacationers getting socked extra for not packing gentle. Here’s the distinction on a high-season flight between Leon/Guanajuato and Cancun, when the beachgoers aren’t getting any slack.
Zero (Base fare solely) – $64
Basic – $77 consists of carry-on and restricted flight change
Plus – $138 consists of carry-on, 55-pound checked bag, precedence boarding, totally refundable/changeable ticket
In this case, you’re primarily paying $51 additional to test a bag, board sooner, and have extra change choices.
If you’re studying Luxury Latin America, you’re in all probability the kind who will take that deal with out stressing about it except you’re good at packing gentle.
You’re nonetheless not executed paying although. Besides the taxes they’re going so as to add on, there’s additionally an absence of seating talked about in these bundle inclusions above. So you possibly can be caught in a center seat within the again by the lavatory if you happen to depart it to likelihood.
So in order for you an excellent seat, you could take one other step to finish that consolation course of…
Flying on Volaris With More Comfort
Because these funds airways are so coin-operated and don’t even attempt to faux they’re providing an excellent journey expertise, you should buy your self an improve with out spending very a lot. While on legacy U.S. carriers it may value you greater than $100 to get a greater seat, it’s a better selection on Volaris. You’re going to should pay for a seat choice anyway, even if you happen to select the highest bundle, so that you would possibly as effectively pay a small premium to get among the finest seats on the aircraft.
There’s no enterprise class on Volaris, in fact, however you may pay slightly extra to have a bulkhead seat on the entrance, be one or two rows again to get off sooner, or decide an exit row seat and have extra legroom. If you’re not going to want a lot at your seat, the bulkhead ones are the roomiest and are in all probability the very best guess for households with a toddler, however you must stow all the things at take-off, so you may’t maintain your laptop computer helpful when you’ve got work to do.
Here’s an instance of the totally different seat choice costs on a home flight I ebook pretty usually: Leon/Guanajuato to Cancun:
Middle seat within the final row: $9.34
Aisle seat in the midst of the aircraft: $12.99
Exit row seat: $19.49
Bulkhead window: $23.55
In different phrases, the distinction between the worst seat on the aircraft and the very best one for this 2.5-hour flight is round $14. You’ll acquire just a few extra inches a minimum of over the usual seat pitch of 30 inches.
Here’s what the seats value on a for much longer worldwide flight, from Leon/Guanajuato to Oakland, California:
Middle seat within the final row: $13
Aisle seat in the midst of the aircraft: $16.89
Exit row seat: $28.59
Bulkhead window: $39
As you may see, choosing the very best seat on this 3 hour and 40 minute flight solely prices $26 greater than the worst. So purchase your self some legroom.
Other Volaris Travel Tips
As with most funds airways, Volaris goes to provide you a complete lot of nothing to eat and drink. Plus what they do have on provide appears rather a lot like what you’ll discover on the shelf of Oxxo: all the things is processed and filled with sugar, with numerous warning labels on the packaging.
So order a beer or a cocktail if that’s your factor, however in any other case assume you’ll have to convey a crammed water bottle on board, convey your individual espresso in order for you one thing respectable, and produce your individual meals if Pringles aren’t your thought of a meal.
The airline has switched to a cell mannequin for leisure by the app, however most of what’s on provide is in Spanish or is 10 years outdated a minimum of. Or each. I’ve seldom used it and normally simply obtain one thing to my pill or learn a ebook on my Kindle.
There are normally no shops for charging on these flights, whether or not USB or common. The seats don’t recline (in all probability an excellent factor because it’s so tight) they usually’re fairly skinny to be able to cram the utmost in.
Be suggested that if you happen to journey with this airline rather a lot, you could discover the Volaris Annual Pass to be an excellent deal. It’s usually $499 for a 12 months and for that you could journey anyplace on quick discover (3 days for worldwide, 1 day forward for home) with out paying the fare. You nonetheless should pay all the things else although: taxes, seat choice, change charges, and baggage.
That final one is actually going to value you too: they make annual cross holders pay the walk-up baggage charge as an alternative of the advance reserving charge everybody else will get after they do a flight search. So on some current flights I took between Mexico, Costa Rica, and Guatemala, they needed a surprising $79 for me to hold my very own small wheeled bag on or a rapacious $90 to test a bag. I took an underseat bag as an alternative and purchased a brand new outfit on arrival.
I’m nonetheless glad I purchased it although as a result of I acquired it for $349 after they had been working an advance promotion. It has already paid for itself and I’ll use it extra earlier than it expires in six months.
One final tip: ensure you’re flying into the fitting airport in Mexico City if you happen to’re headed there. AIFA is additional out and doesn’t have many connections. You need AICM (airport code MEX).
In conclusion, Volaris isn’t going to be essentially the most nice flight you’ve ever taken and also you’ve acquired so as to add on plenty of extras to get to what everybody receives mechanically on a superior airline like Southwest. These are point-to-point flights which might be usually sooner although and even with all of the add-ons, it may find yourself costing you much less in the long run than being on a service akin to Aeromexico, United, or Air Canada.
See particulars at the official web site.